El Paso Fire: Deadly risk of carbon monoxide poisoning this winter
As we continue seeing low temperatures, families at home are trying to stay warm however they can. But carbon monoxide can be produced accidentally at home.
Carbon monoxide can be a deadly gas if it goes undetected for long.
A detector will alert you about the colorless and odorless gas in your home that can cause sudden sickness.
During this time of year, there's higher risk as carbon monoxide can be produced by common gas appliances to warm up your home like your stove, furnace, fire place, portable generator or water heater.
El Paso Fire says that's when there's incomplete combustion because it's improperly installed.
People also tend to leave heaters on overnight without proper ventilation, increasing the risk.
"You should always leave a window a little bit open, especially close by your furnace. That way it can have proper ventilation, when it doesn't vent, that's when the carbon monoxide builds up in your home," says El Paso Fire Lt. Juan Acuña. "And that's why it's very important to have a carbon monoxide detector right by your furnace or your stove, or something."
Acuña says it should be installed lower than the regular smoke detector, around the level of a doorway in your home, since carbon monoxide is a heavier gas.
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are:
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Blurriness
- Loss of consciousness
- Trouble breathing
- Vomiting
- Chest pain
- Confusion
"We have had 74 carbon monoxide incidents with 34 being actual carbon monoxide," explained Acuña. "So that's about a 30% actual rate of carbon monoxide poisoning -- that's good, and that's why we always recommend every home have a carbon monoxide detector."
A carbon monoxide detector with a lithium battery should last 10 years.
Check your manufacturer package to see how often your detector needs to be replaced.
