(file photo/northeastNOW Staff)

By Mat Barrett

Furnace & Carbon Monoxide Safety

Melfort Ambulance encouraging furnace safety as weather cools

Oct 22, 2020 | 8:00 AM

The snow has finally hit and the mercury is diving with daily highs getting below zero. That means furnaces are coming on, if they haven’t already.

Melfort Ambulance is making sure everyone is safe with a few tips to make sure your furnace runs smoothly. Manager Wayne Therres said chimneys should be checked before turning the furnace on to make sure there is no blockages that affect the airflow. He said for chimneys that come off the side of a home, it’s even possible for small animals to make their home in there.

Other furnace checks include checking the pulleys and belts are properly working. Therres said even getting a professional to look things over is a good idea.

“Get that contractor to have a look at that stuff to make sure your heat exchange is not cracked,” he said. “So you don’t have that inadvertent exposure to carbon monoxide in your home during the winter heating season.”

Therres added changing your furnace filter once a month is also a good idea.

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He said the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the winter months because of furnaces running a bit more. Carbon monoxide is colourless, and odourless and can be deadly.

“If you find someone that’s not acting themselves, or is unconscious, then let’s make that call to 9-1-1,” Therres told northeastNOW. “And you’ll get not only EMS in the picture, but you’ll get the fire department over there too, to have a look at what’s going on so we can limit the effects of the carbon monoxide.”

Symptoms include unexplained nausea, headache, and even flu like symptoms. Therres added it could likely affect a number of people in your household, and even your pets.

He said a great way to make sure you and your family are on the ball when it comes to carbon monoxide is to have detectors or alarms in your home. Therres said there should be one in each sleeping area of the home, and if you have multiple floors to your home, minimum one on each level. He added to make sure they’re working, and are still up to code.

“Most of them now come with a replacement sticker that you place on the device when you put it in to service,” Therres said. “Recommending between five and seven years per replacement, regardless if it has been used or not.”

Therres said if there is a concern of exposure to carbon monoxide, get fresh air flowing, and if anyone shows symptoms to call 9-1-1.

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mat.barrett@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @matbarrett6