Carbon Monoxide (CO2) How to Stop the Invisible Indoor Killer

According to a 2012 report by the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments answer to an average of 72,000 carbon monoxide calls each year. Carbon Monoxide, or CO2, is a colorless, odorless gas by-product of burnt fuel. It’s commonly associated with wood stoves, car engines and other fire combustion sources along with gas or oil furnaces.

Why should you be constantly aware of CO2?

The short answer is that CO2 awareness is a matter of life and death. CO2 is one of the leading reasons of accidental poisoning deaths in the US*, and conditions of CO2 poisoning have been known to be misdiagnosed as the flu, viral infections and prolonged fatigue, among many others. This makes CO2 poisoning the invisible killer that needs to be taken seriously by every Edmonton homeowner. Serious poisoning takes place from breathing large concentrations of CO2, but poisoning may also happen gradually over many months or years. Some signs may include nausea, vomiting, flu-like symptoms, dizziness and fatigue.

So what can you do?

1. If you don’t have a CO2 detector in your home, get one right away. You can phone Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to purchase one today.
2. If you do have a CO detector that is battery-powered, check or replace the batteries regularly; at least every 90 days. It's also wise to replace the detector every 3-5 years.
3. If you experience or have experienced a few of the symptoms cited above, ask your doctor to test for carbon monoxide poisoning, and get a second opinion if necessary.

*emedicinehealth.com. Prevention information for Carbon Monoxide poisoning may be inaccurate or incomplete; none of these methods guarantee prevention of Carbon Monoxide poisoning.