My family was being poisoned for over 3 months.
And we never knew…
Carbon Monoxide is invisible, odorless and silent.
It all began with our new home. It came with a lot of new upgrades I was super excited about. Fruit trees, big grassy backyard, real wood floors and a beautifully upgraded kitchen.
Part of my new kitchen was a gas range! I’ve never had one before and was so excited to finally cook with one.
But after moving in,every time I would cook I would start to feel ill. Headache, fatigue, brain fog and malaise..almost like the very first symptoms of coming down with the flu.
I didn’t connect it to my gas range...I kept blaming the stress of moving and poor food choices (I ate out a lot more than usual while we settled in + I was experimenting with adding gluten back into my diet).
I did, however, smell gas (rotten eggs) when cooking so I knew something was wrong.
I called the gas company out for a check up thinking we’ve got a small gas leak but to my shock and horror we also had a severe carbon monoxide leak (due to a faulty igniter and fan).
What I didn’t know was that..
All gas ranges emit carbon monoxide.
You can’t avoid it and should have proper ventilation in place to carry the carbon monoxide that is released through the range vent when cooking- up through the range vent hood above (all rages should have one) and carried outside through a duct in the wall.
If you do not have this system in place then the carbon monoxide produced during cooking will circulate into your home.
While a lot of homes have range vent hoods, most don’t actually move the exhaust from inside the kitchen to outside the home. They simply suck the air through the vent and push it back into the kitchen. This will cause carbon monoxide to rise in your home...every time you cook.
In addition to carbon monoxide, gas ranges also emit toxic nitrogen dioxide, formaldehyde & acrolein andpolynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons which contribute to indoor air pollution and respiratory distress.
A properly functioning gas range should not emit too much carbon monoxide (mine was faulty that's why our exposure was more severe than normal) but still does produce it from the burning of gas.
Small spaces with poor air flow, no access to windows or proper ventilation are more problematic then bigger spaces with good air flow.
The oven releases more carbon monoxide and other toxins than the stove top.
When cooking run your vent if it pulls the air outside. Open windows, run a fan and have a carbon monoxide detector in or near your kitchen to alert you if levels become too high.
The gas company will come out for free to inspect if you feel you may have an issue.
I've been using my air fryer in place of my oven when possible as well as open all windows and run a fan. My home does not have proper hood range ventilation installed.
Gas ranges are awesome! I definitely love mine! But I will be taking extra precautions moving forward when using the oven since carbon monoxide is not the only toxin being produced during cooking.