Fall is one its way! The mercury's dropping, the orange leaves in the trees rustling, the nights growing longer, the flavor palette changing from the fresh fruits and crisp vegetables of summer to the earthy gourds and the hearty beans of the harvest months and many more But most importantly, have you tuned up your furnace and the carbon monoxide detector for the winter. Furnaces, fireplaces, stoves and gas ranges are often prone to emitting carbon monoxide (CO). This is a very harmful gas that can be lethal for the inmates of a house. Being absolutely colorless and odorless, it is difficult detect the presence of CO in the room air. In the US, every year more than 20,000 people end up at the emergency room because of carbon monoxide poisoning. There are some usual symptoms of CO poisoning such as dizziness, headache, chest pain, and upset stomach. The irony is that these symptoms exactly match to that of flu. So even if you are affected by CO poisoning, you can assume it to be flu. The foolproof way to detect CO is to have a CO detector in the house. Let’s see what can be done to prevent CO emission from the furnace –

Annual inspection and maintenance of the furnace

There are umpteen companies that provide annual maintenance for your furnace. They will send certified HVAC technician who will come and inspect your furnace. They usually come to tune it up in autumn just before winter commences. They will clean up the unit and look for issues that cause problems. Heat exchanges of furnace can crack with use and leak out CO. The cracks are almost impossible to be detected by naked eyes. The technician will spot any cracks or holes and fix them to keep your furnace running properly.

Watch the pilot light

The older models of gas furnaces have pilot lights. The pilot light’s burning pattern should be monitored continuously to detect CO leakage. The flame of pilot light should be blue in color. A minor yellow or orange spots on the flame is fine but totally yellow or orange flame is alarming. It indicates improper burning which can emit copious amount of CO leakage. Some furnaces would automatically shut off in the event of a CO leakage. So, if you notice your pilot light keeps turning off for no apparent reason, pay attention to its color and don’t keep relighting it. Call a HVAC technician in your locality ASAP.

Install detectors

As CO is colorless and odorless gas. You should install CO detectors throughout the house to detect its presence in the room air.