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Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a potentially fatal illness that is caused by the inhalation of carbon monoxide gas. Carbon monoxide, or CO, is a tasteless, colorless and odorless gas that is produced by the incomplete burning of any fuel that contains carbon including natural gas, LP gas, wood, coal and gasoline. Once it's inhaled, CO gas reduces your blood's  ability to carry sufficient oxygen to the body. Without enough oxygen, individual body cells eventually suffocate and die, especially in vital organs such as the brain and heart.

Because CO poisoning is related to the burning of carbon fuels, there is a chance that it can happen whenever you operate any one  of a long list of common items including: grills, furnaces, space heaters, stoves, water heaters, clothes dryers, and automobiles. The risk of CO poisoning is especially high whenever fuel-burning equipment is  operating in an enclosed place (like your home) and whenever ventilation is poor.

Currently, CO poisoning is the most common form of poisoning in the United States, where it is responsible for at least 40,000 emergency room visits annually. Carbon monoxide is also the most common cause of accidental poison-related deaths, claiming the lives of 1,000 to 2,000 Americans each year.

According to one ongoing study, 49% of all cases of accidental CO poisoning can be attributed to faulty furnaces. At Controlled Climate, we don't want our customers to become one of those 49%, so we take special care to ensure that your furnace will operate safely.  We do this through annual maintenance inspections and Whole  House Comfort Checkups.

Without immediate treatment, you may lose consciousness, experience convulsions, slip into a coma and die. Death can result from  only a few minutes of exposure to less than 1% CO gas, or from one hour of exposure to less than 1/3% CO gas!

Prevention

Because CO gas has no color, odor or taste, the gas can kill without warning. To reduce the risk of carbon  monoxide poisoning, here are few suggestions:

• Install CO detectors
• Open flue when using fireplace
• Never use grills or hibachis indoors
• Buy appliances that vent outside
• Have fuel-burning appliances professionally installed, maintained and professionally inspected yearly
• Never try to heat your home by using an oven, stovetop or clothes dryer
• Never operate gas-powered tools or engines inside buildings
• Never leave cars running inside attached garages

Call Controlled Climate at (770)432-3869 for our Metro Atlanta office or (229)838-4758 for our South Georgia office or e-mail us today!

Every year, trees and grasses release their pollens into the air at about the same time. When we have very wet and warm weather, increased  growth of mold spores serve to Central heating &  cooling equipment helps you control your indoor climate year round sensitize people to the effects of tree and grass pollens. Many people who never had allergies before are now complaining of symptoms such as itchy watery eyes, sneezing and nasal congestion.  Symptoms develop in each individual based on the time they are exposed to various pollens and the intensity of those exposures. The high levels of mold spores tend to speed up the development of these symptoms. At their worst, they can cause severe pounding headaches, sore throats, dry hacking coughs and sinus congestion. Smokers are at a far greater risk of having these allergy symptoms progress to sinus and bronchial infections. Even children are affected. How can allergy symptoms be reduced? Follow the daily pollen counts provided by television and radio weather reports. Try to stay indoors as much as possible when counts are very high and keep your house & car windows closed on those days. Properly installed and maintained central air conditioners and dehumidifiers can remove much of the pollen from your home. Use them regularly when the pollen counts are very high. Use of over-the-counter or prescription medications for allergies in advance of an unavoidable exposure is a good approach. Wearing masks is also extraordinarily effective! Vacuum twice a week and don't smoke in your house.

Controlled Climate uses diagnostic procedures to identify where allergens are entering your home and provides solutions to stopping leaks for your allergy relief.

Call Controlled Climate at (770)432-3869 for our Metro Atlanta office or (229)838-4758 for our South Georgia office or e-mail us today!