Most of our customers know one big detail about carbon monoxide–that it’s poisonous. As long as you know that carbon monoxide is bad and should never be allowed to exist in your home, then you’re probably fine to continue with life as usual. However, for our more curious customers that want a bit more information as to why carbon monoxide is poisonous, then you’re in the right place.
This info isn’t meant to scare anyone or cause people to panic. Carbon monoxide coming from a furnace can only really happen in specific circumstances, and our team helps homeowners avoid those circumstances at all costs. This blog post is only meant to inform you and help you parse facts from fiction.
So, let’s talk about the chemical makeup of carbon monoxide, why it might come from your heater, and how our team’s heater repair in Bulverde, TX can keep your home safe.
How Carbon Monoxide Forms
When you burn fuel to create heat, there’s a process known as oxidation. Materials that are being burned turn into carbon, oxygen, water, and any other byproducts that might come from the burning. Think of the smell you get when you burn a campfire, this is smoke and it’s a result of the combustion process.
However, not everything oxidizes completely and turns into smoke or water vapor. Some materials get halfway through the process and become a material known as “carbon monoxide.” This is basically just one carbon atom and one oxygen atom fused together in a single particle that can be inhaled by anyone nearby.
Carbon monoxide is going to form every time you burn materials, and in small doses it can be incredibly harmful to living creatures like us. That’s why it’s always important to vent fumes and smoke whenever there’s a flame.
Can You Detect Carbon Monoxide?
Yes! Well, not on your own, but there are ways to detect carbon monoxide before it becomes harmful to you and your family. This is a carbon monoxide detector, and just like a smoke detector, they’ve got sensors that can pick up even the slightest influx of carbon monoxide molecules in the air.
We highly advise anyone with a gas burning appliances to have carbon monoxide detectors installed in their homes. With these systems, you don’t have to worry about the serious health effects as long as you’ve got a watchful protector to ensure that your home doesn’t get inundated with this gas.
Be Careful of CO Poisoning
For anyone wondering, carbon monoxide can be extremely harmful for people who breathe it in. We can’t absorb it in our lungs like we can normal oxygen or water vapors, and it can quickly harm brain function and other bodily functions.
At low concentrations, it can make people feel tired, nauseous, dizzy, and also give chest pains. In higher concentrations, it can completely impede vision, cause blackouts, and even fatality. We highly encourage anyone who might suspect that their home has carbon monoxide to call us. It’s always better to be safe than sorry and our team can help alleviate your problems.
