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Carbon Monoxide
Home Safety Tips
What You Can Do...
• Buy only appliances approved by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
• Choose fuel-burning appliances that can be vented to the outdoors, whenever
possible.
• Make sure appliances are installed according to manufacturer’s instructions
and local building codes. Most appliances should be installed by professionals
and should be inspected by the proper authority after installation
• Have the heating system, vents, chimney and flue inspected and cleaned by a
qualified technician every year.
• Follow manufacturer’s directions for safe operation of all fuel-burning appli-
ances.
• Examine vents and chimneys regularly for improper connections, visible rust
or stains.
• Open a window when a fireplace or wood-burning stove is in use, and provide
adequate outdoor air for furnace and water heater.
• Notice problems that could indicate improper appliance operation:
– Decreasing hot water supply
– Furnace unable to heat house or runs constantly
– Sooting, especially on appliances
– Unfamiliar or burning odor
– Yellow or orange flame
• Be aware of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
– headaches, dizziness, weakness, sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion
and disorientation.
• Recognize that CO poisoning may be the cause when family members suffer
from flu-like symptoms that don’t disappear but improve when they leave
home for extended periods of time.
What You Should Not Do...
• Never burn charcoal inside a home, garage, cabin, RV or camper.
• Never install, service, or convert fuel-burning appliances from one type to another
without proper knowledge, skills and tools.
• Never use a gas range, oven, or clothes dryer for heating.
• Never operate unvented gas-burning appliances, such as kerosene or natural
gas space heaters, in a closed room.
• Never operate gasoline-powered engines (like vehicles, motorcycles, lawn mow-
ers, yard equipment or power tools) in confined areas such as a garage or base-
ment, even if an outside door or window is open.
• Never ignore a safety device when it shuts off an appliance.
• Never ignore a CO alarm.