Tips to Safely Heat Your Home This Winter

Annually, over 20,000 people visit the hospital as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. This colorless, odorless gas is called the silent killer because it’s virtually undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector. 

Carbon monoxide, according to the CDC, is produced by stoves, gas ranges, boilers, furnaces, and fireplaces so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning rises during the colder months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep your family safe, Rob's Albertan Service Experts is here with some tips to safety warm your home. 

• Place a CO detector on all floors of your home and swap out the batteries every year. 
• Keep all potential sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, at least three feet away from space heaters, stoves, furnaces or fireplaces. 

• Before starting a fire in the fireplace, make sure you check to confirm the chimney damper is open and unobstructed. 
• Don’t leave portable heaters or fireplaces unwatched. Power off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are totally extinguished before going to bed or leaving home. 
• Space heaters should always be positioned on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like ceramic tile. Keep kids and pets away from space heaters. 
• When buying a new space heater, purchase a model that shuts off automatically if the heater falls over. 
• Do not use a oven to warm your home. 

• Have wood and coal stoves, fireplaces, chimneys and gas or oil furnaces professionally checked and cleaned yearly. 

The ultimate thing you can do for your heating equipment is to make sure it’s not only ready to keep you warm all winter but also safe, is to set-up your fall tune-up. During your fall tune-up, Rob's Albertan Service Experts will check to make sure your heating system is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 780-800-9047 today and ask how you can save on a furnace tune-up through November 25th.