Heating Your Home Safely

The use of home heating appliances rises dramatically during the cold winter months. Whether you light the fireplace, turn up the furnace, or pull out the space heater to combat the cold, you need to be aware of a silent and potentially fatal killer that could be invading your home: carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, deadly gas. Because you can’t see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill before you even know it’s there. Today’s more energy efficient, airtight home designs contribute to the problem by trapping the carbon monoxide inside the home.

While everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, it poses an especially serious risk to children. The danger of carbon monoxide is that it displaces the oxygen in your bloodstream, causing suffocation from the inside out. Infants and children are at a disproportionate risk because they have higher oxygen requirements than adults. Each year, more than 1,700 children age 5 and under are poisoned by carbon monoxide.

High and frequent use of home heating equipment is often the source of these incidents. But refrigerators, clothes dryers, water heaters, fireplaces, wood stoves, charcoal grills, gas ranges and space heaters can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. A clogged chimney or improper venting can cause problems as well.

Parents, grandparents and other caregivers should be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and how to prevent them.

Effects of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Since carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless, it is extremely difficult to detect. Another danger is that the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning often mimic the flu. Symptoms include:

  • Headaches
  • Fatigue
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Diarrhea
  • Confusion

Be aware of symptoms that disappear once the child is out of the house or symptoms that affect all members of a household at once. Long-term exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to neurological disorders, memory loss, personality changes, mild to severe forms of brain damage, and even death. If you think you or your child may have been poisoned by carbon monoxide, seek medical help immediately.

Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are several steps to follow to keep your home and family safe from carbon monoxide poisoning:

Install a carbon monoxide detector.  A carbon monoxide detector is designed to sound an alarm before dangerous levels of carbon monoxide accumulate. There are two types of detectors: plug-in detectors and battery operated detectors. Look for models that have a test button and power light that indicates the detector is working properly.
The alarm on the detector should sound at least 85 decibels and give you ample time to ventilate your home or get out before it’s too late. Many models have an alarm that stops automatically when fresh air clears the carbon monoxide.

For maximum protection, at least two carbon monoxide detectors are recommended per household – one located near the furnace and the other near the sleeping areas.

  • Have a professional install your home heating system and inspect it at the beginning of each winter season. Have them check that the furnace is in good working order and that exhaust gases can escape from the home properly. Check all flues and chimneys for cracks, corrosion, holes, debris and blockages.
  • Be sure space heaters are vented properly.
  • Check fireplaces for closed or blocked flues and accumulated soot or debris in the chimney.
  • Never operate gas-powered engines in confined spaces. Remember to never let a car run in an attached garage, even if the garage door is open.
  • Gas or charcoal barbecue grills should never be operated indoors – including inside a garage – under any circumstances.
  • Have your household fuel-burning appliances checked. Look at the color of the gas burner flames and pilot lights. A yellow-colored flame (the flame should be blue) indicates the fuel isn’t burning efficiently and could be releasing higher than usual amounts of carbon monoxide.

Know What To Do

If your carbon monoxide detector alarm sounds and you and/or family members are feeling symptoms, carbon monoxide could already be at dangerous levels in your home:

  • Leave immediately. Develop and practice a home evacuation plan that includes a family meeting place outside.
  • Call the fire department, local utility company or local emergency medical services from a neighbor’s home. Do not go back into the house until a firefighter, utility company staff or an emergency response personnel tells you it’s all right.

If your alarm sounds and you and/or a family member are not feeling any symptoms:

  • Ventilate the home by opening windows, doors and turning on fans.
  • Turn off any fuel-burning appliances immediately.
  • Call a qualified appliance repair technician to find the source of the carbon monoxide.

The Kentucky Regional Poison Center can answer your questions about carbon monoxide poisoning and help you determine if you have been exposed to dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Call (502) 589-8222 or 1-800-722-5725.  A free poison center sticker is available by calling Kosair Children’s Hospital at (502) 629-KIDS or 1-800-852-1770.

In An Emergency

If you believe your child needs emergency care, contact your child’s doctor. If you’re unable to reach your physician — or in the event of a serious emergency — bring your child straight to the emergency department at Kosair Children’s Hospital, any hour of the day or night. Kosair Children’s has the staff, the facilities, the equipment, and the technology to handle any pediatric emergency, from the smallest cut to the most serious injury.

Why Kosair Children’s Hospital Cares

Kosair Children’s Hospital is Kentucky’s only freestanding, full-service hospital dedicated exclusively to caring for children, adolescents and young adults. We have a strong commitment to the health and safety of all children. For more information on heating your home safely or to inquire about free fact sheets on a variety of health and safety subjects, call 502-629-KIDS or 1-800-852-1770.