As the weather gets colder and more Ames residents are using furnaces, city officials are warning of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Although the city doesn’t receive many calls about carbon monoxide, Paul Sandoval, deputy chief for the Ames Fire Department, said it can be a serious problem.

“We only get about 65 calls about carbon monoxide, and the number of times that we actually have elevated levels is around three to four times per year,” he said. “It can be deadly in certain circumstances, like if you’re in a confined area with no ventilation.”

Rich McColley, an industrial hygienist with the Department of Environmental Health and Safety, said he believes carbon monoxide is a danger that can be avoided with information and precaution.

“You can’t smell it, you can’t taste it, and so carbon monoxide cannot be sensed by the body,” he said. “The symptoms don’t begin until after you’ve been exposed.”

Symptoms are similar to the flu — with nausea, headaches and dizziness — but McColley said flu sufferers typically have fever, while victims of carbon monoxide poisoning do not.

McColley said preventing a carbon monoxide problem is a simpler matter than diagnosing and controlling the problem if it comes up. He said it is important to ensure combustion appliances are maintained. He also said it is important to purchase a carbon monoxide detector. Sandoval said this item can be purchased at most hardware stores.

“If you’re having symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, get out of the building and call the Ames Fire Department,” he said.

When on the scene, Sandoval said his office will test the air to determine if elevated levels of carbon monoxide exist, and if they do, will direct the resident to his or her heating and cooling provider to fix the problem.

Lt. John Johnson, fire marshal for the Ames Fire Department, said the department has to investigate to determine the problem in houses with high levels of carbon monoxide.

“Old furnaces, combustion not being complete, or appliances running inefficiently can all be causes,” he said. “People need a lot of education to be able to identify these kind of problems before they come up.”

He said this is the time of year people should get furnaces checked.

“At home, we had our furnace checked, and even though ours is only three years old, the heat exchanger was cracked and it had to be replaced,” he said.

Ginny Hausner, a manager for Friedrich Apartments, said problems with carbon monoxide are identified and fixed early so that tenants are not bothered by it.

“We’ve never had a problem,” she said. “We have our furnaces checked before the winter season, and if the heating and cooling people find a problem, they take care of it.”