Carbon Monoxide is produced when fuel in not burned completely because of low oxygen flow. Wood-burning fireplaces and charcoal grills are main sources, as are damaged heating and water systems.

Now that it’s heating season, take a few steps to protect your health:

1. Have all fuel-burning appliances inspected by a trained professional
2. Don’t use a gas oven to heat your home — even in an emergency
3. Don’t idle a car in the garage — even with the garage open

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include severe headaches, dizziness and mental confusion. And even low levels of toxins can cause shortness of breath or mild nausea.

This is why many people confuse carbon monoxide poisoning with the flu, often with fatal consequences.

According to the EPA, store-bought carbon monoxide detectors are a good supplement to routine care of fuel-burning systems, but should not used as a substitute.

Purchase Carbon Monoxide detectors at Lowe’s or any hardware store near you.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 25th, 2008 at 7:04 am and is filed under Cincinnati Real Estate News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.