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Carbon monoxide (CO) is聽a potentially hazardous gas聽found in the home.聽Known as聽the “silent killer,” CO gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating,听however聽it can聽lead to聽unconsciousness, brain damage or death.聽Consequently, more than聽聽die as a result of聽carbon monoxide聽influence聽each year, a聽higher聽fatality rate聽compared to聽other types聽of poisoning.

As聽the weather聽gets colder, you聽insulate聽your home for the winter and聽rely on聽heating appliances to聽keep聽warm.聽This is where聽the聽risk聽of carbon monoxide聽exposure聽is highest.聽The good news is聽you can聽defend聽your family from聽carbon monoxide聽in聽several聽ways. One of the most聽efficient聽methods is to聽put in聽CO detectors聽in聽your home.聽Try聽this guide to聽better聽understand where carbon monoxide聽comes from聽and how to聽make the most聽of your CO聽alarms.

What Generates Carbon Monoxide in a House?

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct聽of incomplete combustion.聽As a result, this gas聽is produced聽anytime聽a fuel source聽is ignited,听including聽natural gas, propane, oil, charcoal, gasoline, woo, and more.聽Common聽causes of carbon monoxide in a house聽include:

• Overloaded聽clothes dryer vent
• Broken down聽water heater
• Furnace or boiler with a聽damaged聽heat exchanger
• Closed fireplace flue聽during an active fire
• Poorly聽vented gas or wood stove
• Vehicle聽idling聽in the garage
• Portable generator, grill, power tool or lawn equipment聽running聽in the garage

Do Smoke Detectors Recognize Carbon Monoxide?

No, smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide.聽Alternatively, they聽sound聽an alarm when they聽detect聽a certain聽concentration聽of smoke聽caused聽by a fire.聽Installing聽functional聽smoke detectors聽reduces聽the risk of dying in a house fire by聽around聽.

Smoke detectors聽are offered in聽two聽basic聽forms—ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detection聽functions well聽with聽quick-moving聽fires that聽emit聽large flames, while photoelectric聽detection is聽more聽applicable for聽smoldering, smoky fires.聽The newest聽smoke detectors聽include聽both聽types聽of alarms in聽one聽unit to聽maximize聽the chance of聽responding to聽a fire,听no matter聽how it burns.

Clearly, smoke detectors and CO alarms are聽both聽important聽home safety devices. If you聽inspect聽the ceiling and聽see聽an alarm of some kind, you聽may not聽recognize聽whether it’s a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide alarm. The visual聽contrast聽is based on聽the brand and model you聽have. Here are聽some聽factors to聽consider:

• Some聽devices are聽properly聽labeled. If not,听check for聽a brand and model number on the back of the detector and聽look it up聽online. You聽will聽also find a manufacture date. If the device is聽more than 10 years old, replace it聽right away.
• Plug-in devices that聽use聽power聽from聽an outlet are聽generally聽carbon monoxide ]94. The device聽should聽be labeled聽as such.
• Some alarms聽are really聽two-in-one,听sensing聽both smoke and carbon monoxide with聽a separate聽indicator light for each.聽Still, it can be聽tough聽to tell聽with no聽label on the front, so聽reviewing聽the manufacturing details on the back is聽smart.

How Many Carbon Monoxide Detectors Do I Need in My Home?

The number of CO alarms you聽require聽is determined by聽your home’s size,听the number of stories聽and聽the number of bedrooms.聽Use聽these guidelines to聽guarantee聽thorough聽coverage:

• Add聽carbon monoxide detectors聽around聽bedrooms:聽CO gas聽poisoning is聽most聽common聽at night when furnaces聽are running聽frequently聽to keep your home聽comfortable.聽As a result,听every bedroom聽should have a carbon monoxide聽alarm聽installed聽about聽15 feet of the door. If聽two聽bedroom doors are less than 30 feet apart,听one detector聽is聽adequate.
• put in聽detectors on聽each floor:聽Concentrated聽carbon monoxide聽gas聽can become聽stuck聽on a single floor of your home, so聽make sure you聽have at least one CO detector on聽each floor.
• Have聽detectors within 10 feet of聽your internal聽garage door:聽a lot of听辫别辞辫濒别聽accidentally leave聽their cars聽running聽in the garage,听producing聽dangerous carbon monoxide聽gas, even聽when the聽large garage door is聽completely聽open. A CO聽alarm聽right聽inside the door—and in the room聽up above聽the garage—alerts you of聽increased聽carbon monoxide levels聽inside聽your home.
• Have聽detectors at the聽correct聽height:聽Carbon monoxide聽is a similar density as聽air, but it’s聽commonly聽pushed up by聽the hot air聽released聽by combustion appliances.聽Putting in聽detectors聽up against聽the ceiling is聽a good way聽to catch this rising air. Models聽that come with聽digital readouts are best聽located聽at eye level to聽make them easier聽to read.
• put in聽detectors聽around聽15 feet from combustion appliances:聽A few聽fuel-burning machines聽give off聽a聽tiny,听non-toxic聽amount of carbon monoxide聽when they start. This聽dissipates聽quickly, but聽in situations where聽a CO detector is聽installed right next to it, it聽could聽lead to聽false alarms.
• Have聽detectors away from聽extreme聽heat and humidity:聽Carbon monoxide detectors have聽specific聽tolerances for heat and humidity. To聽limit聽false alarms,听try not to install聽them in bathrooms, in聽direct聽sunlight,听near聽air vents, or close to heat-generating appliances.

How Do I Test/Troubleshoot a Carbon Monoxide Alarm?

Depending on the聽specific unit, the manufacturer聽might聽encourage聽monthly tests聽and resetting to聽maintain聽proper functionality. Also,听replace聽the batteries in battery-powered units聽every six months. For hardwired units, replace the backup battery聽annually聽or when the alarm聽starts聽chirping, whichever聽recognizing聽first. Then, replace the CO detector聽outright聽every聽10 years or聽according to聽the manufacturer’s聽guidelines.

How to Test Your Carbon Monoxide Alarm

You only need a minute聽to test your CO聽alarm.聽Review聽the instruction manual for directions聽unique聽to your unit,听with the knowledge聽that testing聽practices聽this general聽procedure:

• Press and hold the Test button. It聽will sometimes聽need聽5 to 20 seconds for the alarm to聽go off.
• Loud beeping聽indicates聽the detector is聽operating聽correctly.
• Release聽the Test button and wait for two聽short聽beeps, a flash or both. If the device聽keeps聽beeping when you聽Release聽the button, press and hold it again for five seconds to聽silence聽it.

Change聽the batteries if the unit聽won't work聽as expected聽after聽the test. If replacement batteries don’t聽help, replace the detector聽immediately.

How to Reset Your Carbon Monoxide Alarm

You're only required to聽reset your unit聽once聽the alarm goes off, after聽testing the device聽or after聽replacing聽the batteries.聽A few聽models automatically reset themselves聽in under聽10 minutes of these events, while聽other alarms聽need聽a manual reset. The instruction manual聽will聽note which function聽you should use.

Use聽these steps to reset your CO detector manually:

• Press and hold the Reset button for 5 to 10 seconds.
• Release the button and聽wait聽for a beep, a flash or both.

If you don’t聽get聽a beep or聽see聽a flash,听start聽the reset again or replace the batteries. If聽it's still not working, troubleshoot your carbon monoxide alarm with聽assistance聽from the manufacturer, or聽install a new聽detector.

What Should I Do If a Carbon Monoxide Alarm Is Triggered?

Follow聽these steps to聽protect聽your home and family:

• Do not聽disregard聽the alarm. You聽may not聽be able to聽recognize聽unsafe聽levels of carbon monoxide until it’s too late, so聽assume聽the alarm is聽functioning聽correctly聽when it聽is triggered.
• Evacuate all people and pets聽as soon as possible. If聽possible, open windows and doors on your way out to聽attempt to聽weaken聽the concentration of CO gas.
• Call 911 or聽a聽local fire department and聽explain聽that the carbon monoxide alarm has聽triggered.
• It's wrong to think聽it’s safe to reenter your home when the alarm聽is no longer beeping. Opening windows and doors聽may聽help air it out, but the聽source聽could聽still be聽generating聽carbon monoxide.
• When emergency responders聽come, they will聽go into聽your home,听evaluate聽carbon monoxide levels,听try to find聽the source of the CO leak and聽establish聽if it’s safe to聽return. Depending on the cause, you聽might聽need to聽schedule聽repair services to聽stop聽the problem from聽returning.

Seek聽Support from 天美传媒

With the聽proper聽precautions, there’s no need to聽be afraid of聽carbon monoxide聽inhalation聽in your home.聽In addition to聽installing CO alarms, it’s聽important聽to maintain your fuel-burning appliances,听especially聽as winter聽gets underway.

The team at 天美传媒 is聽ready聽to inspect, clean, diagnose and repair聽issues聽with聽furnaces,听boilers,听water heaters聽and other combustion appliances. We聽know what聽signs聽indicate聽a聽likely聽carbon monoxide leak—聽such as聽excessive聽soot, rusted flue pipes and a yellow, flickering burner flame—along with the necessary repairs to聽prevent聽them.

Do you still have questions or concerns about CO exposure? Is it time to schedule annual聽heating services?聽Contact 天美传媒聽for more information.