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Carbon Monoxide
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Protect Yourself From the Silent Killer

Perhaps the most serious safety concern associated with your gas or oil burning furnace, kerosene heater or gas or wood-burning stove is Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal if not detected early. CO is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels. Hence, the danger with household appliances fueled with gas, oil, kerosene, or even wood. If not properly maintained, these appliances can produce dangerous levels of CO in the home.

Each year in the United States alone approximately 5,000 people are treated for CO poisoning in emergency rooms. This number is probably lower than the total of people actually affected by the hazard because many individuals who suffer from the flu-like symptoms are misdiagnosed and never receive treatment. In 1989, 220 deaths were attributed to CO poisoning from gas-fired appliances alone.

The following series of Questions and Answers can help safeguard you from this serious health hazard.

What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
Inhalation of CO can cause headaches, dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, disorientation, nausea, vomiting, and weakness in healthy individuals. At high levels, carbon monoxide may even result in loss of consciousness and death. Because some of these symptoms are similar to the flu or other common ailments, you may not immediately associate them with CO poisoning. If you detect a sudden onset of more than one of these symptoms, or they occur to more than one person in the household at once, take steps immediately to remove yourself from the environment and determine the cause.

Are some people more vulnerable to the exposure of CO than others?
Infants, unborn babies, and individuals with anemia or a history of heart disease are more vulnerable to CO poisoning than others. For people with chronic heart disease, low levels of carbon monoxide can result in fatigue and increased chest pain. But no one is immune to the debilitating effects or fatal potential of CO poisoning. If you even suspect the potential presence of CO in your home, act immediately to ventilate the area or leave the premises until professional help can be obtained.

How can I prevent dangerous levels of CO from accumulating in my home?
There are primarily three things you can do to protect your family from this subtle, silent killer:

1. Make sure your systems are correctly installed. - Proper installation is vital to the safe operation of combustion appliances. New appliances are equipped with installation instructions that should be carefully followed. Conform to local building codes as well. Follow manufacturer’s instructions to guarantee proper venting as required. And always use a qualified service technician to install combustion appliances. If in doubt, call a technician to make sure your system is correctly installed.

2. Make sure your systems are properly maintained - Have your home’s central and room heating appliances, including water heaters and gas dryers checked annually by a qualified service technician. This annual inspection should include your furnace, thermostat controls, automatic safety devices and all other electrical and mechanical equipment. Here are a few other tips:
  • Check chimneys and flues for loose connections, blockages, and corrosion.
  • Subscribe to an annual inspection/tune-up service agreement.
A service agreement means you'll never forget to have your system maintained on a regular basis.

3. Install one or more UL Certified Carbon Monoxide Detectors in your home. – CO detectors measure both high concentrations of CO over short periods of time and low concentrations of CO over long periods of time. Since the effects of CO can be cumulative, both methods of protection are vital. Detectors are designed to sound an alarm before the level of CO in a victim's blood becomes crippling. Beware of low-priced detectors that change color instead of sounding an alarm. These detectors require frequent checking and won’t alert you to a sudden buildup of CO in the air. We offer a high quality CO detector. Ask us for details at (210) 798-8000 or email us using our Contact Us page.

CO Detectors can save lives.

What are some of the signs that my home may be at risk for CO problems?
Signs that may indicate improper appliance operation include:
  • Furnace runs constantly or is unable to heat the house
  • Decreasing hot water supply
  • Unfamiliar or burning odor
  • Soot, especially on appliances
  • Increased condensation inside windows

Visible signs that may indicate a CO problem include:
  • Rust or stains on vents and/or chimneys
  • Improper connections on vents and/or chimneys
  • Appliances that make unusual sounds or emit unusual smells
  • An appliance that keeps shutting off.

Many new appliances come with safety features that prevent operation in unsafe conditions. If you have an appliance that stops operating, it may be due to a dangerous condition. Don't try to operate an appliance that keeps shutting off. If this happens, contact your service technician.

Additional Tips
  • Never use a range or oven to heat living areas of the home
  • Never use a charcoal grill or hibachi in the home
  • Never keep a car running in an attached garage

It costs you more money and uses more energy to heat and cool your home than using any other system in your home. Typically, 44% to 50% of your utility bills pays for heating and cooling your home. Regardless of the type of home comfort systems you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. Keep in mind that an energy efficient air conditioner alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using an approach that involves the entire house. If you combine proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherization and thermostat settings, you can reduce your energy bills by up to 50%.

For a more detailed overview of information related to the efficiency of today’s Air Conditioning equipment specifically, call one of our Customer Service Representatives at (210)798-8000 today.

General Cooling Tips:
• Use house fans. House fans help cool your home by circulating cool air throughout the house. They are most effective when the outside air temperature is cooler than the inside and when operated at night. An attic fan can “blow away” hot air that accumulates in the attic. This can go a long way to help the efficiency of your air conditioning system.
• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible. By maintaining a minimum difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures, you’ll lower your overall cooling bill.
• Don't reduce your thermostat setting to a colder temperature than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. This “oversteering” will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
• Set the fan speed on high, except in humid weather. When it's humid, set the fan speed on low.
• Consider ceiling fans to help spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
• Keep lamps and TV sets away from your air conditioning thermostat.
• Shade air-conditioning units by planting trees or shrubs, but make sure you do not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses up to 10% less electricity than one operating in the sun.
• Close shades or drapes on east, south, and west-facing windows during the hours when the sun’s intensity is at its peak. Open drapes and windows during early morning and overnight hours when the air outside the home is cooler.
• Turn off the air conditioner if the house (or air-conditioned rooms) will be unoccupied for an extended period. A programmable thermostat in an ideal, inexpensive way to do this.

A programmable thermostat can save you money by turning your air conditioning and heating off automatically when you know the house will be unoccupied.

Here are a few more steps you can take to substantially improve your home’s energy efficiency.

Take a Holistic Approach to Total Home Energy Conservation
To achieve the maximum in total home comfort and energy savings, we recommend that you step back and look at the big picture of energy consumption in your home. The fact is, your total home comfort and efficiency is the product of many systems: heating, cooling, lighting & electrical, plumbing and possibly others working together. It is the interplay between these systems, combined with the size, age, physical features and location of your home, and even your lifestyle, that combine to produce the total energy efficiency of your home. Changing or upgrading one system, without considering the other factors will usually result in some improvement, but may not deliver the maximum possible benefit.

If you’re building a new home, or considering a major remodel or system upgrade, consider an Integrated Systems approach. It may cost a little more now, but will undoubtedly save you a bundle over time. Our skilled engineers and technicians will look at the big picture when designing a solution for your home. Call us at (210) 798-8000 now for a FREE, no-obligation Systems Evaluation and estimate today. Or, click here to use the Contact Us page to request a call from one of our home comfort and efficiency specialists.

Conduct a Home Energy Audit
The place to begin when evaluating your home’s overall energy efficiency and deciding how to reduce consumption and costs is with a Home Energy Audit. This takes into consideration much more than just your heating and cooling systems, and will give you a benchmark from which to make decisions and measure your energy saving progress.

Here are some of the heating & cooling factors your audit should take into consideration:
  • Insulation in walls, floors, and attic.
  • Vapor Barriers in walls
  • Quality of Windows – Single or double pane
  • Heat loss around doors and windows
  • Quality of insulation in doors
  • Integrity of ductwork – any leaks
  • Cleanliness of ductwork
  • Use of “passive” solar energy
  • Use of drapes and other window coverings to prevent heat loss
  • Efficiency of heating and cooling systems – condition of filters, etc.

You’ve heard the old adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it?” Well that doesn’t apply to your air conditioner any more than it does to your automobile. However, when your system is operating properly, it is easy to forget. Regular maintenance will save you the time, money and headaches of premature system failures and major repairs. It will ensure that your system is always working at peak efficiency and help you avoid excessive energy costs. Click Here to see the details of our Priority Service Agreement.

Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better
A bigger room air-conditioning unit won't necessarily make you feel more comfortable during the hot summer months and will most likely perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit. Room units work better if they run for relatively long periods of time as opposed to being constantly switched on and off. The longer running time an air conditioner is allowed to maintain, the easier it is for the unit to hold a more constant room temperature. Running longer also allows air conditioning units to remove more moisture from the air, which reduces humidity and increases the comfort level in the room. Check specifications carefully when choosing the right air conditioner for your space. Central air-conditioning systems also require proper sizing. Professionals, however, should perform the sizing of your central air system.

Use an Air Conditioner with a high Efficiency Rating
Select a room air conditioner that has an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER) or 10 or higher. Select a Central Air system that has a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) of 12 or more. City Public Service (CPS) offers rebates for high efficiency systems periodically.