The heating season is well upon us now. Furnaces and fireplaces are firing up and houses are more or less sealed up for the winter. Hopefully you’ve had a chance to have your equipment serviced and inspected for proper combustion, venting and mechanical operation. If you haven’t done this yet, now would be a good time to pick up the phone or get online and schedule a service call.

Even if you’ve taken all of the precautions of cleaning and servicing your equipment, don’t forget about the carbon monoxide detector. If something unexpected were to happen such as a breach in the heat exchanger, there may still be a chance that deadly poisonous gases could find their way into the same air you and your family breathe.

Health Canada has plenty of information on CO prevention, health and safety tips, and all around do’s and do-not’s when it comes to CO. Like, don’t B-B-Q in the house or the garage. I highly recommend you check out the page at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/advisories-avis/_2009/2009_205-eng.php.

While you’re checking the CO detectors, if you haven’t already done so recently, press the test buttons on the smoke detectors and make sure everything is working properly. Health Canada has great information on this too at: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/house-domes/fire-feu/detect_smoke-detect-fumee-eng.php

Enjoy the season!