Carbon monoxide in your Salisbury, MD, home poses a serious threat to the health of everyone inside, given its poisonous nature. However, it can prove hard to detect because it’s odorless and colorless. Because it’s hard to tell when you have a carbon monoxide leak, you should know these seven signs of a potential leak to protect yourself and your family.
1. Your Family Has Symptoms of the Flu
One of the more unpleasant signs of carbon monoxide poisoning is when you and your family physically experience flu-like symptoms but don’t have the flu itself. You must act quickly and seek medical attention when things get to this point because the carbon monoxide levels have gotten dangerously high. Blood tests can confirm CO poisoning so that medical personnel can respond with appropriate treatment.
2. Symptoms Are Situational
Besides flu-like symptoms, you should notice when or where they occur. Symptoms that disappear when you leave the home can be telling, and you might notice that symptoms worsen or appear when fuel-burning appliances or equipment are in use. Noticing specific instances of family members feeling worse can help you narrow down not just the presence of a carbon monoxide leak but also the potential source that is emitting the poisonous gas.
3. Your Pets Get Sick
Human beings aren’t the only members of your family that might get sick, as pets might display warning signs that you should monitor as indicators of problems inside your home. Watch out for aggression, anxiety, vomiting, drowsiness, and uncoordinated movements. They might have difficulty breathing, or they could even resist coming back inside your home after they get to go outdoors.
4. Soot Accumulates in or Around Your Exhaust Vents
Gas-fueled appliances need sufficient ventilation to let routine volumes of carbon monoxide and other exhaust fumes out of your home. However, dark spots of soot accumulation around chimney vents might indicate improper combustion ventilation.
At best, this reduces your home’s indoor air quality, but it might also indicate dangerous levels of CO throughout your home. Also, look out for brownish-yellow stains near your gas appliances that might be indicative of exhaust and ventilation problems where carbon monoxide can’t escape your home.
5. Yellow or Orange Pilot Light
One clearly visible sign that your gas furnace is leaking carbon monoxide is the color of the pilot light. When a pilot light burns cleanly, it should be blue. If it is yellow or orange, it could mean that you have an improper mix of gas in the line, which results in excess carbon monoxide fumes.
6. You See Heavy Condensation
Carbon monoxide does not cause condensation on its own, but if you notice heavy condensation on a windowpane close to one of your home’s appliances, that can be a warning sign you should pay attention to. Such condensation might indicate an appliance with ventilation issues requiring inspection and correction, so keep an eye out for moisture that has liquified around these parts of your home.
7. Your Nose Detects Exhaust Gases
Carbon monoxide has no odor, but several exhaust gases often accompany it when a leak occurs. Your nose might detect a burning smell, which can come from a leak out of a gas-fueled appliance. In other cases, it might smell like you’re sitting in traffic or car exhaust, so pay attention anytime you notice these particular smells inside your home.
Knowing the warning signs of carbon monoxide in your home helps protect your family. Still, you should also take specific steps that can prevent carbon monoxide from accumulating in your residence. Always keep carbon monoxide alarms installed and maintained on each floor of your home, and have HVAC equipment that might cause or spread carbon monoxide poisoning inspected regularly. If you’re in the Salisbury, MD area, contact us at Griffith Energy Services for your home’s maintenance needs.
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