Can Chimneys Cause Carbon Monoxide
The temperature is continuing to drop. In only a few more weeks, the temperatures during the evening will fall into the upper 40s. When we sit down on the sofa to watch our go-to program or read a nice book, you can bet that we’ll be grabbing for some toasty socks, an additional layer, and a few blankets. It’s probable that if you have a fireplace, you’ve already started piling up on firewood to prepare for the winter. You can almost feel yourself luxuriating in the comfort that the fire will provide you.
Carbon monoxide poisoning. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion that is responsible for the deaths of more than 400 individuals in the United States each year and the treatment of more than 50,000 persons for unintentional poisoning. The less efficiently something is burned, the greater the amount of pollution that is created. You put yourself at a greater risk of poisoning if the damper in your chimney does not open all the way. Due to the fact that it can take several hours of fresh air to clear the bloodstream of carbon monoxide, which is something that the majority of us do not receive when we use our fireplaces most of the time, the effects can pile up over the course of a day or two.
Chemicals that are harmful. There is evidence of the presence of creosote in the smoke that is produced by open fires. Because of this, if any of that smoke gets into your house, you run the risk of inhaling in those tiny levels. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified coal tar creosote as a potential human carcinogen. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas, making it extremely challenging to identify when it is present. A carbon monoxide detector that is in good functioning order should be present in the home at all times if it has a fireplace that is used on a regular basis. Carbon monoxide detectors are able to sound an alarm and warn you once they detect unsafe quantities of the gas.
Carbon monoxide gas is produced whenever wood is burned in a fireplace, which is why maintaining a clean chimney and ensuring enough ventilation is of the utmost significance if you make use of a fireplace. Poisoning can occur if your chimney is unclean, if there is an animal nest or some other blockage in the chimney, or if you have a broken flue liner or some other sort of damage to the fireplace. Other types of damage to the fireplace can also cause poisoning.
Because the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are so similar to those of other disorders, it can be challenging to determine whether or not someone has been exposed to the gas. The following is a list of the basic symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
Dull headache
Weakness
Dizziness
A nauseated stomach or puking
Uneasy and shallow breaths
Confusion
Vision that is hazy
Loss of consciousness
These symptoms have the potential to swiftly become severe. In the event that you or any of your family members begin to experience any of these symptoms, you should immediately throw open the windows and doors in order to let some outside air into the house and provide some relief. After that, you need to get out of the premises and contact the authorities immediately.
If you want to avoid getting sick as a result of a dirty chimney, the best thing you can do is have a professional Chimney Cleaning Oakley clean it at least once a year. It is recommended by industry professionals that you have a professional Chimney Cleaning Oakleyperformed at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. If you are only going to get it done once a year, the most appropriate time to do it is in the spring.
During those winter evenings, you and your loved ones will be able to safely enjoy a fire without having to worry about the potential risks to their health.
Do Creosote Logs Fulfill Their Purpose?
Many property owners are under the impression that if they burn a creosote log in their fireplace, it would sufficiently clean their chimney and make it safe to use. Even while creosote logs can make it simpler to remove creosote that is stuck to the interior of the chimney and help loosen the creosote that is stuck there, they won’t entirely clean the chimney even if they do those things.
All these reminders are best practiced when you are also assured of having a reliable company at your side. Contact Local Chimney Sweep Cleaning today for chimney cleaning and repairing.