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Help Me Hank: Keeping your home warm and safe

More than 400 Americans die from CO poisoning annually

DETROIT – With temperatures dropping -- many are turning on furnaces and plugging in space heaters that could be a danger.

Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen quickly and its outcome can often be deadly. It’s already taken multiple lives in Detroit this October.

RELATED: Generators found inside home where possible CO poising killed man, hospitalized woman

Experts urge families to buy carbon monoxide detectors and to get your furnace inspected. Some inspections may actually be covered by the furnace’s warranty, depending on the brand and year.

Residents should also regularly change their furnace filter and to keep generators outside the home.

Even with a CO detector, keep generators outside. If you use a space heater, make sure it’s safe, not on a recall list and away from children.


About the Authors
Hank Winchester headshot

Hank Winchester is Local 4’s Consumer Investigative Reporter and the head of WDIV’s “Help Me Hank” Consumer Unit. Hank works to solve consumer complaints, reveal important recalls and track down thieves who have ripped off people in our community.

Dane Kelly headshot

Dane is a producer and media enthusiast. He previously worked freelance video production and writing jobs in Michigan, Georgia and Massachusetts. Dane graduated from the Specs Howard School of Media Arts.

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