Whether it’s from the soil in your yard, your furnace, or your gas fireplace, you are constantly surrounded by different gases. This means you’re constantly surrounded by possible danger!
Below are three types of gases commonly found in the home and what to do to properly detect them.
Natural Gas
Natural gas leaks and explosions kill about 17 people a year in the United States, so check for leaks on a day-to-day basis.
Get familiar with your appliances that use gas such as your furnace, water heater, or range. Read through the maintenance manuals, and learn how to recognize when something isn’t right.
Remember, the best way to fight a gas leak is to prevent it. If you hear hissing or whistling, get out of the house immediately and call 911.
Carbon Monoxide
Our second gas is an odorless, tasteless, and invisible gas that kills about 400 Americans a year.
Carbon monoxide is found in the fumes of burning fuel from things like engines, furnaces, grills, and fireplaces. Unlike smoke detectors, the building code states that there only needs to be one centrally located carbon monoxide detector per floor.
Do yourself a favor, though — replace all your smoke detectors with smoke/carbon monoxide combination detectors.
It may cost a little more upfront, but it could possibly save a life in the long run.
Radon
According to the CDC, radon gas is an abundant element found in rock and soil.
The most common sources of radon gas can be found in soil near the home or from burning coal or other fossil fuels.
Lung cancer and death are among the dangers of radon gas. It is also odorless, tasteless, and invisible which explains why it’s responsible for about 20,000 deaths a year in the United States alone!
How to test for radon you ask?
Buy yourself a home testing kit or hire a qualified professional. You won’t regret it.
Now, just because you don’t smell it anymore doesn’t necessarily mean the gas has gone away. Some gases can cause olfactory fatigue. This means that the gas will attack your sense of smell, and, although it may still be lingering, you won’t be able to smell it.
So, brush up on your gas range maintenance manual and ensure your detection systems are in line because you don’t want to wait until it’s, well, too late.
Original Source: https://brightnest.com/todos/check-the-gases-in-your-house
