Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Carbon Monoxide in Your Home?

From my friend Tom D'Agostino at Kimmel Mechanical:

After several deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning in Colorado last winter, Governor Bill Ritter helped pass new laws surrounding carbon monoxide detectors in new and resold homes. However, many homeowners who purchased their homes before the new laws went into effect on July 1, 2009, may have concerns about how to protect their families from carbon monoxide poisoning during the cold winter months.

First, what is carbon monoxide or CO? It is a toxic gas that is completely odorless, and can be fatal to both humans and pets within minutes of exposure. Some people will experience symptoms with lower levels of carbon monoxide, but others have no idea that it is in their homes. If your home uses gas, wood, fuel, coal or kerosene as its major heat source, you should make sure your home is safe from carbon monoxide.

How do you protect yourself and your family? You can purchase carbon monoxide monitors from any HVAC contractor or hardware store, but you want to make sure you are purchasing one that is effective in monitoring the levels of CO in your home. If you have questions about which CO monitors are the best, contact Kimmel Service at 303-952-8668 or email Tom at tomd@kimmelservice.com.

It is also important to have maintenance done on your furnace or boiler each year to ensure that it is not emitting dangerous levels of CO. This is especially important if your furnace is over 10 years old. A trained service technician can determine through the maintenance if there is cause for concern.

Also, if you experience any symptoms such as repeated headaches, flushed cheeks, nausea or shortness of breath, be sure to leave your home immediately and call either Xcel Energy or the fire department to come check your home to make sure it is safe and determine the source of the CO. Your furnace, water heater or other gas appliance could be the source, and needs to be checked out by someone with a trained eye.

For more information or with other questions regarding CO in your home, please contact Kimmel Service at 303-952-8668. Be sure your home and family are safe this winter!

Pete Doty is a Full Time Licensed Colorado real estate broker working in the south metro Denver area. "I go to work everyday for you & your friends, learning about our home town! It could be Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Littleton, Castle Rock, Centennial, Englewood, Parker, Elizabeth, Larkspur, Franktown, Kiowa, Aurora, Lakewood, or anywhere in metro Denver Colorado". Talk to Pete for real estate advice, properties for sale, Denver property listing service, all available at www.DenverRelocation.com. OR drop him a note to pete@Denverrelocation.com

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