Don’t Let Deep Snow Become Deadly

“My head ached, I was a little dizzy and I felt queasy. Not thinking clearly, it took me a few minutes to realize the piercing noise I was hearing was an alarm going off in my home. It was the carbon monoxide detector. Despite the frozen landscape outside, I knew I needed to get out—fast.”

Carbon monoxide poisoning sneaks up on you. CO is an odorless, invisible gas that can overcome you in confined spaces, such as inside your home, garage or car, without warning. CO poisoning can be fatal or have long-term health effects.

Carbon monoxide is a gas that is emitted from furnaces, fireplaces, stoves, portable gas heaters, automobiles, outdoor grills, and gas-powered tools. Home heating systems are designed to vent CO safely to the outdoors, but when venting is faulty (blocked or leaky), CO can leak indoors and become deadly.

This winter is expected to be as snowy as last winter. Deep snow can block the vents that direct carbon monoxide out of your home, which can cause those gasses to back up into your home, threatening you, your family members and pets. Similarly, snow and ice can also block tailpipes on cars, causing deadly CO to back up into the cabin of your car.

Stay well this winter. Check your car’s tailpipe before driving away to make sure the tailpipe is free of ice or snow. Locate your home’s outside vents so you can clear them quickly when it snows. If you’re unsure of where they are, ask one of our technicians when they come out to service your home heating system for the winter.

And above all, get a carbon monoxide detector for your home, or check your existing CO detector to make sure it’s still working. It could save your life.

Heating Safety Tips:

• Don’t use outdoor grills inside the home; exhaust from portable generators and outdoor grills contain carbon monoxide.
• Use generators outside of the home, not in enclosed spaces (garages, basements, porches).
• Run the generator outdoors at 20 feet or more from doors, windows, and air intake vents.
• Get familiar with the exhaust system your furnace has and know where your home’s heating system exhaust inlets and outlets are located so you can clear the snow away from them.
• Check your car’s exhaust pipe to make sure it is unobstructed.

Symptoms of CO poisoning: flu-like symptoms (but no fever), headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, brain fog. If you experience these symptoms, get out!

Need a CO detector or to schedule winter maintenance for your home heating system? Call Hillside HVAC! In Delaware: 302-738-4144. In Maryland: 410-398-2146.