Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Each year carbon monoxide poisoning claims about 500 lives and sends another 15,000 people to emergency rooms for treatment. But there are steps you can take to prevent becoming a victim and keep you and your family safe. The solution is a carbon monoxide detector.

First, what is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes can kill you before you are even aware it is in your home. At lower levels of exposure, CO causes mild effects that are often mistaken for the flu. CO gas can come from several sources such as gas-fired appliances, charcoal grills, wood-burning furnaces or fireplaces, and motor vehicles.

A CO detector can be either battery-operated or AC powered (with or without a battery backup). Furthermore, it can be a stand-alone unit or one that works within your home alarm system. The top CO detectors utilize state-of-the-art electro-chemical sensor technology which detects multiple levels of exposure to CO based on time weighted averages of the gas present.

CO detectors can work with different warning signs including lights, sounds, and digital metered readings. The warning levels usually depend on the level of CO detection. CO detectors are often inexpensive and easy to install by simply mounting to a wall either near the ceiling or near the floor as CO is very close to the same density as air. Remember, everyone is at risk of CO poisoning and depending upon the state that you live in, having a unit in your home may be mandatory.