Author Archives: carbontec

Heating systems can be dangerous. A recent gas leak at a hotel in Winnipeg sent nearly 4 dozen people to the hospital. The leak started in the hotel’s boiler room and caused 15 of the patients to be listed in critical condition from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. “Symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, a decrease in level consciousness” were reported. And although this is an unusual event making dozens of guests sick at the same time, it happens more times than you might think. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 400 Americans die every year from CO poisoning that is unintentional and not linked to fires. Another 20,000 of Americans visit the emergency room, with more than 4,000 hospitalized each year. And according to John Hopkins Medicine, “Most carbon monoxide exposures happen in the winter.” But these dangers can be avoided with radiant heating.

Carbon monoxide dangers at home

Sadly, you don’t have to be a hotel guest to feel the effects of CO poisoning. You can fall victim in your own home due to gas appliances, grills, stoves, furnaces, and more. CO can build up indoors as it is present in fumes and is produced whenever you burn fuel in any of these household items. The indoor build up can be a problem and poison people and pets as they breathe it in. This is especially true when poor ventilation exists. But you won’t even notice it. That’s because it’s colorless and odorless. This is why it’s so important to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home.

Furnaces and boilers pose safety problems

Furnaces and boilers can be especially dangerous. These heating systems, if faulty, are among the most common sources of CO poisoning. A poorly maintained boiler, for example, can develop carbon buildup that can partially block flames from rising to the flue. Older boilers and furnaces can be susceptible to these issues from simple wear and tear. Unfortunately, if they are not properly maintained, these heating systems can be compromised and develop deadly CO consequences. The lack of oxygen is one of the problems of a poorly maintained boiler as this hinders the combustion process, which creates CO as a byproduct. Other common defects in heating systems that can release CO include seams that leak, combustion chamber cracks, and exhaust piping cracks.

Older furnaces and boilers are especially dangerous

Although all gas burning furnaces and boilers produce a certain degree of carbon monoxide, producing huge amounts for extended periods of time can literally kill you. It prevents your body from getting the oxygen it needs. You can be especially vulnerable while sleeping on cold nights. The older your furnace or boiler, the more chances that problems will arise that can be dangerous to your family’s health. It’s important and recommended by the CDC that you schedule an annual tune up of your furnace or boiler with a qualified HVAC technician.

Thinking about replacement?

On the other hand, if you are concerned about the condition of your furnace or boiler, it may be time to replace it. The safety of you and your family is worth the investment. So, if you’re thinking about replacing your old, outdated, faulty, or compromised heating system, do yourself a favor and consider the advantages of radiant heating. In fact, using a Carbontec® heating system will give you peace of mind knowing that there is no need to install a boiler, radiators, ducting or any additional pipe work in order to operate it.

Heating the Carbontec® way

The Carbontec® heating system provides warmth through infrared radiant heating that works by transforming electricity into infrared heat energy. This heat energy warms the room as it’s beamed at solid surfaces such as ceilings or the floor.

Not only will you keep your family safe, you’ll save energy, space, and eliminate the disturbing noise that comes from radiators, pipes, pumps or boilers. Plus, you’re heating system will be more efficient and you’ll be more comfortable.

If you’re ready to consider a safer heating alternative, contact us. At Carbontec, we have a better way to heat your home or business.

If you’re like most people, indoor air quality is important to you. No one wants to be subjected to contaminates in the air that can wreak havoc on your health. Americans spend 90% of their time indoors. After all, your home is your castle, and your workplace is your home away from home. So. feeling healthy and comfortable about your environment is priority one. Unfortunately, nasty little pollutes can be commonplace and sneak in through lots of different means. Poor upkeep of ventilation, lack of ventilation, dampness due to leaks, activities like construction, and even contaminated air coming in from the outside can be culprits. Forced air systems can make things worse and keep bad air in circulation.

Sometimes you can tell by their bad smell that contaminates are present. Or your eyes may become irritated and notice dryness in your nose. In worse cases, you could experience headaches or nausea. Other times you may not notice your indoor environment is being affected by air contamination.

So, what can you do? By preventing forced air convection and instead installing an infrared heating system, you can make a big difference in your air quality. First, here’s a list of the main factors relating to poor indoor air quality.

What are the main factors of poor indoor air quality?

According to Green Facts on Health and the Environment, there are several main factors that lower the quality of your indoor air. You may have more than one of these factors present in your indoor environment at any one time. This is especially a problem if the air in your home or workplace is pushed through a forced air system. Unlike a radiant floor or ceiling heating system, a forced air convection system continually circulates these factors into the air you breathe.

Chemicals – The affect of chemicals can lead to irritated eyes, nose, and throat issues. They enter the air through household products like cleaners and even home appliances. Most of these chemicals may not have possible health effects due to long term exposure. However, there are instances when dangerous chemicals get into your inside air and could result in serious health issues if they remain for prolonged periods of time.

Microbes – These bad guys are notorious for causing the development of allergies and asthma. They come in the form of mold and viruses.

Pets – Believe it or not man’s best friend can be enemies to excellent air quality due to allergens. Pests like dust mites, cockroaches, and mice are also allergens that are important factors related to your indoor air quality.

Suspended particles – These irritants can affect your health especially your respiratory or cardiovascular system.

Humidity – High and low humidity can both be a problem. High humidity fosters the growth of mold and dust mites while low humidity can cause rashes, dryness of nose and skin, and irritate the eyes.

Ventilation – This is one of the biggest, if not the biggest factors to affect your indoor air environment. Poor ventilation can affect your health and work performance.

Indoor temperature – If your indoor temperature is too high or too low, you can be subject to unhealthy conditions, not to mention be uncomfortable. For example, high temperatures aggravate the effects of insufficient humidity.

And this list is not all inclusive!

How to help improve your indoor air quality

Keeping your home or workplace environment healthy is important to everyone. And the onslaught of contaminates that exist in indoor environments can be minimized. Unfortunately, current central heating systems work by heating the air and circulating it throughout the living space. It loses its efficiency through ducting and leakages.

On the other hand, the installation of a radiant heating system can keep those pesky irritants in check. That’s because infrared heat has anti-allergenic properties because the system produces no dust, acts as a dehumidifier, and can help eliminate the formation of mold. The infrared heating film also prevents dampness from being trapped inside the wall to allow excess humidity to evaporate. Oh, and your allergies will love it too as this system will not have intensive air flows which circulates dust. It keeps the air clean and moderately dry. In addition, it’s compatible with every type of living or commercial space.

So, do yourself and your family a favor and clean up your inside air. Your health and life could depend on it.

To start creating a more healthful indoor environment, contact us. At Carbontec, our materials are developed to specifically address unhealthy irritants that can lower indoor air quality.