Up until recently, property owners often had the choice of repairing or replacing their traditional water heaters when something went awry. Many would choose to repair them when possible, usually to save money.

However, that is no longer the recommended way to go.

Experts now recommend bypassing water heater repairs and just replacing them instead. The reason? The deadly risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that is colorless and odorless; it can be the byproduct of a malfunctioning furnace or water heater, most often.

Unfortunately, about 400 people die every year from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not linked to fires; over 20,000 people visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 people annually are hospitalized because of it, according to the CDC.

When water heaters aren’t functioning properly, such as when they are leaking, they will keep running constantly to try to keep up with the water flow and demand. The carbon monoxide build-up that results is similar to running a car with the garage door closed for several hours.

How Carbon Monoxide is Dangerous

Carbon Monoxide poisons living things by preventing the body from receiving enough oxygen. As time goes on – and it usually doesn’t take long, depending on the severity of the leak – the body dies of asphyxiation.

When people breathe in carbon monoxide (CO) molecules, they attach to molecules that carry oxygen in the blood (hemoglobin). As the CO attaches more and more to hemoglobin, it prevents oxygen from being delivered to the body, killing cells.

Keeping Your Family Safe from CO Poisoning at Home

A-1 Guaranteed recommends that you do three things to prevent tragedy at the hands of this invisible, odorless gas:

  1. First and foremost, you must be sure that a carbon monoxide detector is installed in your home. It detects the dangerous gas well before it builds up to deadly levels that threaten lives. Place one near your water heater and one near your furnace, if you like, but have at least one in the vicinity of these systems.
  2. Pay attention to your water heater. Is it taking far too long for it to heat up water? Is it running more often than it should? Do you see any leaks, breaks in pipes, or anything else out of sorts? If so, or if you’re not sure, contact us right away.
  3. Make regular inspections of your water heater. You can detect small issues before they become big problems, and can make sure that everything is working safely and properly. Should your water heater found to not be safely or properly functioning, we’ll help you replace it with a new one right away. You may want to consider a tankless water heater for eco-friendly operation and money savings.

A little diligence goes a long way when it comes to water heaters, and when the stakes are so high, no one can afford to risk carbon monoxide poisoning at the hands of a faulty system. Contact A-1 Contact Contact A-1 Guaranteed today and schedule an appointment to replace your water heater as soon as possible to avoid a devastating tragedy.

unfortunately we don’t work on water heaters unless they are our installation.  We only replace them so we would not be able to inspect one in their home