An annual gas heater service carried out before the beginning of the heating season is recommended for safe and energy efficient winter heating. This is extremely important to avoid serious health problems in your home caused by a carbon monoxide (CO2) leak or other problems that could even lead to a house fire. When you weigh up the gas heater service price against the alternative, it starts to look like a bargain in comparison. Let’s take a closer look at some of the health and safety issue surrounding gas heaters, servicing, and repair.
Common Health Related Issues
The primary health problem related to heating systems is the aforementioned CO2 leak and the associated risks. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is odourless and colourless making it extremely hard to detect. When CO2 is present in higher concentrations it’s very dangerous to breathe, people exposed to this gas can pass out or even die very quickly.
Certain groups are especially susceptible to CO2 exposure, such as pregnant women, small children, and elderly people. If a person in the home has a preexisting health condition, such as lung or heart disease, are also at more risk from exposure to CO2 and other airborne pollutants.
There are many possible symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, and some of them can be equally applied to other conditions or general fatigue. Lower levels of exposure over an extended period of time can still have a deleterious effect on the health of those exposed, but the incremental changes in health may be misdiagnosed. Some of the most common effects of CO2 poisoning are headaches, tiredness, dizziness, fatigue, confusion, chest pains and shortness of breath.
What Can You Do?
If you have a suspicion that your home is being affected by carbon monoxide you need to take action quickly. First, turn off your heating system, open every door and window in your home and ventilate every room with fresh air. Next, everyone living in the home needs to be examined by a doctor as soon as possible. Finally, you need to contact Mouritz; they can send a professional HVAC technician to detect the leak and fix the problem for you.
Can This be Avoided?
Absolutely, a regularly scheduled service for your HVAC system is designed to detect issues like this before they can develop into larger and more dangerous problems. A checkup every two years is advisable, but every year is even better, and then you can use your heating system safely without worrying. A well maintained system will be safer to use, and it will be far more energy efficient so you can save money on your energy bills too. When your heating equipment is serviced by a professional they can detect smaller issues earlier, smaller repairs are cheaper, and the system is less likely to fail when you need it most.
If you need a gas heater repair or service, contact Mouritz for expert help and advice.
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