October 27, 2016
Inhaling carbon monoxide can lead to illness and death. Certain malfunctioning in your HVAC system can lead to carbon monoxide leaks in your home, which endangers both your life as well as that of your family’s. To avoid this make sure that you have a working carbon monoxide detector as a line of defense. Carbon Monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that occurs as a result of incomplete combustion of a fossil fuel; it is both cumulative and a direct poison. The harmful effects of Carbon Monoxide differ from person to person, based on the concentration of the air. The maximum allowable concentration for continuous exposure in a living area is nine parts per million whereas 16 hundred parts per million leads to death within an hour.
Have Each Appliance Tested by an HVAC Service Professional with a Testing Instrument that can Detect Carbon Monoxide or Analyze the Combustion Gases.
There is no substitute for proper installation and regular inspections by a trained technician as a means to prevent Carbon Monoxide incidents. You should have your whole furnace and other fuel-burning appliances tested and inspected by a professional on a yearly basis or before every heating season. Make sure your HVAC service professional checks and tests each appliance using a testing instrument that can detect carbon monoxide or analyze the combustion gases.
The professional should also be able to measure building and duct pressures, which can aid in the prevention of combustion system failure and CO generation.
A qualified technician will know the symptoms of incomplete combustion and heat exchanger failure. Technicians also use the age of the equipment to judge what components need special inspection. Most technicians carry carbon monoxide detectors that allow them to analyze the content of the flue gasses. Every unit should be checked thoroughly by a competent service technician at the beginning of each heating season. This inspection will predict and prevent future failures as well as allow the diagnosis of current problems.
Heat exchangers fail prematurely due to cracking and corrosion. Both of these situations are often caused by insufficient air flow or uneven air flow over the heat exchanger. If the air distribution system is not designed and installed properly, the heat exchanger can run at too high a temperature or can develop hot spots. To sum up, like most other facilities related issues, good design, quality installation, a working knowledge of the possible problems and their causes, and a regular inspection
program performed by capable technicians is the way to limit your exposure to a very dangerous situation. CO detectors and properly maintained combustion appliances can save lives.
Don’t ignore any of these symptoms as you could very well lose consciousness and die.
CO detector is a critical component of a complete home safety system and have saved countless lives in the USA. Installing a CO detector is the best way to ensure that this deadly gas does not enter your home. But unfortunately, the CO detector won’t be able to fix the problem, only prevent it. Don’t keep on postponing your full HVAC tune-up and call your nearest Service Champions for a maintenance and service which can save your life.