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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The NWT fire marshal is warning residents to have their furnaces and chimneys checked following a close call with carbon monoxide poisoning in Inuvik earlier this month.

The alert was issued after a number of natural gas-burning forced-air furnaces in Inuvik showed a high potential for leaking carbon monoxide gas.

Natural gas-fuelled heating appliances are not the only possible sources of carbon monoxide in a home, said Stephen Moss, noting Yellowknife homes are typically heated by other means.

"Any fuel-fired heating appliance, whether it's fired by natural gas, petroleum, even wood, if it doesn't burn cleanly it'll produce carbon monoxide," said Moss.

Though Yellowknife is not on a natural gas system, David Maguire, communications and web adviser for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, said homeowners in Yellowknife should be equally as diligent about maintaining their heating systems.

"Yellowknife is on a different system," Maguire said, "but Yellowknife residents should still be careful. Homeowners should still have their boilers checked regularly to make sure everything is working properly.

"Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion. That's why a furnace that's out of tune will produce more carbon monoxide than if it's had regular maintenance."

Moss recommends homeowners have their furnaces checked in the summer when their furnaces are turned off. He also said routine maintenance and new furnace filters will mean appliances run more efficiently, saving homeowners money through the winter as well as keep them safer.

Gill St. Arneault, owner of Clean Air-Northern Services, recommends homeowners have their furnaces checked twice per year and chimneys cleaned at least once per year for the greatest efficiency and safety.

"A buildup of soot in a chimney can cause a collapse," said St. Arneault, "and your furnace will definitely go more often if there is too much dust in the ducts. If its well-cleaned more heat will come out, and the heating will be more efficient."

St. Arneault also warned that a blocked chimney can direct carbon monoxide back into the house.

"If there is a lot of snow on the chimney, it can get really icy on top," he said. "That creates a block that pushes carbon monoxide back inside. People do need to remove the snow from their roofs."

How often a chimney should be checked depends on the frequency that it's used and whether or not it is for a wood-burning fireplace, Moss said.

"For my chimney, personally, I've found that checking it before winter sets in usually does it pretty well," he said. "When I used wood, I'd check it again in early spring. A chimney should be clean, no soot. When you get up on the roof and look down, it should look like a nice smooth barrel. There should be no damage. If you start seeing anything, any deformations, then you really should have a professional come and look at it."

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless and tasteless gas, making it very hard to detect and thus very dangerous. Moss said people should protect themselves by installing carbon monoxide detectors in their homes.

"You can now get dual purpose detectors, ones that detect carbon monoxide as well as smoke," he said.

"Ideally a detector should be placed between the appliance and the sleeping quarters. If possible, next to a vent where the air from the appliance would be coming out."

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include drowsiness, pink discolouration of the skin, headache, and flu-like nausea.

The Fire Marshall's Office alert states that anyone experiencing these symptoms should evacuate the premises immediately and contact their local fire department.

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