This post is brought to you by Service Experts and The Motherhood. All opinions are my own.
I never knew owning a home required so much responsibility and it’s the little things you tend to overlook or forget about when you’re renting, but since owning a home I’ve learned that the little things are what keeps the house functioning like changing the air filters, making sure the batteries in the smoke detectors are working, servicing your appliances, and making sure tubs and drains aren’t clogged. These are just a few of the important things. They’re things that need to be checked monthly or every couple months to keep your home in good condition.
One of the most important things that I check for is to make sure our smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working. I also change the batteries every 6 months because they play such an important role in keeping our family safe. Carbon monoxide is silent, but can be deadly. It’s an odorless gas that can build up in your house and if unsafe levels are reached it could be very harmful to those in your home.
50.1% of homeowners are very concerned or concerned about carbon monoxide, but there are alarming gaps in what they know about the subject. Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning, a firm servicing approximately 2,000 homes daily in 95 markets, questioned 1,000 homeowners in the U.S. and Canada about their knowledge of carbon monoxide and the results were pretty shocking.
- 66.5% don’t know if they would recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
- More than half of homeowners (53%) don’t know that the clothes dryer can be a source of carbon monoxide; 25.5% don’t know that the fireplace also can be a source
- More than half (54%) don’t know the best place in the home to install a carbon monoxide detector
- Most alarmingly, over one third of homeowners (34%) don’t have or aren’t sure if they have a carbon monoxide detector in their homes
- 22.1% never test or don’t know how to test the detectors to be sure they are working
- 20.7% replace the batteries every few years – or never at all
When we first bought our house or home inspector told us that the furnace really needed to be serviced and that it looked like it had been a few years since one was done. We made sure to have it done before moving in and plan to do so every year. Since the furnace can be a source of carbon monoxide it’s really important to me that we make sure it’s working properly. Service Experts, which services Denver, can provide a Precision Tune-up that checks 29 different points on the furnace and the related ducts to ensure everything is operating efficiently, as well as cleaning and lubricating key parts, changing the filter and adjusting the gas pressure and pilot. This saves money on utility bills, keeps the warranty valid, and avoids unexpected breakdowns.”
In addition to annual furnace tune-ups, a carbon monoxide detector should be part of every home monitoring system. Carbon monoxide detectors should be installed outside of each separate sleeping area, and not within 15 feet of heating or cooking appliances in humid areas such as bathrooms. They should not be installed directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, since those may emit a small amount of carbon monoxide on start-up. You can learn more about Service Experts and schedule your furnace or cooling system service by visiting serviceexperts.com
About Service Experts:
Founded in 1996, Service Experts is a leading provider of HVAC repair, maintenance, new equipment sales and related services to residential and commercial customers in 29 states in the United States and three provinces in Canada. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Service Experts is one of North America’s largest heating and air conditioning companies, with 90 locations, 41 of which are located in the top 100 U.S.
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