News Outlook November 08, 2012 -9
Your Hometown Newspaper
GENERAL NEWS
Safe Home Heating: Avoiding Carbon Monoxide Hazards
It's so easy ... so auto-
matic ... that people just
don't think about it. Every
year, when the weather
turns cold, homeowners'
reach for household ther-
mostats, flip a switch to
turn on the heat and set
the temperature to 68 or
70 degrees. Little thought
is given to whether the
furnace exhaust system
- the chimney and con-
nector pipe - is ready to
provide safe, effective
service. Consumer confi-
dence in the convenience
and safety of today's
home heating systems is
usually well-placed. The
oil and gas heating indus-
tries have achieved im-
pressive safety records.
Nonetheless, over 200
people across the nation
are known to die each
year from carbon monox-
ide poisoning caused by
problems in the venting
- out of their homes - of
toxic gases produced by
their heating systems.
This is according to statis-
tics compiled by the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission. Other agen-
cies estimate actual num-
bers at between 2,000
and 4,000. In addition,
around 10,000 cases of
carbon monoxide-related
"injuries" are diagnosed
each year. Because the
symptoms of prolonged,
low-level carbon monox-
ide poisoning "mimic"
the symptoms of common
winter aliments (head-
aches, nausea, dizziness,
fatigue, and even seasonal
depression), many cases
are not detected until per-
manent, subtle damage to
the brain, heart and other
organs and tissues has
occurred. The difficulty
of diagnosis also means
the numbers of people af-
fected may be even high-
er. FortunatelY, regular
.... chimney system inspec-
tion and maintenance can
prevent poisoning inci-
dents like these.
What Carbon Monox-
ide Does to You
Too much carbon mon-
oxide in your blood will
kill you. Most of us know
to try to avoid this. Less
, well known is the fact that
low-level exposure to this
gas also endangers your
health. One of the truths
of our human bodies is
that, given a choice be-
tween carbon monoxide
and oxygen, the protein
hemoglobin in our blood
will always latch on to car-
bon monoxide and ignore
the life-giving oxygen.
Because of this natural
chemical affinity, our bod-
ies - in effect - replace
oxygen with carbon mon-
oxide in our bloodstream,
causing greater or lesser
levels of cell suffocation
depending on the inten-
sity and duration of expo-
sure.
The side-effects that
can result from this low-
level exposure include
permanent organ and
brain damage. Infants
and the elderly are more
susceptible than healthy
adults, as are those with
anemia or heart disease.
The symptoms of low-
level carbon monoxide
poisoning are so .easily
mistaken for those of the
common cold, flu or ex-
haustion, that proper di-
agnosis can be delayed.
Because of this, be sure to
see you physician about
persistent, flu-like symp-
toms, chronic fatigue or
generalized depression.
If blood levels of carbon
monoxide are found to be
high, treatment is impor-
tant. Meanwhile, it makes
good sense to put heating
system inspection and
maintenance on your an-
nual get-ready-for winter
list. Prevention is the best
cure.
Causes of Heating Sys-
tem Problems
" Why is poisoning from
carbon monoxide on the
rise? And why does it stem
primarily from home heat-
ing systems that - at first
glance - seem the same
as those that have been
used safely for years?
• Today's houses are
more air-tight. Homeown-
ers are aware of the cost
of heating drafty homes
and have taken steps to
seal up windows, doors
and other areas of air in-
filtration. Consequently,
there is less fresh air com-
ing into a home and not as
many pathways for stale
or polluted air to leave it.
And, when furnaces and
boilers are starved of the
.Ie)xygen eeded to burn
fuels completely, carbon
monoxide is produced.
• Manufacturers have
designed new, high-tech-
nology heating appliances
whose greater efficiency
helps us save money, con-
serve natural resources
and decrease environ-
mental pollution. How-
ever, the new breed of
high-efficiency gas and oil
furnaces - when hooked
up to existing chimney
flues - often does not per-
form at an optimum level.
The differences in perfor-
mance create conditions
that allow toxic gases to
more easily enter home
living spaces.
• The above conditions
point out a number of
older, ongoing problems
that still require detection
and correction in order to
prevent toxic gases from
filtering into the house.
These include damaged
or deteriorating flue lin-
ers, soot build-up, debris
clogging the passageway,
and animal or bird nests
obstructing chimney
flues.
Caring for Your Chim-
neys & Flues
When gas and oil burn
in vented heating sys-
tems - in order to pro-
duce household heat
- the dangerous fumes
that are by-products of
combustion range from
soot (particulate matter)
to nitrogen dioxide (also
toxic) to acidic water va-
pors formed when mois-
ture condenses. None of
these pollutants should
be allowed to leak from
the chimney into your liv-
ing space. In addition to
carrying off toxic gases,
chimneys also create the
draft (flow of air) that pro-
vides the proper air and
fuel mixture for efficient
operation of the heating
appliance - whether a
furnace or boiler. Unfor-
tunately, many chimneys
in daily use in homes
throughout the country
either are improperly
sized or have conditions
that make them unable
to perform their intended
function.
Problems to
Avoid
Oil and gas furnaces
have distinct burning
characteristics and pro-
duce different combus-
tion by-products. How-
ever, the chimneys and
connector pipes that
serve them share com-
mon problems. Both sys-
tems are subject to weath-
ering, animal invasions,
deterioration and rust-out
and the accumulation of
nest materials and debris.
Both require regular care
and maintenance.
Oil:
Oil flues need to be
cleaned and inspected an-
nually because deposits of
soot may build up on the
interior wall of the chim-
ney liner. The amount
of soot depends on how
well-tuned the furnace is
and whether the house
provides sufficient air for
combustion. Excessive
soot causes problems that
range from chimney fires
... to flue deterioration
... to chimney blockages
that direct toxic fumes
back into the house and
cause inefficient furnace
operation.
Gas:
Natural gas is a clean-
burning fuel, but today's
high-efficiency gas fur-
naces pose a special
problem. The fumes they
produce are cooler and
contain high levels of wa-
HOUSE FOR SALE
ter vapor, which are more
likely to cause conden-
sation than older mod-
els. Since these vapors
also contain chlorides
picked up from house-
supplied combustion air,
the flues are subjected
to more corrosive condi-
tions than before. Even
worse, many gas appli-
ances today use chim-
neys that once served oil
furnaces. If the liners of
these chimneys are made
of terra cotta (fired clay
commonly used in chim-
ney construction), bits
and pieces of them slowly
flake off under corrosive
conditions. The combina-
tion of water-laden gas
vapors available to mix
with old oil soot deposits
speeds this process, and
debris that can block the
chimney builds up at the
bottom of the flue. To the
extent that problems with
either of these heating
systems interfere with
the flow of toxic gases and
particles out of the house,
they may also force car-
bon monoxide, fumes and
possibly soot into the liv-
ing spaces of your home.
They may cause a one-
time, high-level exposure
situation or release small-
er amounts more regu-
larly over a longer period.
These problems should
never be ignored.
Preventing Problems
In the United States,
numerous agencies and
organizations now rec-
ognize the importance of
annual heating system in-
spection and maintenance
in preventing carbon mon-
oxide poisoning. The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety
Commission, the U.S. En-
vironmental Protection
Agency, the National Fire
Protection Association,
and the American Lung
Association - are some
of the organizations that
now encourage the regu-
lar maintenance of home
heating systems and their
chimneys in order to keep
"the silent killer" at bay.
An overlooked heating
system can produce death
and heartbreak. Consid-
ering the risks involved
when gas or oil systems
are neglected - and the
benefits that accrue when
they are properly main-
tained - you would do well
to have your chimneys
checked annually by a
CSIA Certified Chimney
Sweep@... and cleaned or
repaired as needed. This
can keep illness or death
from carbon monoxide
poisoning from claiming
you or those you love.
Stephanie Stewart, Di-
rector of the Bath County
Emergency Management
Office, provided this
public service announce-
ment. She can be reached
at 606/674-6056.
OUNT
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102 W. Lexington Ave, Winchester 859-737-2274
COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY
BATH CIRCUIT COURT
DIVISION I
ACTION NO. 10-CI-90225
TAX EASE LIEN INVESTMENTS I, LLC
PLAINTIFF
VS:
NOTICE OF COMMISSIONER'S SALE
DON MCCARTY AND JOYCE MCCARTY DEFENDANTS
By virtue of a Judgment and Order of Sale entered in Bath Circuit Court on 17 August 2012, to raise the sum
of $3,556.98, interestTes, and the costs of sale, I will expose for sale to the highest and best bidder at the Courthouse door,
in OwingsviUe, Bath County, Kentucky, on Saturday, 10 November 2012, at the hour of 12:00 p.m., the following described
property:
A certain tract or parcel of real land lying in Bath County, Kentucky, near the town of Salt Lick, and described as
follows:
BEGINNING at an iron peg at the edge of West Road; thence 145 degrees Southeast a distance of 190 feet to the
edge of East Road; thence 245 Degrees in a Southwest direction for a distance of 200 feet to a steel peg at the edge
of East Road; thence 329 degrees Northwest, a distance of 220 feet to the edge of West Road; thence a Northeast
direction with West Road a distance of 200 feet to the point of BEGINNING.
Property Address: 1031 Fraley Road, Salt Lick, Ky 40371
Map ID No. 075-00-00-046.06
BEING THE SAME PROPERTY conveyed to Don McCarty and wife, ]oyce McCarty, by deed dated March 6,
1992, of record in Deed Book 172, Page 373, in the Bath County Clerk's oce.
This property is sold subject to all real estate taxes, easements, and off-sales of record; and reference is hereby
made to the office of the Bath County Clerk.
The terms of the sale shall be ten (10%) percent cash or check at the time of sale and the balance on credit of sixty
(60) days with privilege of the successful bidder to pay in full at the time of sale. The successful bidder requesting credit must
execute bond with approved surety bearing interest at the rate of twelve (12%) per annum from date of sale until paid, which
bond shall have the full force and effect ofa ludgment and should execution be issued thereon, no replevy shall be allowed. A
lien shall exist and shall be retained by the Commissioner on the property sold as security for the purchase price.
Hon. Earl Rogers III
Master Commissioner
Bath Circuit Court
Published in the Bath County News Outlook on 10.24, 11.1, dz 11.7
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