What is Carbon Monoxide (CO)?

Carbon monoxide results from imperfect fuel combustion. The gas is colorless and odorless, and slightly lighter than air. The normal result of perfect combustion is carbon dioxide and water. Nonetheless, carbon monoxide is produced if only a single oxygen atom, instead of two combined with carbon. If the carbon monoxide is vented out, it will likely cause no problem. Carbon dioxide is toxic when inhaled since it binds to the red blood cells in the same way as oxygen does. It displaces the oxygen that the body needs. Breathing carbon monoxide fumes hinders the body from using oxygen in the body properly. This can cause harm to the heart, brain, and other organs. When exposed to carbon dioxide for a long time, the gas can build up into a person’s body resulting in serious issues. This can even be worse for a person who seldom leaves the house, such as little kids, the elderly, and the sick. People with health issues like lung and heart disease are at a greater risk. To avoid the risks associated with this gas, hiring professionals such as the Melbourne 24 Hour Plumbing to perform carbon monoxide testing is advisable.

Where is Carbon Monoxide found, and what are its poisoning symptoms?

Carbon dioxide is found in fumes produced whenever you burn fuel in trucks or cars, stoves, small engines, gas ranges, furnaces, or lanterns. This gas can build up indoors and poison individuals and animals that breathe in it. So how do you tell that carbon monoxide is present in your house? There are several symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning, including:

• Headache
• Weakness
• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Upset stomach
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Lightheadedness
• Sleepiness
• Convulsions
• Loss of consciousness
• Hallucinations
• Loss of vision

How to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home

There are various things that you can do to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in your home, including:

• Avoid using portable flameless chemical heaters and especially when indoors.
• Ensure that you hire a qualified technician such as the Melbourne 24 Hour Plumbing to examine and service your water heater, gas-burning appliance, coal, and oil-burning appliances, among other burning appliances, at least once per year.
• Ensure that you only buy gas equipment that carries a seal of a national testing agency.
• Ensure that your gas appliances are properly vented. For instance, the horizontal vent pipes for appliances like a water heater should slightly go up towards the outdoor. This keeps the carbon monoxide from leaking if the pipes or joints are not tightly fitted.
• Avoid patching a vent pipe with gum, tape, or something else of the sort. This type of patching can lead to the buildup of carbon monoxide in your home or cabin, among other areas.
• Hire professionals to check your chimney and clean it every year. Cleaning the chimney at least once per year will help eliminate the debris that may have built up in the chimney leading to carbon monoxide.
• Avoid burning charcoal indoors.
• Avoid using a generator inside your garage, basement, home, or less than twenty feet from any vent, door, or window.
• Installing a battery backup or a battery-operated CO detector in your home. It is advisable to check the detector now and then. It is also advisable to replace the detector’s battery after changing your clocks every spring and fall. You should also ensure that you place the detector in a place where you are likely to hear the alarm like outside your bedroom. It is advisable to buy a detector with a digital readout. Besides alarming you, such a detector can notify you of the highest carbon monoxide concentration level in your home. It is advisable to change the detector every five years.

The importance of carbon monoxide testing

By testing for carbon monoxide in your home, you can rest assured that your loved ones are safe from all the risks mentioned above. Even with the installation of detectors, as mentioned in the tips, you may not be very sure if the detectors are functioning properly. Therefore, it is very important to work with professionals such as the Melbourne 24 Hour Plumbing. We have everything required to test for carbon monoxide in your home effectively. Our team of professionals has been offering service for a long time, and we shall respond to your call fast. We can test for carbon monoxide in your home, identify where the leakage is coming from in case of the presence of the gas and fix the same. Apart from carbon monoxide testing, we also offer other services, including hot water system repair services, repair of burst pipes, unclogging blocked pipes, gas plumbing services, among other plumbing services. Do not hesitate to contact us at 1300 931 384 for carbon monoxide testing and all your plumbing needs.