Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Is your home protected for carbon monoxide?

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that can be deadly to your family. It is almost the same density of air so it mixes freely with it. Gas or oil furnaces, stoves, dryers, refrigerators, water and space heaters and fireplaces can emit this gas without you even being aware. CO detectors are important to have so they can measure the amount that is in your home over time and sound an alarm before you start to feel any symptoms. Make sure that you place your CO detector in a hallway near the bedrooms and install additional detectors on every level of the home for additional protection.

Sources of Carbon Monoxide:

Incomplete oxidation during combustion in gas ranges and un-vented gas or kerosene heaters may cause high concentrations of Carbon monoxide in indoor air. Worn or poorly adjusted and maintained combustion devices (e.g., boilers, furnaces) can be significant sources, or if the flue is improperly sized, blocked, disconnected, or is leaking. Automobile exhaust from attached garages, nearby roads, or parking areas can also be a source. Common household appliances such as gas clothes dryers, water heaters, ovens and ranges produce carbon monoxide. A charcoal grill operating in an enclosed area or a fire burning in a fireplace also produce carbon monoxide.

Health Effects of Carbon Monoxide Exposure

Acute effects are due to the formation of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood, which inhibits oxygen intake. At low concentrations, carbon monoxide can cause fatigue in healthy people and chest pain in people with heart disease and at higher concentrations, impaired vision and coordination; headaches; dizziness; confusion; nausea. Carbon monoxide poisoning causes flu-like symptoms that clear up after leaving home. Because you can't see, taste or smell it, carbon monoxide can kill you before you know it's there. When carbon monoxide is inhaled and bonds with the hemoglobin in your blood, it displaces the oxygen you need. It will eventually displace enough to suffocate you from the inside out, resulting in death or brain injury.

Carbon Monoxide Detection and Warning

Properly working carbon monoxide detectors can provide an early warning before the deadly gas builds up to a dangerous level. Each home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector in the area outside individual bedrooms. We believe that carbon monoxide detectors are as important to home safety as smoke detectors are. Maintain your heating system on a regular basis to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Tips for purchasing a CO Detector - Carbon Monoxide Statistics - Prevention Tips.