Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Ultimate Guide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most hazardous gases found in the home. Nicknamed the “silent killer,” CO gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, but it can lead to unconsciousness, brain damage or death. As a result, more than 400 people die as a result of carbon monoxide influence each year, a steeper fatality rate compared to any other kind of poisoning. As the weather cools off, you close up your home for the winter and trust in heating appliances to stay warm. This is where the threat of carbon monoxide inhalation is highest. The good news is you can safeguard your family from a gas leak in different ways. One of the most effective methods is to put in CO detectors around your home. Check out this guide to better understand where carbon monoxide can appear from and how to make the most of your CO alarms.

What causes carbon monoxide in a house?

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of something burned. Therefore, this gas can appear whenever a fuel source burns, like natural gas, propane, oil, charcoal, gasoline, woo, and more. Frequent causes of carbon monoxide in a house consist of:

• • Blocked up clothes dryer vent

• • Malfunctioning water heater

• • Furnace or boiler with a damaged heat exchanger

• • Closed fireplace flue while a fire is lit

• • Improperly vented gas or wood stove

• • Vehicle idling in the garage

• • Portable generator, grill, power tool or lawn equipment operating 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 concentration of smoke caused by a fire. Possessing dependable smoke detectors reduces the risk of dying in a house fire by around 55 percent. Smoke detectors are offered in two primary modes—ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detection works best with fast-moving fires that emit large flames, while photoelectric models are more applicable for smoldering, smoky fires. A few smoke detectors include both forms of alarms in a single unit to boost the chance of responding to a fire, regardless of how it burns. Clearly, smoke detectors and CO alarms are equally beneficial home safety devices. If you check the ceiling and find an alarm of some kind, you might not recognize whether it’s a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide alarm. The visual contrast is based on the brand and model you prefer. Here are several factors to consider:

• • Quality devices are visibly labeled. If not, check for 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 10 years old, replace it at the earliest opportunity.

• • Plug-in devices that extract power with an outlet are almost always carbon monoxide will be labeled saying as much.

• • Some alarms will be two-in-one, detecting both smoke and carbon monoxide with a different indicator light for each. Still, it can be hard to tell without a label on the front, so reviewing the manufacturing details on the back is your best bet.

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

The number of CO alarms you require is dependent on your home’s size, the number of stories and the number of bedrooms. Follow these guidelines to guarantee complete coverage:

• • Add carbon monoxide detectors around sleeping areas: CO gas poisoning is most common at night when furnaces are running frequently to keep your home heated. Therefore, all bedrooms should have a carbon monoxide sensor installed around 15 feet of the door. If two bedroom doors are less than 30 feet apart, just one detector is adequate.

• • Add detectors on every floor: Dense carbon monoxide gas can become stuck on a single floor of your home, so try to have at least one CO detector on each floor.

• • Put in detectors within 10 feet of the internal garage door: Many people unsafely leave their cars running in the garage, resulting in dangerous carbon monoxide buildup, even if the large garage door is wide open. A CO sensor just inside the door—and in the room up above the garage—alerts you of increased carbon monoxide levels inside your home.

• • Install detectors at the correct height: Carbon monoxide is a similar density as air, but it’s frequently carried upward in the hot air released by combustion appliances. Putting in detectors close to the ceiling is a good way to catch this rising air. Models that include digital readouts are best placed at eye level to keep them easy to read.

• • Add detectors at least 15 feet from combustion appliances: Some fuel-burning machines produce a tiny, harmless amount of carbon monoxide at startup. This dissipates quickly, but if a CO detector is positioned too close, it may trigger false alarms.

• • Put in detectors away from extreme heat and humidity: Carbon monoxide detectors have specified tolerances for heat and humidity. To limit 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 detector?

Depending on the specific unit, the manufacturer might encourage monthly testing and resetting to sustain proper functionality. Also, replace the batteries in battery-powered units after 6 months. For hardwired units, replace the backup battery once a year or when the alarm starts chirping, whichever comes first. Then, replace the CO detector completely after 10 years or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

How to test your carbon monoxide alarm

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

• • Press and hold the Test button. It might need 5 to 20 seconds for the alarm to start.

• • Loud beeping signifies the detector is working correctly.

• • Release the Test button and wait for two quick 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.

Change the batteries if the unit isn’t performing as expected after the test. If replacement batteries don’t change anything, replace the detector entirely.

How to reset your carbon monoxide alarm

You only need to reset your unit when the alarm goes off, after running a test or after replacing the batteries. Certain models automatically reset themselves in 10 minutes of these events, while others require a manual reset. The instruction manual can note which function applies. Follow these steps to reset your CO detector manually:

• • Press and hold the Reset button for 5 to 10 seconds.

• • Release the button and wait for a beep, a flash or both.

If you don’t notice a beep or observe a flash, start the reset again or replace the batteries. If it’s still not working, troubleshoot your carbon monoxide alarm with assistance from the manufacturer, or install a new detector.

What can I do if a carbon monoxide alarm starts?

Listen to these steps to take care of your home and family:

• • Do not ignore the alarm. You may not be able to recognize hazardous levels of carbon monoxide until it’s too late, so anticipate the alarm is functioning properly when it goes off.

• • Evacuate all people and pets immediately. If possible, open windows and doors on your way out to help weaken the concentration of CO gas.

• • Call 911 or the local fire department and inform them that the carbon monoxide alarm has triggered.

• • It’s wrong to think it’s safe to reenter your home when the alarm stops running. Opening windows and doors might help air it out, but the source could 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 will sometimes need to request repair services to keep the problem from reappearing.

Find Support from Winnipeg Supply Service Experts

With the appropriate precautions, there’s no need to fear carbon monoxide poisoning in your home. Besides installing CO alarms, it’s worthwhile to maintain your fuel-burning appliances, especially as winter starts. The team at Winnipeg Supply Service Experts is happy to inspect, clean, diagnose and repair malfunctions with furnaces, boilers, water heaters and other combustion appliances. We understand what signs could mean a potential carbon monoxide leak— including excessive soot, rusted flue pipes and a yellow, flickering burner flame—along with the necessary repairs to avoid them. Do you still have questions or concerns about CO exposure? Is it time to schedule annual heating services? Contact Winnipeg Supply Service Experts for more information.