If a CO alarm sounds
Get everyone and all pets outside into fresh air immediately. Call 911 from outside. Do not open windows first, do not search for the source, and do not re-enter until emergency responders say it is safe. Seek medical attention for anyone with headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, or weakness.
Symptoms of CO exposure
Early symptoms resemble the flu without a fever: headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and confusion. A key pattern is that symptoms improve when you leave the house and return when you come back, and that multiple people or pets in the home feel unwell at the same time.
Where CO comes from in a home
| Source | How it becomes a problem |
|---|---|
| Cracked heat exchanger | Combustion gases mix into the air the blower circulates through the house |
| Blocked or damaged flue | Exhaust cannot leave and spills into the basement or living space |
| Backdrafting appliance | Depressurization pulls exhaust back down the chimney |
| Improperly vented water heater | Common in older Buffalo homes sharing a masonry chimney with the furnace |
| Vehicle in an attached garage | Running an engine even briefly with the door open can send CO indoors |
| Unvented combustion heater or generator | Never safe indoors, in a garage, or near an open window |
Alarm placement and maintenance
- One alarm on every level of the home, including the basement.
- One outside each separate sleeping area.
- Follow the manufacturer's height guidance; avoid dead-air corners.
- Do not mount directly beside a furnace or fuel-burning appliance — nuisance alarms will follow.
- Test monthly using the test button.
- Replace batteries at least annually, or use sealed 10-year units.
- Replace the alarm itself at the end of its rated life, typically 7–10 years.
- Consider units with a digital display so you can see low-level readings, not just alarm conditions.
Concerned about combustion safety? Call 716-412-2677 for an inspection.
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Warning signs at the furnace itself
- Soot or black streaking around the burner compartment or vent connection.
- Burner flames that are lazy, yellow, or visibly shift when the blower starts, rather than crisp and blue.
- Heavy condensation on windows when the furnace is running, beyond ordinary winter humidity.
- Rust or moisture at the vent pipe connection or on the furnace cabinet.
- A visible flue pipe that is disconnected, corroded, or sloping the wrong direction.
- Persistent, unexplained odors during operation.
None of these confirms CO on its own, and CO can be present without any of them. They are reasons to schedule a professional combustion and venting inspection rather than reasons to panic — but they should not be ignored.
Why older Buffalo homes deserve extra attention
A great deal of housing in South Buffalo, the West Side, Black Rock, and University Heights predates modern venting practice. Masonry chimneys shared between a furnace and a water heater, undersized combustion air in a tightly finished basement, and decades-old flue connections are all common. Add modern air sealing and replacement windows to one of those houses and the combustion air situation changes in ways nobody accounted for. An annual inspection is not paranoia in that housing stock; it is basic diligence.