Carbon Monoxide monitor for safety
Do you think carbon monoxide monitors are all you need to keep you and your family safe? The best protection is knowledge, so read on to find out if you know what you need to know about carbon monoxide safety and detection. Known as the ‘silent killer, carbon monoxide (CO) is a by-product of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, propane, kerosene and wood (yes, wood). CO has no taste and no smell…so no warning. If your appliances, furnace or fireplace is not vented properly, CO can accumulate in your home and lead to serious health problems. Monitors alert you to increasing levels of CO, but there are a few other warning signs that you should know about. If your indoor air is stuffy or stale most of the time, your pilot lights won’t stay on, you smell gas when you turn on your appliances or your vent pipe or chimney is covered in white, chalky residue, then you have a problem. There are health indications as well. If members of your family are experiencing flu-like symptoms, nausea, burning eyes, drowsiness or headaches frequently, you may have dangerous levels of CO. For the best coverage, you should have multiple carbon monoxide monitors, at least one on each floor. But you need to know how to place them properly. You are most vulnerable to CO poisoning when you are sleeping. We have all read news stories of families who didn’t know they had a problem, and just never woke up. Make sure you have carbon monoxide monitors near all of the sleeping areas in your home, so that everyone will wake up when it goes off. If you have multiple bedrooms in one area, one monitor placed in proximity to all of them will suffice. You should also mount monitors close to other rooms that have gas powered appliances, or fireplaces.