6921 Golden Ring Road, Rosedale, MD 21237
410-477-9144

CARBON MONOXIDE ISSUES

We not only keep your family warm, we keep them safe.

Carbon monoxide is a hazardous gas that is odorless, colorless and tasteless, making it notoriously hard to detect.  The gas is a result of incomplete combustion due to insufficient oxygen to finish oxidation.  In this case, it doesn’t make it to the carbon dioxide form.  When Carbon monoxide makes it into the air, several health problems may emerge:

Flu-like Symptoms – Carbon monoxide taken into the body in small amounts may mirror flu characteristics, including fatigue, nausea, confusion or headache

Organ Troubles –  The more carbon monoxide you inhale, the worse the impacts on your health.  Breathing in large quantities (At once or over time) of this gas may result in brain damage or heart problems, and at its worst even death.

Carbon Monoxide can be present when fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are present. Common sources of carbon monoxide in our homes include fuel-burning appliances and devices like clothes dryers and water heaters.  Winter can be a prime time for carbon monoxide poisoning as people turn on their heating systems and mistakenly warm their cars in garages.

The National Safety Council recommends you install a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector in your home near the bedrooms. Check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. The CDC offers these additional tips:

  • Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year
  • Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors
  • Never use a generator inside your home, basement or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door or vent; fatal levels of carbon monoxide can be produced in just minutes
  • Have your chimney checked and cleaned every year, and make sure your fireplace damper is open before lighting a fire and well after the fire is extinguished
  • Make sure your gas appliances are vented properly
  • Never use a gas oven for heating your home
  • Never let a car idle in the garage
  • Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
 
 Never ignore a carbon monoxide detector if it sounds, and do not try to find the source of the gas. Instead, follow these steps:
  • Immediately move outside to fresh air
  • Call emergency services, fire department or 911
  • Do a head count to check that all persons are accounted for
  • Do not reenter the premises until emergency responders have given you permission to do so
  • Call Ace of Diamonds Chimney, Hearth and Home to remedy the issue