Gas ranges, furnaces, fireplaces, and wood stoves are common household sources. Breathing small amounts of CO can make you sick - sometimes very sick, and breathing large amounts can kill you. Symptoms include constant headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and sleepiness.
Carbon monoxide is a leading cause of fatal poisonings in America today.
The problem becomes particularly urgent in winter when storm windows, weather stripping and sealers keep the house tight and windows are rarely opened. Any home with a furnace, water heater, fireplace, wood stove, space heater, or appliance that operates on a flammable fuel is a candidate for carbon monoxide build-up. Get a good carbon monoxide detector and install it high on a wall or ceiling above all fuel sources. Just like smoke detectors, these devices use an alarm that sounds when a certain level of carbon monoxide is present. This precaution has been recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the past few years, and has already saved many lives.