Fresh air and ventilation are important both for your own health and to help ensure that your natural gas and other fuel¨Cburning equipment operate safely.

Ensure your good health
If you or any of your family members suffer from allergies, fresh air in your home is especially important. Many different products in your home contribute to indoor air pollution, including:

• Household cleaners
• Solvents
• Glues
• Varnishes
• Some types of carpet
• Particle board
• Tobacco smoke
• Ground source radon gas

Constant fresh air is needed to flush out these pollutants and maintain a healthy indoor environment.

Know the signs that your home needs more fresh air

• Stale stuffy atmosphere.
• Lingering odours.
• Moisture build¨Cup.
• Back drafts and soot from a wood¨Cburning fireplace.
• Warm air coming back down a furnace chimney or flue.
• The furnaces pilot light keeps going out.

If your home has any of these problems, you must take steps to ensure adequate fresh air supply and ventilation. If not you could:

• Create an unhealthy indoor environment.
• Cause your fuel¨Cburning equipment to malfunction and produce toxic carbon monoxide.

Causes of inadequate air supply

• All types of fuel¨Cburning equipment (natural gas, wood, oil, propane and coal) require a lot of air to burn and to maintain a proper draft up the chimney or flue.
• Caulking, weather¨Cstripping, adding storm windows, insulating and sealing your home.
• Systems that remove air such as exhaust fans, central vacuum systems, clothes dryers, and wood¨Cburning fireplaces.