The winters in the Fox Valley region get extremely cold. Fortunately, most home’s within the area are equipped with a furnace and a water heater to ensure that everyone stays nice, warm, and cozy when cooler weather arrives. Heating appliances are essential for people living in cooler climates, however, proper maintenance of these appliances is very important for the health and safety of your home. We here at The Chimney Guy are well known for being chimney system experts (it’s in our name). However, our technicians are also Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) certified ventilation experts as well. This means we have been trained to advise on other home ventilation systems as well, including your furnace and water heaters.
Furnace and Water Heater Ventilation
When your furnace or water heater is in use, flue gases need a way to get out of your home. Similarly to a chimney system, the by-products created by burning fuel, whether it’s gas, wood, coal, or something else, can be toxic. One such byproduct, carbon monoxide, can be especially hazardous. If carbon monoxide is allowed to enter your home and reach toxic levels, it can have a hazardous effect on anything living in the area. Symptoms of someone exposed to carbon monoxide include dizziness, headaches and passing out. If a person is exposed too long they can slip into a coma and even die. The Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) reports that there are approximately 10,000 exposures and 200 deaths related to carbon monoxide poisoning annually. If you are worried that you may have a carbon monoxide leak, immediately call 911 or your local police or fire rescue, leave your home immediately and get exposure to fresh air.
Fortunately, it isn’t difficult to make sure that your home is safe from carbon monoxide. The best way to prevent carbon monoxide exposure is to ensure that you have proper ventilation installed in your home. Ventilation allows for flue gases and excess heat to be pushed outside of your home, while protecting the inside of your home from exposure. You ventilation needs a clear path to work properly. It there is dust, lint, or debris in your ventilation, it can block the pathways out of your home and push gases into your home instead. That’s why it is important to have your ventilation inspected and cleaned by a CSIA certified ventilation technician. At The Chimney Guy, our technicians have been trained and certified to make sure your ventilation system is working properly. You can rest easy with the knowledge that our experts will check your vents for blockages and clean them if needed. They will also make sure that your ventilation is good condition and not leaking into your home.
If you have any concerns related to your ventilation system, don’t hesitate to call The Chimney Guy at 920-830-1920. You can also schedule an appointment online and have one of our ventilation experts inspect your home’s ventilation system today.
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