Time for furnace inspections

A little frost on the pumpkin will call for some heat in the house. So before the chill hits, inspect your furnace, especially if it burns fossil fuel.

All appliances that burn propane, natural gas, wood, or heating oil, are potential sources of carbon monoxide (CO) leaks. CO, a colorless, odorless gas, is produced by incomplete combustion of fuel.

A qualified technician can check your heating system for these problems: A cracked heat exchanger, inadequate fresh air, blocked chimneys or flues or blocked appliance vents.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a form of slow suffocation. The gas attaches itself to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in the blood. The blood carries less oxygen and the body suffocates. CO poisoning symptoms begin with sluggishness and headache. Later there is dizziness and loss of consciousness.

Although CO poisoning has been getting a lot of publicity lately, the fact is that CO poisoning leading to death is unusual. In fact, in the U.S. (with a population of more than 250 million), there are only 800 to 1,000 people who die from it each year, according to the Mayo Clinic Health Letter.

Nonetheless, if you use any appliance that burns fossil fuel, a CO detector is a good idea. Be sure to buy an Underwriter Laboratories approved detector that has some following features:

* An audible alarm.

* Power-on light.

* A manual reset button to silence the alarm briefly.

* Test button to verify that it works.