Carbon monoxide is considered one of the biggest risks that a person faces at home. But what about gas fireplace carbon monoxide? What is Carbon monoxide? How does it affect your body, and what to do to protect yourself and your family from gas fireplace carbon monoxide?
Don’t panic! WarmthPedia is here to help!
This WarmthPedia article covers it all right here because safety should always be our top priority when using the fireplace. You can protect yourself and make your home safe without worrying by following the WarmthPedia safety measures explained below.
What is Carbon Monoxide “The Silent Killer”?
Carbon monoxide is a gas that cannot be detected without the use of specialized equipment because it has no taste, no color, or smell. When exposed to this silent killer, your body takes it instead of the oxygen in your red blood cells, and it causes sickness, danger, hospitalization, and even death.
It’s produced when fuel is incompletely burned, whether it’s LP gas, coal, oil, natural gas, charcoal, or wood.
So, if one may have carbon monoxide poisoning, get him into fresh air immediately and call emergency medical care.
How to Know If There is Gas Fireplace Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas and that could be difficult for you to notice if there’s a leak in your home. The effects of gas fireplace carbon monoxide poisoning can be harmful to you and your family’s health.
Take a look at these signs that WarmthPedia provided below to identify if there’s gas fireplace carbon monoxide in your home:
- Black soot stains on the glass doors of the gas fireplace.
- Smoke build-up in the rooms where your fireplace is.
- Window panels with heavy condensation where a gas fireplace is placed next to you.
- Brown or sooty stains on boilers.
- The fireplace’s pilot lights blow out.
- Solid fuels are burned more slowly than usual.
- If anyone in the house experiences any of these symptoms: chest pain, breathlessness, headache, nausea, seizure, or loss of consciousness.
What Does Carbon Monoxide Cause to You?
Carbon monoxide can happen when wood or fuels like kerosene and propane are burned incompletely while a gas fireplace is on.
The human body is strange, especially in how it acts with carbon monoxide. It makes sense that the body would reject this deadly gas, but it doesn’t. Your blood cells will continually choose to bind to carbon monoxide when they have the chance to bind to oxygen.
CO molecules bind to your body’s red blood cells and go to your lungs with them as you breathe air. Your blood’s oxygen level gradually decreases due to the CO molecules, which prevent oxygen from getting to your organs.
Your cells may run out of oxygen, making you sick, dizzy, or even dying! This’s horrible!
Here are the symptoms that are commonly caused by carbon monoxide poisoning, which is often described as having “flu-like” symptoms:
- Dizziness
- Chest Pain
- Shortness of Breath
- Headache or Migraines
- Weakness and Confusion
- Nausea, Upset Stomach, or Vomiting
Watch this YouTube video below to know the dangers of gas fireplace carbon monoxide poisoning.
Safety Measures to Prevent Gas Fireplace Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Here are some WarmthPedia safety tips to prevent gas fireplace carbon monoxide poisoning:
– Check if your chimney is working properly and has a chimney cap.
– Keep an eye out for dampness inside the fireplace, since this may point to a damaged chimney cap.
– Keep your children and pets away from the gas fireplace.
– Check the fireplace base for any dust, debris, or other dirt.
– Keep flammable objects like furniture and curtains 3 ft. away from the gas fireplace.
– Install carbon monoxide detectors in your home on every floor.
– Make sure the dampers are open to allow for proper airflow.
– Clean the air circulation and fan tubes.
– Clean the glass.
– Check the batteries in the carbon monoxide detectors.
– Ensure that vents are not clogged.
Summary
Avoid leaving your gas fireplace on overnight in order to prevent gas fireplace carbon monoxide and protect yourself and your family from this silent killer gas. You should have carbon monoxide detectors as a first step whether you have a gas fireplace or not.
And always remember to follow the safety instructions above to prevent gas fireplace carbon monoxide poisoning when using your fireplace. In addition, you must check and maintain your gas fireplace regularly to make sure everything is working properly.
Have you ever experienced gas fireplace carbon monoxide poisoning? Tell WarmthPedia how you handled this dangerous situation in the comments section below!