There are many risks to consider when using gas powered appliances, both because of the risk of fire and explosion, as well as, the dangerous gas that is generated from the combustion of natural gas – carbon monoxide.
Your appliances will be set up to vent their exhaust to the outside of your home, but in some cases, conditions exist that make this exhaust come into your home instead, causing a potentially dangerous situation. This is called backdraft, and it can occur when the air pressure inside your home is lower than the outside pressure. If you start seeing soot build up around your appliance, this is an indicator that you have a problem with backdraft. However, a much more accurate indicator for checking your exhaust is to use a puffer or a smoke pencil to see which way the exhaust travels.
On top of this, every home needs to have a carbon monoxide alarm that will let you know when you are experiencing higher than normal levels of CO in your home.
Recent Comments