Energy Tip:
Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CLFs) use 66 - 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and lasts up to 10 times longer.
Residential Heating - Safety
Indoor Air Quality
Any time you maintain, retrofit, or replace a gas heating system you also need to be concerned with air quality. Combustion air is needed by all gas heating systems to support the combustion process. This air is provided in some homes by unintentional air leaks, or by air ducts that connect to the outdoors. The combustion process creates several byproducts that are potentially hazardous to human health and can cause deterioration in your home. You can protect yourself from these hazards, as well as maintain energy efficiency, by ensuring that your chimney system functions properly and that your gas heating system is properly ventilated. In some cases, installing a sealed-combustion furnace or boiler can help too.
Sensors may be installed to monitor CO levels and to alert you if they rise dangerously high. When fuels such as gas or oil are burned, the main combustion products are water vapor, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides. If these gases are not vented properly to the outside, serious problems can develop—problems that affect your personal health, your furnace, and your home. The most publicized and most serious of these problems is CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning, which causes illness or death every winter. If there is incomplete or improper combustion, chances are the appliance is producing carbon monoxide, a dangerous colorless, odorless gas that can quickly build up to toxic levels.
Combustion also produces nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde, and other aldehydes. These combustion gases can and will cause serious health problems. An indicator of a serious problem is the sudden build-up of moisture in the house. Backdrafting of combustion appliances such as a water heater or furnace, or a cracked heat exchanger, will inject additional moisture in the house. One hundred cubic feet of natural gas produces more than a gallon of water in the form of vapor. Sudden excessive condensation can serve as an indicator of serious problems with these appliances. Because this moisture normally exhausts out of the chimney, excessive humidity in your house may be a warning sign that your gas furnace or other fuel-burning appliance is not venting properly. Other indicators of gas furnace problems are frequent headaches, a burning feeling in your nose and eyes, nausea, disorientation and other flu-like symptoms.
If you suspect a problem, air out your house, open a window near the furnace room and immediately call your heating contractor, utility, or service technician. We recommend buying a furnace that has a sealed combustion system or, at a minimum, a power-vented furnace that forces the exhaust gases out of the home with a fan. We also recommend that you install a carbon monoxide detector in your home.
Ensure Safety!
Ensuring the safety of a home heating system is essential. Buying a furnace with a sealed combustion system and equipping your home with a carbon monoxide detector are two ways to protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning.