We spend a lot of time making our homes comfortable. We seal drafts, replace windows, insulate attics, and try to keep our heating bills under control.
But there's one thing we absolutely don't want trapped inside our homes: carbon monoxide.
Carbon monoxide, commonly called CO, is a colorless, odorless gas produced when fuels such as natural gas, propane, oil, and wood don't burn completely.
And unlike a leaking pipe or a damaged roof, carbon monoxide doesn't leave a puddle on the floor to let you know something is wrong.
At Albino Rhino Home Inspections, I pay particular attention to the systems and conditions that could allow combustion gases to enter the living areas of a home.
Let's look at some of the places where problems can begin.
1. Your Attached Garage Should Stay Separated From Your Living Space
Your garage is a great place to store tools, park your car, and keep all those things you've been promising yourself you'll organize someday.
It's not a great place to share air with your living room.
Vehicle exhaust can contain dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide, and an attached garage can provide a pathway for those fumes to enter the house.
During an inspection, I look for conditions such as:
- Openings or gaps between the garage and the living space.
- Damaged or missing weatherstripping around the connecting door.
- Unsealed penetrations around wiring, plumbing, and other components.
- Improper openings or duct connections between the garage and the home's HVAC system.
- Missing or damaged components of the required garage separation.
The door between an attached garage and the home should provide the required protection, close properly where required, and have appropriate weatherstripping to help limit air leakage.
And here's an important reminder: Never run your vehicle in an attached garage, even with the overhead garage door open.
Sealing the garage properly helps limit the movement of fumes into the home, but it doesn't make running an engine inside safe.
2. Your Furnace Needs to Send Exhaust OUT of the House
Your furnace has one job: keep you warm.
It shouldn't be trying to take you out in the process.
Fuel-burning furnaces produce combustion gases that must be safely vented outside.
Depending on the equipment, that may involve a metal flue, chimney, or manufacturer-approved venting system.
Some of the things I look for include:
- Disconnected or improperly supported vent pipes.
- Corrosion or deterioration.
- Improper vent materials.
- Evidence of exhaust leakage or backdrafting.
- Blocked or improperly terminated vents.
- Signs that combustion air may be inadequate.
An improperly installed or deteriorated venting system can allow combustion gases to spill into the home rather than safely exit the building.
A furnace can also have internal defects that aren't visible during a standard home inspection.
That's why annual servicing by a qualified HVAC professional is important, even if the equipment appears to be operating normally.
Remember: Just because your furnace produces heat doesn't mean it's operating safely.
3. Water Heater Venting: Small Pipe, Big Responsibility
This is one of those things I wish more homeowners paid attention to.
A conventional gas water heater may use a metal draft hood and vent connector to carry combustion gases toward a chimney or approved venting system.
That connector needs to be properly installed, sized, supported, and configured for the specific appliance.
Problems I sometimes encounter include:
- Sagging or improperly sloped vent connectors.
- Unnecessary dips or traps in the venting.
- Improper flexible or accordion-style vent materials.
- Loose or disconnected connections.
- Deteriorated metal vent piping.
- Improper vent connections or terminations.
- Signs of excessive heat or exhaust spillage near the draft hood.
A conventional draft-hood water heater's vent connector generally needs to rise toward the chimney to promote proper draft. Other water heater types have different manufacturer-specific venting requirements.
When combustion gases cannot escape properly, they can spill back into the surrounding room.
Sometimes a melted plastic component near a water heater's draft hood can be a visible warning sign of excessive heat or exhaust spillage.
However, not every unusual vent appearance or damaged component proves that carbon monoxide is present. These conditions should prompt further evaluation by a qualified professional.
The important thing is that the venting system must be appropriate for the appliance and actually work as intended.
A water heater that produces plenty of hot water can still have an unsafe venting problem.
4. Don't Forget About Chimneys and Exterior Vent Terminations
We tend to think of chimneys as something associated with fireplaces.
But many older South Jersey homes also use masonry chimneys to vent heating equipment or water heaters.
Over time, chimney liners can deteriorate, blockages can develop, and vent connections can become damaged.
Exterior exhaust terminations can also become obstructed by debris, snow, or even an animal deciding that your vent would make a lovely new home.
Unfortunately, birds don't typically read HVAC installation manuals.
Chimneys and appliance vents should be inspected and maintained by qualified professionals to ensure exhaust gases can safely leave the home.
5. Carbon Monoxide Detectors Are Essential
Even with properly installed equipment, every home should have working carbon monoxide alarms.
Install CO alarms on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas, following the manufacturer's instructions and applicable requirements.
Test them regularly, pay attention to their expiration dates, and replace them when required.
If a CO alarm sounds:
Get everyone outside immediately, call 911 or the fire department, and do not reenter until emergency responders say it's safe.
Do not try to locate the source yourself.
And don't assume the alarm is malfunctioning simply because nobody feels sick.
CO alarms provide an important warning, but they are not substitutes for properly installed and maintained fuel-burning appliances.
6. Know the Symptoms
Carbon monoxide poisoning can produce symptoms that resemble the flu, including headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, and confusion.
More serious exposure can cause unconsciousness and death.
If several family members suddenly experience similar symptoms, particularly while fuel-burning equipment is operating, carbon monoxide should be considered a possible cause.
Get everyone into fresh air and seek emergency assistance.
And remember, carbon monoxide itself has no smell. An unusual odor from a furnace or water heater might indicate another problem, but the absence of an odor does not establish that the home is safe.
So What Does a Home Inspector Actually Do?
During a home inspection, I evaluate visible and accessible components within the New Jersey Standards of Practice.
That includes observing conditions associated with heating equipment, water heaters, venting systems, garage separation, and other safety-related components.
If I observe a concern, I'll document it in your detailed Spectora report, explain why it matters, and recommend evaluation or correction by an appropriate qualified professional.
A standard visual home inspection is not a comprehensive combustion-safety test, and it cannot guarantee that a home is free of carbon monoxide.
That's why routine professional servicing, proper equipment installation, and working CO alarms are all essential.
My Philosophy Is Simple
I don't want to simply point at a furnace and say, "That's wrong," then move on to the next room.
I want you to understand what's wrong, why it matters, and what needs to happen next.
Because some inspection findings are maintenance issues.
Some are repair issues.
And some are genuine safety concerns that deserve immediate attention.
Carbon monoxide belongs in that last conversation.
A new house may be the next chapter of your story; our goal is to make sure that no plot twists come after you get the keys!
Albino Rhino Home Inspections LLC
Serving South Jersey homeowners and buyers.
Phone: 856-982-5257
Website: AlbinoRhinoNJ.com
It takes two floors to make a story.