Carbon Monoxide Detectors Shouldn’t Be Ignored – They Save Lives

Carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home may provide the only warning you’ll ever get of a deadly hazard. The Centers For Disease Control reports that carbon monoxide poisoning kills about 500 people every year and causes 20,000 emergency room visits. Carbon monoxide (CO) gas is a natural by-product of combustion that occurs in your home in sources such as a gas-fired furnace, water heater or stove. Carbon monoxide gas is colorless and has no odor or taste and, without carbon monoxide detectors, can only be detected by the flu-like symptoms it produces in humans. Unfortunately, by the time these symptoms become apparent, a life-threatening condition already exists.

Symptoms of mild CO poisoning range from general fatigue that may be mistaken as flu, to nausea and extreme headache, to unconsciousness and rapid death when levels of carbon monoxide exceed 12,000 parts per million.

CO detectors constantly sniff the air in your home for the presence of carbon monoxide. They’re available in two varieties. Though both types comply with Underwriters Laboratory standards for sensitivity, each has certain advantages:

• Battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors offer greater flexibility for installation anywhere in the home. Because AC power is not required, mounting these units in the most effective locations is easy. However, battery-operated detectors usually lack features such as a continuous visual display of current CO levels and may be more difficult to reset after an alarm occurs. Every two to three years, these units also require replacement of the battery/sensor module.

• Plug-in carbon monoxide detectors require a nearby AC outlet or hard-wiring into household circuits for power, limiting installation locations. However, these units are maintenance-free and actually grow more sensitive over time. In addition, most plug-in CO detectors include a visual display of present carbon monoxide levels in the house as well as a memory of recent readings.

At Sobieski Services, your home safety is our highest priority. Ask for more information about carbon monoxide detectors to safeguard your family.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC & plumbing systems).

Image Credit: openDemocracy