Last month, tens of thousands of Floridians in Hurricane Irma’s path were told to evacuate their homes to assure the safety of their families. When they returned after the storm, widespread power outages throughout the state presented a looming danger in the form of carbon monoxide poisoning as many residents relied on generators as their only source of electricity.
People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and even die from exposure to the poisonous gas. Everyone is at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning but infants, the elderly, and people with continuous heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are more likely to become diseased from carbon monoxide exposure.
Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized. Because initial symptoms often depict the flu and can be as ordinary as fatigue, nausea, dizziness and headaches, carbon monoxide poisoning is often labeled as the silent killer.
As apparent in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, it is not always obvious where probable origins of carbon monoxide poisoning can be. In fact, the number of cases of carbon monoxide poisoning usually grows in the cooler months ahead as many homeowners turn on their furnaces to keep their families warm and comfortable for the season.
Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning suggests updating your carbon monoxide detectors every five years and checking your carbon monoxide and fire detectors each month to verify the batteries and alarm are functioning properly.
Call Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning today at 469-249-1971 or schedule an analysis of carbon monoxide and other harmful indoor air pollutant levels online.