Proactive protection is a must to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

A carbon monoxide scare in Saskatoon has many people thinking of how to safeguard themselves from a similar problem.

Dennis McKee, owner of Furnace Guys, first heard about 33 people being rushed to hospital Friday morning. He instantly thought of the dangers carbon monoxide can present.

“That doctor had his head on his shoulders last night when he went to work,” McKee said of Dr. Mark Wahba, the ER physician credited with alerting emergency services about a possible carbon monoxide leak.

“For him to realize that his patient lived in an apartment building and there was likely a bunch of other people in trouble — it could have been terrifying.”

McKee said he gets calls about suspected carbon monoxide leaks at least once a week, with many more calls coming in during cold snaps due to furnaces and other gas appliances running more often.

He said the odourless and colourless gas, which results from incomplete combustion from methane- or natural gas-sourced appliances, usually becomes an issue in two common ways: Exhaust fumes from a running car in an attached garage and faulty gas appliances.

The City of Saskatoon said the apartment building on Bateman Crescent does not have carbon monoxide detectors and isn’t required to because of the age of the building. But McKee said every building and home should have a carbon monoxide detector that is less than 10 years old, something his company includes with every furnace installation.

“If you don’t, you might get away with it. But if something goes bad it can really go bad,” McKee said.

Regular annual maintenance — cleaning furnace burners and ensuring the home is ventilating sufficiently — and high-efficiency equipment are the easiest ways of limiting complications.

“Proactive is the only way to go,” he said.

McKee said new furnaces have a variety of safety measures and interlocks that kick in when the unit doesn’t function properly to ensure “they just won’t run.”

A natural draft furnace — one that uses natural atmospheric pressure to push gasses out through the ventilation system or chimney — was prevalent throughout the 20th century and is known for its durability.

However, the safety features are lacking.

“It’ll run for years and years and years, but it will also pump noxious gases into your home while you’re sleeping. That’s why you need a carbon monoxide detector,” McKee said.

Certified carbon monoxide detectors are rated for 10 years of use.