Tyngsboro, MA Homeowner Learns The Risks
It can be tempting during the winter months to heat your home using an oven, but also risky. The number one danger for heating a home this way is carbon monoxide poisoning. With gas ovens, using the appliance for improper purposes such as heating a home can release this poisonous gas into the air. Because it is odorless, colorless and tasteless, it can go unnoticed until family members fall ill. A homeowner in Tyngsboro was noticing an inefficiency with her aged heating system. Looking to supplement the heat during the winter months, she was considering heating the home with her oven.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Dangers
When used for an extended period of time, gas ovens give off carbon monoxide. Ovens that are left open while turned on for a lengthy period will release this carbon monoxide into the home. For homes without a carbon monoxide detector, this gas is undetectable until people in the home begin to show symptoms of carbon dioxide poisoning. These include headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness and eventually loss of consciousness. Families with young children and small pets also create a danger by heating a home through an oven. With an unattended oven left open, this could put those living in the house at risk for being seriously burned.
Inefficiently Heating the Home
Using an oven to heat a home is not only dangerous, but it is also inefficient. While it may feel nice and toasty when you stand directly in front of the oven, the air is not designed to circulate and heat even a small home. If you are using an oven as your heat source, this leaves much of the home at very cold temperatures, putting you at risk for frozen pipes and other cold-associated problems. Once she was made aware of the dangers of heating her home with an oven, the homeowner in Tyngsboro realized that her heating system needed to be addressed. A call to Joyce Cooling & Heating Inc. and a technician was able to help with the inefficiencies so that her system will make it through the winter.
