With all the snow we’ve had this winter, it’s more important than ever to make sure your furnace vents aren’t clogged.
Timmins Fire Department Acting Chief Fire Prevention Officer Dan Labelle says modern natural gas furnaces and fireplaces vent through your foundation via PVC pipes. One draws in fresh air… the other takes the burned gases… particularly carbon monoxide… out of your home.
C-O is odourless, colourless and is known as “the silent killer”.
“Exposure to CO can case flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness,” says Labelle. “You could succumb to that.”
He has advice for people to prevent that. “Visually inspect their furnace vents and their gas meters, to make sure snow is not built up around them, to ensure the proper functioning of the appliances and possibly save their lives.”
The same goes for your natural gas dryer vent.