Keep your home healthy
This time of year, homeowners are shutting
the windows and turning on the furnaces. There are two potentially hazardous
gases that could circulate more freely through your home as a result: carbon
monoxide and radon. Both have the potential to be deadly, but there are things
you can do to protect yourself and your family.
CARBON MONOXIDE
Every year, thousands of people nationwide become ill from carbon monoxide. It is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas produced by burning fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal, oil and kerosene. Warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness and confusion. The Michigan Department of Community Health said 934 individuals unintentionally were poisoned by carbon monoxide in 2011, including 22 who died.
The three most common sources of exposure were faulty furnaces or water heaters (23 percent), generators (10.5 percent) and vehicles (10.3 percent).
To protect your family from carbon monoxide, you should follow these steps:
•Never place fuel-powered appliances and equipment, such as generators, washers, saws, welders or compressors, inside your house or garage, where fumes will collect. Always read and follow all of the instructions that come with your equipment. If you are using a generator, use a long extension cord to keep it several feet from the home, away from all open windows, doors and air intakes.
•If you have wood and/ or fuel-powered appliances, have a heating professional clean and inspect them annually and have chimney/vents inspected once a year in the fall. Keep the damper to the fireplace open until the fire is out and the coals are cold.
•Even if the garage door is open, do not leave a car running (this is a safety hazard for several reasons — theft, accidents and carbon monoxide exposure) and, if you have a remote car starter, be careful not to start the car while in an attached garage or near an air intake in your home.
•Consider installing Underwriters Laboratories approved carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home or apartment.
Place a detector in or near your bedroom and make sure it has a fresh battery twice a year — or a battery back-up if it plugs into the wall.
If you think you or your family might be suffering from carbon monoxide exposure, get outside immediately and call 911. Health care providers can determine exposure with a blood test. Do not ignore symptoms. You could die within minutes if you do nothing.
RADON
The other danger is radon.
If you live in a home where radon is present, you might be getting high doses of this gas with every indoor breath you take. Radon, similar to carbon monoxide, is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and this radioactive gas can increase your risk of lung cancer. The Surgeon General said radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer in theUnited States
Radon is naturally occurring in rock and soil. It can enter buildings through cracks or openings in the foundation of floors and walls, around sump openings or spaces around plumbing.
It occurs in new and old homes and houses built over a basement, crawlspace or slab. Nearly one in eight homes inMichigan
The first step is learning if you have radon seeping into your home. The Kent County Health Department recommends testing homes for radon. Just hang a small filter in your home for about one week and mail it for testing in a pre-paid envelope. You will receive the results within a few weeks.
Tests are available at the Kent County Health Department for just $5 each.
For more information, call 616-632-6900.
If the tests show you have radon in your home, the Environmental Protection Agency offers information on how to eliminate this silent killer. Visit epa.gov.
REMINDER
Nov. 3 marks the end of daylight saving time. Be sure to set your clocks back an hour and change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms.
CARBON MONOXIDE
Every year, thousands of people nationwide become ill from carbon monoxide. It is an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas produced by burning fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal, oil and kerosene. Warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness and confusion. The Michigan Department of Community Health said 934 individuals unintentionally were poisoned by carbon monoxide in 2011, including 22 who died.
The three most common sources of exposure were faulty furnaces or water heaters (23 percent), generators (10.5 percent) and vehicles (10.3 percent).
To protect your family from carbon monoxide, you should follow these steps:
•Never place fuel-powered appliances and equipment, such as generators, washers, saws, welders or compressors, inside your house or garage, where fumes will collect. Always read and follow all of the instructions that come with your equipment. If you are using a generator, use a long extension cord to keep it several feet from the home, away from all open windows, doors and air intakes.
•If you have wood and/ or fuel-powered appliances, have a heating professional clean and inspect them annually and have chimney/vents inspected once a year in the fall. Keep the damper to the fireplace open until the fire is out and the coals are cold.
•Even if the garage door is open, do not leave a car running (this is a safety hazard for several reasons — theft, accidents and carbon monoxide exposure) and, if you have a remote car starter, be careful not to start the car while in an attached garage or near an air intake in your home.
•Consider installing Underwriters Laboratories approved carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home or apartment.
Place a detector in or near your bedroom and make sure it has a fresh battery twice a year — or a battery back-up if it plugs into the wall.
If you think you or your family might be suffering from carbon monoxide exposure, get outside immediately and call 911. Health care providers can determine exposure with a blood test. Do not ignore symptoms. You could die within minutes if you do nothing.
RADON
The other danger is radon.
If you live in a home where radon is present, you might be getting high doses of this gas with every indoor breath you take. Radon, similar to carbon monoxide, is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and this radioactive gas can increase your risk of lung cancer. The Surgeon General said radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer in the
Radon is naturally occurring in rock and soil. It can enter buildings through cracks or openings in the foundation of floors and walls, around sump openings or spaces around plumbing.
It occurs in new and old homes and houses built over a basement, crawlspace or slab. Nearly one in eight homes in
The first step is learning if you have radon seeping into your home. The Kent County Health Department recommends testing homes for radon. Just hang a small filter in your home for about one week and mail it for testing in a pre-paid envelope. You will receive the results within a few weeks.
Tests are available at the Kent County Health Department for just $5 each.
For more information, call 616-632-6900.
If the tests show you have radon in your home, the Environmental Protection Agency offers information on how to eliminate this silent killer. Visit epa.gov.
REMINDER
Nov. 3 marks the end of daylight saving time. Be sure to set your clocks back an hour and change the batteries in your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms.
reference: The Grand Rapids Press
