2014 News Releases
Atmos Energy: Know the Signs of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Media Contact  Â
Jennifer Altieri
972-855-3164
DALLAS (November 6, 2014) â€" Atmos Energy reminds customers to take steps in their homes to help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced by incomplete combustion in home heating systems, gas ovens, dryers, fireplaces and automobile engines. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can be fatal.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are flu-like and often include headache, sleepiness, weakness, vomiting, dizziness and tightness in the chest. Â If you or your family experiences these symptoms:
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Leave the premises immediately and seek fresh air.
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Call 911 or seek emergency medical attention.
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Call Atmos Energy's Emergency hotline at 1-866-322-8667. Do not use a suspected appliance or furnace until it has been inspected, serviced and determined to be safe by a qualified plumber or a heating contractor.
Help prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
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Hire a qualified heating system professional each year to inspect your natural gas furnace, appliances and venting systems in your home to ensure that everything is working properly. Atmos Energy customers can find qualified plumbers and contractors by visiting www.atmosenergy.com
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Install carbon monoxide detectors in the home on all floors where bedrooms are located. Â Detectors identify traces of carbon monoxide in the home and sound an alarm when carbon monoxide is detected.
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Do not idle a car in an attached garage. Â Doing so allows a large amount of carbon monoxide to enter the home. Â Instead, back the car completely out of the garage and close the garage door while the vehicle warms up.
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Make sure your chimneys and flues are clean and unobstructed and that gas appliances have proper ventilation systems.
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Remove clutter from around gas furnaces and water heaters to ensure an adequate supply of fresh air. Â Change furnace filters regularly.
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Do not use natural gas ovens as a heating source. Â The burning of natural gas produces carbon monoxide that is safely ventilated when the oven door is closed, but is released into the kitchen when the door is open.
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Do not use charcoal indoors for either cooking or heating. Â Burning charcoal releases carbon monoxide.
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Make sure kerosene and other portable heaters are vented to the outside.
If your natural gas service is currently off, please call us to reconnect today at 1- 888-286-6700 before the winter season begins. When you call to connect service, Atmos Energy will schedule an appointment with you at your home, so a trained technician can perform checks and safely activate your gas service.
About Atmos Energy
Atmos Energy Corporation, headquartered in Dallas, is one of the country's largest natural-gas-only distributors, serving more than three million natural-gas distribution customers in some 1,400 communities in eight states from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Atmos Energy manages company-owned natural gas pipeline and storage assets, including one of the largest intrastate natural gas pipeline systems in Texas and provides natural gas marketing and procurement services to industrial, commercial and municipal customers primarily in the Midwest and Southeast. For more information, visit www.atmosenergy.com. Atmos Energy can also be accessed through social media platforms such as , , and Youtube.