Getting the furnace up and running is great in the early winter, but can still have some dangerous side effects. (File Photo/paNOW Staff)

By Rob Mahon

Furnaces Starting Up

Fire department urges caution as furnaces fire up

Nov 2, 2021 | 4:00 PM

Cold weather is starting to creep in and will only get colder, so many Prince Albert residents are putting their furnace to work for the first time in months. As they fire up those furnaces, however, there are some safety concerns to keep in mind.

The Prince Albert Fire Department is asking people to be mindful of the possible dangers of their furnaces, especially in regard to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide incidents are fairly common in Saskatchewan.

“Mechanical equipment does fail or does not perform the way it should,” said Kris Olsen, Prince Albert Fire Chief. “Because of that, Sask Energy put out a stat that from (2018-2020) in two short years they had 1,200 CO incidents.”

Prince Albert wasn’t exempt from those incidents either. Just this year, there have already been nearly two dozen calls possibly involving CO, with incidents ranging from false alarms to potentially serious concentrations.

“We’ve responded and tried to mitigate 23 CO incidents in the city,” Olsen said. “17 of those were confirmed carbon monoxide calls which required us to bring in the professionals at Sask Energy.”

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This week is carbon monoxide awareness week in Saskatchewan, and Olsen and the fire department are among the advocates for carbon monoxide detection devices. If a leak happens in the night, for example, that device may be the only warning a homeowner gets.

“It’s an odourless, tasteless gas,” Olsen said. “Without the detector, there isn’t a way to detect it until you start to feel the effects of the poisoning. Starting to feel headaches, nausea, dizziness. If you’re sleeping, that may not be an option for you.”

Checking the vents around your furnace becomes important this time of year as buildups of snow and ice can block pipes and cause CO to flow back into the home.

“I do personally recall a few instances where the result of the carbon monoxide was based on a ventilation issue,” Olsen said. “One in fact was a vent that had been plugged. We need to be mindful that your furnaces aren’t something you forget about.”

While carbon monoxide is one of the potential hazards of starting a furnace, it’s not the only one. Furnaces, after all, produce a great deal of heat, and people need to make sure they’re keeping flammable items away from that heat.

“I have personally experienced fires that have been a result of a heating appliance,” Olsen said. “Good maintenance goes a long way. Clean filters, ensuring your vents are clear. By all means, call a plumber.”

Olsen added any home built since 2009 in Saskatchewan is required to have a CO detection device. More legislation is planned to make them mandatory in all homes.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP