Silent Killer

What’s wrong with this picture?

It looks like a pretty normal living room. What the picture doesn’t tell you is that carbon monoxide is waiting to infect whoever walks in.

Carbon monoxide is the silent killer. It’s odorless, colorless and toxic. This gas comes from a variety of sources including kerosene and gas space heaters; leaking chimneys and furnaces; back-drafting from furnaces; gas water heaters, wood stoves and fireplaces; gas stoves; generators and other gasoline powered equipment; automobile exhaust from attached garages; and tobacco smoke.

The biggest danger of this gas is with high enough levels, it kills without the homeowner even knowing it’s present. Symptoms of low levels of this noxious gas imitate flu symptoms and include headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and fatigue.

Use a carbon monoxide detector to make sure your house is in a safe range. For a home without a gas stove, levels should range from 0.5-5 parts per million (ppm). With a properly adjusted gas stove, carbon monoxide levels range from 5-15ppm and levels around a poor adjusted gas stove can be up to 30ppm or higher.

Also, to prevent the gas from invading your home, make sure to keep your central heating system up to date, clean and regularly inspected.

At Dutch Enterprises, we’re happy to inspect your central heating system and other gas operated devices. We also have a full line of carbon monoxide detectors we can install to keep your home and family safe.

Call us at (573) 243.3193 to get started.

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