One of the most important steps you can take to reduce your risk of health complications from carbon monoxide is to clean the furnace vents regularly. As well as change your filters once a month to ensure that your heater is as efficient as possible, you should also check that the air in your house is as clean as possible by cleaning your ducts every six months.

There are a number of things that can lead to the accumulation of dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in your home, and one of the most common culprits is the furnace. When your furnace isn’t working properly, it can release harmful gases into the air that you and your family breathe. These gases can aggravate symptoms of asthma, chronic lung diseases, and other medical conditions (1). If your home has a gas furnace, it will produce about 0.5 to 1.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide every year (2). This high level of carbon dioxide can have a significant environmental impact, and it can even increase your home’s energy bill by as much as $200 per year (3). This time of year, snow drifts become a big issue with large amounts of snow piling up around the furnace vents. The accumulation of snow can actually block the air flow from your furnace, which can impair its efficiency and even result in damage to the system (4). To prevent this accumulation, you should clear the area around your furnace vent regularly. Snow accumulation can also cause basement flooding due to the melting snow seeping into the drains. This can be a dangerous situation because a sudden surge of water could damage your furnace or even cause a fire.