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| Natural Gas/Carbon Monoxide Detection |
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| Services to You as an Austin Utilities Natural Gas Customer |
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| If you suspect a CO Problem or smell gas |
| Call Austin Utilities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (507) 433-8886 for a gas service representative to check your home. |
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| NOTE: Depending on the situation, you may be asked to leave your home. If you are, keep the phone off the hook and do not touch any light switches or appliances - just leave the premises as they are. |
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| Lighting of Pilot Lights |
| A gas service representative will assist you in lighting the pilot light of your furnace, at no cost. |
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| Carbon Monoxide Information |
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| Symptoms |
| At low levels, symptoms may include flu-like characteristics such as drowsiness, frequent headaches, dizziness, and ringing in the ears. At higher levels, CO can cause blurred vision and impaired judgement while exposure to high concentrations of CO can cause rapid breathing and pulse, fainting, and eventually coma and death. |
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| Your house, too, can show symptoms of CO exposure: black chimney smoke, a fuel smell in the house, soot accumulation, and popping and banging noises from an oil furnace or heater; excessive moisture on windows and walls; poor drafting of a fireplace or wood stove -- all can be warning signs. |
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| Cause |
| A major cause of CO poisoning is negative indoor air pressure that triggers backdrafting of the furnace, water heater, fireplace, or other fuel-burning appliance; negative pressure also can increase air leakage from the garage into the home, bringing in CO from the car engine. |
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| An appliance could produce CO if: |
- It's installed or adjusted improperly.
- Boxes, laundry or other materials are blocking the base.
- The vent hood, flue pipe or chimney is blocked or corroded.
- The heat exchanger is cracked.
- It is used incorrectly (heating a room with a gas stove).
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| Protect Yourself by |
- install a UL listed CO detector,
- service furnaces before the first use of the winter season,
- have all natural gas appliances inspected after initial installation adn regularly thereafter,
- ensure there is fresh air or combustion air supply for appliances before making any changes affecting indoor air pressure, such as installing exhaust fans, adding insulation, caulking, or weatherstripping.
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| Helpful Sources |
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Austin Utilities Personnel
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Minnesota Department of Health
Division of Environmental Health
Metro Square Office Building
121 7th Place East
St. Paul, MN 55101
651-215-0909
800-657-3908
www.health.state.mn.us
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Minnesota Extension Service
McNeal Hall
St. Paul, MN 55108-6142
612-625-1915
www.extension.umn.edu
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American Lung Association of Minnesota
490 Concordia Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55103-2441
651-227-8014
800-LUNGUSA
www.healthhouse.org
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