Tips to Safely Heat Your Home This Winter

Annually, over 20,000 people go to the ER as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. The odorless, colorless gas is referred to as the silent killer because it’s practically undetectable without a carbon monoxide detector. 

Carbon monoxide, as confirmed by the CDC, is put off by gas ranges, furnaces, fireplaces, stoves, and boilers so it only makes sense that carbon monoxide poisoning increases during the colder months when people are trying to keep their homes heated. To help keep your family safe, McKinley Heating Service Experts is here with a few tips to safety heat your home. 

• Place a CO detector on every floor of your home and replace the batteries every year. 
• Keep all possible sources of combustion, such as paper, clothing, bedding, or rugs, a minimum of three feet away from furnaces, space heaters, fire places, or stoves. 

• Before igniting a fire in the fireplace, always check to verify the chimney damper is open and unclogged. 
• Do not leave portable heaters or fireplaces unwatched. Turn off space heaters and make sure all embers in the fireplace are totally extinguished before leaving either heating source unattended. 
• Space heaters should always be situated on the floor, and on a hard, nonflammable surface, like ceramic tile. Keep kids and animals away from space heaters. 
• When purchasing a new space heater, invest in a model that turns off automatically if the heater tips over. 
• Do not use a stove to increase the temperature in your home. 

• Have fireplaces, chimneys, gas or oil furnaces, and coal and wood stoves professionally checked and cleaned annually. 

The best thing you can do for your heating system is to be sure it’s not only ready to keep your family warm all winter but also safe, is to set-up your fall tune-up. During your heating tune-up, McKinley Heating Service Experts will check to be sure your heating equipment is operating safely with a full multi-point inspection and cleaning. Call 780-800-7092 today and learn how you can save on a heating tune-up through November 25th.