A Scary Reminder To Protect Your Loved Ones From Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious, and pretty scary threat. One family recently got a scary reminder to protect themselves from carbon monoxide. Luckily, they're alive to talk about it.

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Why You Should Check Old Appliances For Carbon Monoxide Leaks

This family has a hot water heater that had a faulty vent. This caused carbon monoxide to flow through the house. The copper pipes had been eroded. Eventually this all lead to a serious leak.

Recently, some of the members of the family became sick. That's what lead to the discovery of that leak.

Why Carbon Monoxide Is So Dangerous

Carbon Monoxide is odorless, tasteless, and colorless. This means you could have a leak and not even know it. Exposure to carbon monoxide can make you sick, and it can be fatal.

This is is why, if you have gas appliances, you need to have carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Place multiple detectors throughout the home. You can usually get carbon monoxide and smoke detector combination units for a pretty reasonable price.

How Do You Know If You Have Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

The symptoms are pretty straightforward for carbon monoxide poisoning. They include:

• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Confusion
• Blurred vision
• Loss of consciousness
• Weakness

My Family Had To Learn The Hard Way

When I was a kid, we had a floor furnace that flooded one winter after a massive ice storm. The pilot light went out, and our home filled with carbon monoxide. Luckily we had somewhere to go while we waited to be able to go home.

We were told we were lucky that we woke up that morning.

With the winter cold getting ready to settle in, double check all of your gas appliances and place carbon monoxide detectors if you haven't. Also, check the batteries in your detectors if you already have some.