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The Deadly Impact of Carbon Monoxide

It’s that time of year: People light their fireplaces, heat their homes with stoves and kick their furnaces into full gear. With heavier use of combustion appliances, as well as closed-up windows and doors, something else becomes common: carbon monoxide poisoning. When carbon monoxide finds its way into homes, it can have serious, and sometimes deadly, consequences.

Impacts of carbon monoxide

The problem with carbon monoxide is that it fools the body while depriving it of oxygen. When you breathe in carbon monoxide, the carbon monoxide attaches to your blood instead of oxygen. At all levels of exposure, carbon monoxide can cause ill effects, including:

  • Fatigue. Healthy people exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide will feel tired and run down, no matter how much sleep they get.
  • Chest pains. People with weak cardiovascular systems may experience chest pains when exposed to low levels of carbon monoxide.
  • Reduced brain function. People experiencing moderate carbon monoxide exposure might find their brains foggy and have difficulty focusing. As carbon monoxide exposure increases, people might become confused and disoriented, or even become dizzy.
  • Impaired vision. Exposure to carbon monoxide at high levels or prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can cause blurred or otherwise impaired vision.
  • Flu-like symptoms. People who are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide can feel nauseated, achy, and suffer from headaches.

Preventing carbon monoxide poisoning in your home

At any level, carbon monoxide poses a danger to your home. That’s why you need to be sure you’re doing all you can to protect yourself and your family from a buildup of carbon monoxide poisoning. Some important steps to take to keep your home and family safe include:

Having all vented appliances cleaned and inspected at least once per year. Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion, and all combustion appliances will let off carbon dioxide. Having your fireplace, chimney, heating stove, furnace and dryer vent cleaned and inspected at least once per year ensures that vents are cleared and properly exhausting carbon monoxide from your home, while having these appliances inspected ensures that they aren’t malfunctioning and emitting carbon monoxide into your home.

  • Never run a car in a closed garage.
  • Don’t use camp stoves, grills, lanterns or other outdoor combustion items indoors.
  • Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor in your home, and near sleeping areas, and check detectors regularly to make sure they are in good working order.

Let Your Chimney Sweep help keep your home safe!

Keep your family safe from the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, and let Your Chimney Sweep help! We can clean, service and inspect your combustion appliances and vents, including fireplaces, heating stoves, furnace flues and dryer vents. Call Your Chimney Sweep today to schedule your services and lower your home’s carbon monoxide risk this winter.

By Joe Sauter on December 26th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment

A Creosote Free Chimney For Santa

In a few short weeks, St. Nick will head down your chimney to fill your stockings and place presents around your tree. To really be prepared this Christmas, make sure you have a creosote free chimney for Santa. A creosote-free chimney will help you to enjoy your holiday gathers safely!

A Safe Hearth for Christmas

In truth, a chimney does so much more than provide a mythical entryway into your home. As family and friends gather for holiday centerpieces, the hearth often serves as a gathering point. To safely burn a fire in your fireplace, you need a chimney that is free from dangerous creosote. That means scheduling a chimney sweeping and inspection before you light your hearth this holiday season.

Have Your Chimney Swept and Inspected

Each time a fire burns in your fireplace, smoke traveling up your chimney deposits creosote on the walls of your flue. When that creosote builds up to a measurable degree, it poses a hazard to your home and your family. That’s because creosote is highly flammable. If your fireplace flares to an extreme temperature, or if a burning ember finds its way up the chimney, it can ignite the creosote lining your chimney, causing a dangerous chimney fire that could spread to your home, threatening your family and your property. To prevent this dangerous situation, it’s recommended that fireplaces and chimneys be cleaned and inspected at least once per year.

Having your chimney swept before the holidays brings, even more, benefits than preventing a chimney fire. It also keeps your family safe by ensuring that your chimney is clear from any debris or nesting animals. This prevents smoke and carbon monoxide from entering your home. Finally, a clean chimney ensures that your chimney will draft well, that your fireplace will work efficiently and that your home won’t fall victim to foul smells traveling down the chimney.

Let Your Chimney Sweep Help You Get Ready for Santa!

You don’t want to let a dirty chimney destroy your holiday celebrations! Have your chimney cleared from creosote before your holiday gatherings and before Santa’s visits: You’ll help keep Santa’s suit clean, help keep your home and family safe from the possibility of a chimney fire and be able to safely enjoy a beautiful, roaring fire during your holiday gatherings. Let Your Chimney Sweep help you get your chimney ready for Santa Claus and ready for all of your holiday gatherings. Call today to schedule your annual chimney sweeping and inspection.

By Joe Sauter on December 11th, 2017 | Tagged with: Tags: , , , | Leave a Comment