You rely on carbon monoxide detectors to keep your family safe year-round, but they are especially important in the winter when you run combustion appliances with windows and doors tightly shut. Here’s more of what you need to know about carbon monoxide leaks in your Springdale home and how they relate to furnace repair and maintenance.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a byproduct of incompletely combusted fuels, including charcoal, propane, natural gas, wood and coal. CO is deadly, and you can’t see, smell, taste or otherwise detect it without a carbon monoxide detector. That’s why it’s so important to install one on each level of your Springdale home and near sleeping areas to protect your family from a CO leak.

People experiencing the early signs of CO poisoning develop a headache, shortness of breath, fatigue, nausea and dizziness. Advanced symptoms of high exposure to CO gas include confusion, vomiting, poor coordination, loss of consciousness and eventually death.

Is Furnace Repair Necessary?

Normally, combustion fumes from a furnace vent outside. However, a problem requiring a furnace repair could release this harmful gas inside. If your carbon monoxide detector has sounded, that means it’s doing its job. Evacuate your home and call 911 from a safe distance away. When personnel arrive, they will check your CO detectors to ensure it wasn’t a false alarm. They will also determine the source of the leak, which could possibly be the furnace.

The next step is to call a Springdale area heating and cooling contractor for emergency furnace repair. The technician will inspect the equipment. Making a simple adjustment to the venting system could be enough to remedy the problem. However, if the heat exchanger is cracked, you quite possibly will need to purchase a furnace replacement.

To prevent a carbon monoxide scare in the future, schedule preventive HVAC maintenance so a technician can catch problems early and ensure your furnace is running correctly and safely. Whether you require a furnace repair or maintenance, please schedule an appointment with Tri-County Heating & Cooling today. We serve residents in Springdale, Hamilton, Mason and the surrounding area.

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