Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Ultimate Guide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a potentially hazardous gas found in the home. Nicknamed the “silent killer,” CO gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, yet it can cause unconsciousness, brain damage or death. Because of this, more than 400 people suffer fatal carbon monoxide poisoning each year, a larger fatality rate versus other types of poisoning.

While the weather gets colder, you seal your home for the winter and trust in heating appliances to stay warm. This is where the risk of carbon monoxide inhalation is highest. Thankfully you can protect your family from carbon monoxide in several ways. One of the most efficient methods is to put in CO detectors around your home. Try this guide to help you understand where carbon monoxide comes from and how to take full advantage of your CO alarms.

What generates carbon monoxide in a house?

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of incomplete combustion. As a result, this gas is generated when a fuel source burns, like natural gas, propane, oil, charcoal, gasoline, woo, and more. Prevalent causes of carbon monoxide in a house consist of:

  • Clogged clothes dryer vent
  • Broken down water heater
  • Furnace or boiler with a cracked heat exchanger
  • Closed fireplace flue while a fire is lit
  • Poorly vented gas or wood stove
  • Vehicle running in the garage
  • Portable generator, grill, power tool or lawn equipment running in the garage

Do smoke detectors sense carbon monoxide?

No, smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide. Instead, they begin an alarm when they detect a certain amount of smoke generated by a fire. Possessing dependable smoke detectors decreases the risk of dying in a house fire by around 55 percent.

Smoke detectors are available in two main types—ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detection functions well with fast-growing fires that produce large flames, while photoelectric detectors are more applicable for smoldering, smoky fires. The newest smoke detectors include both forms of alarms in a single unit to increase the chance of recognizing a fire, despite how it burns.

Clearly, smoke detectors and CO alarms are equally essential home safety devices. If you check the ceiling and find an alarm of some kind, you may not know whether it’s a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide alarm. The visual contrast is based on the brand and model you want. Here are several factors to consider:

  • Some devices are visibly labeled. If not, try to find a brand and model number on the back of the detector and look it up online. You should also find a manufacture date. If the device is more than a decade old, replace it at the earliest opportunity.
  • Plug-in devices that use power through an outlet are typically carbon monoxide will be labeled as such.
  • Some alarms are two-in-one, detecting both smoke and carbon monoxide with an indicator light for each. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to tell without a label on the front, so double checking the manufacturing details on the back is worthwhile.

How many carbon monoxide detectors should I install in my home?

The number of CO alarms you should have is determined by your home’s size, number of floors and the number of bedrooms. Consider these guidelines to ensure complete coverage:

  • Add carbon monoxide detectors near wherever people sleep: CO gas exposure is most common at night when furnaces have to run frequently to keep your home heated. As a result, every bedroom should have a carbon monoxide detector installed around 15 feet of the door. If two bedroom doors are less than 30 feet apart, a single alarm is enough.
  • Install detectors on all floors: Dense carbon monoxide buildup can become caught on a single floor of your home, so make sure you have at least one CO detector on all floors.
  • Have detectors within 10 feet of the internal garage door: A lot of people end up leaving their cars on in the garage, leading to dangerous carbon monoxide gas, even while the large garage door is wide open. A CO detector just inside the door—and in the room over the garage—alerts you of heightened carbon monoxide levels within your home.
  • Have detectors at the correct height: Carbon monoxide features a weight similar to air, but it’s often carried upward in the hot air released by combustion appliances. Putting in detectors near the ceiling is ideal to catch this rising air. Models with digital readouts are best installed at eye level to make sure they’re easy to read.
  • Put in detectors at least 15 feet from combustion appliances: A few fuel-burning machines emit a small, non-toxic amount of carbon monoxide at startup. This disperses quickly, but when a CO detector is installed right next to it, it may trigger false alarms.
  • Install detectors away from excess heat and humidity: Carbon monoxide detectors have certain tolerances for heat and humidity. To reduce false alarms, avoid installing them in bathrooms, in harsh sunlight, around air vents, or close to heat-generating appliances.

How do I test/troubleshoot a carbon monoxide alarm?

Depending on the model, the manufacturer might recommend monthly tests and resetting to maintain proper functionality. Also, swap out the batteries in battery-powered units twice a year. For hardwired units, replace the backup battery annually or when the alarm starts chirping, whichever happens first. Then, replace the CO detector completely every 10 years or according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

How to test your carbon monoxide alarm

You only need a minute to test your CO sensor. Review the instruction manual for directions specific to your unit, understanding that testing uses this general procedure:

  • Press and hold the Test button. It will sometimes need 5 to 20 seconds for the alarm to go off.
  • Loud beeping indicates the detector is working correctly.
  • Let go of the Test button and wait for two fast beeps, a flash or both. If the device continues beeping when you release the button, press and hold it again for five seconds to quiet it.

Swap out the batteries if the unit won’t work as expected during the test. If replacement batteries don’t help, replace the detector entirely.

How to reset your carbon monoxide alarm

You only have to reset your unit when the alarm goes off, after testing the device or after swapping the batteries. A few models automatically reset themselves in 10 minutes of these events, while others require a manual reset. The instruction manual should note which function you should use.

Follow these steps to reset your CO detector manually:

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

If you don’t get a beep or observe a flash, attempt the reset again or replace the batteries. If that doesn’t help either, troubleshoot your carbon monoxide alarm with support from the manufacturer, or get rid of the faulty detector.

What do I do if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off?

Listen to these steps to protect your home and family:

  • Do not dismiss the alarm. You may not be able to detect hazardous levels of carbon monoxide until it’s too late, so assume the alarm is operating correctly when it starts.
  • Evacuate all people and pets as quickly as possible. If possible, open windows and doors on your way out to attempt to weaken the concentration of CO gas.
  • Call 911 or the local fire department and inform them that the carbon monoxide alarm has triggered.
  • Don’t assume it’s safe to reenter your home when the alarm stops running. Opening windows and doors can help air it out, but the source may still be generating carbon monoxide.
  • When emergency responders arrive, they will search your home, assess carbon monoxide levels, try to find the source of the CO leak and establish if it’s safe to come back inside. Depending on the cause, you might need to arrange repair services to keep the problem from recurring.

Seek Support from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

With the appropriate precautions, there’s no need to worry about carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. Along with installing CO alarms, it’s important to maintain your fuel-burning appliances, especially as winter starts.

The team at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is qualified to inspect, clean, diagnose and repair issues with furnaces, boilers, water heaters and other combustion appliances. We understand what signs indicate a possible carbon monoxide leak— such as excessive soot, rusted flue pipes and a yellow, flickering burner flame—along with the necessary repairs to resolve them.

Do you still have questions or concerns about CO exposure? Is it time to schedule annual heating services? Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for more information.

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