We cannot believe the amount of snow at our house! This is the first time ever I have filled the snow blower gas tank twice. We are truly living up to the Minne-snow-ta name.
Another important tip when we have as much snow around our houses as we do is to make sure the fresh air intake for your furnace is clear. As I walked around our house yesterday checking to see that everything was as okay as it could be, I noticed that our fresh air intake was covered with snow. Your furnace needs the fresh air to help push carbon monoxide out of the house. Two steps you should take today:
1. Walk around your house and clear any snow and ice away from the intake.
2. Make sure you have a working carbon monoxide detector. You should have one on each floor of your house. I also recommend having one in each bedroom.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
The initial symptoms are similar to the flu but with no fever. You may have a severe headache, dizziness, nausea, sleepiness, and weakness. According for the Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide poisoning may cause more that 500 deaths and 20,000 emergency room visits per year. So, please make sure you have working CO detectors on each floor of your home.
We live in the city of Plymouth and they provide low-cost, high-quality CO detectors, just contact the fire department.
We actually had our detector go off one day and if that happens to you, immediately leave your home and call either the fire department, or in our case we called Centerpoint Energy. They came out right away and tested with their equipment. The levels were low and were due to running a battery charger. We weren't in danger, but be sure to leave the house if your alarm goes off just like you would if you smelled gas in your house.
Wishing everyone a happy, fun, and safe holiday!
No comments:
Post a Comment