Preventing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

I was just watching the Weather Channel and saw all the snow in Canada. It's already a winter wonderland up there. Where I live in Texas, we've just started to have a bit of cold weather. Just in time, of course, for my 20-year-old gas furnace to go out. I suppose it's just as well. We've been having problems with it in recent years and the burners are always needing a good scrub to keep them firing correctly.

As it gets colder in your area, be sure to get your furnace checked out and then keep it maintained even if it doesn't seem to have any problems. Be aware that symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning may not appear at immediately. Already this year, I read about one family where the youngest child (a 3-year-old) died. Carbon monoxide affects babies and toddlers more quickly because they are so small; it just doesn't take much of the gas to overwhelm their systems. Their faulty furnace is suspected to have been leaking slowly over days before the toddler fell unconscious. In another recent story, a father purchased a carbon monoxide detector last year after some problems with the furnace and it saved lives this year. Again, of all the family members in the house at the time, it was the 2-year-old that had to be treated. So, make sure you are aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning this year, and do what you can to prevent it.