In the winter, your home may be at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning. As people light fires and heat their homes to stay warm, they also expose their units to potentially dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. This gas is colorless and odorless, making it difficult for people to detect. However, it’s incredibly toxic and can lead to serious health issues if exposed to high levels over long periods. To prevent this, people should make sure to keep their intake vents clear of debris and keep their units at a distance from sources of heat, like fireplaces and stoves. They also need to make sure their units are vented properly to avoid CO buildup.
Last but not least, they should have their units inspected regularly to ensure they’re in proper working order. Nearly half of all CO poisonings happen during the colder months. Keeping an eye on your home and its potential risks is essential if you want to avoid CO poisoning this winter. That’s where a SimpliSafe carbon monoxide detector comes in! These affordable devices can alert you when CO levels are too high so that you can take appropriate action before it becomes dangerous. Here’s everything you need to know about installing a carbon monoxide detector in your home and keeping your family safe from this silent killer.
What is CO?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that’s produced when fuel isn’t burned completely. This can happen in any type of engine, but it’s most commonly found in poorly ventilated areas with fuel-burning appliances like furnaces, water heaters, and stoves. CO can affect anyone, but it’s particularly dangerous for people with underlying health conditions. Infants and young children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and anyone with heart or lung conditions are especially at risk. CO is poisonous because it attaches to hemoglobin, the molecule in your blood that carries oxygen. When CO fills your blood with CO instead of oxygen, you can experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. If you’re exposed to high levels of CO, you could also experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, confusion, chest pain, shortness of breath, and loss of consciousness. CO poisoning can be fatal.
Why is Carbon Monoxide Dangerous?
If you’re exposed to high levels of CO, your body can’t get enough oxygen, which can lead to organ failure and even death. CO can affect anyone, but it’s particularly dangerous for people with heart or lung conditions. If you have heart disease, you may experience chest pain and shortness of breath. If you have a lung condition like asthma, you could also experience shortness of breath. CO is especially dangerous for pregnant women, who may experience abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and headaches. Infants and young children, who are more likely to breathe through their skin instead of their lungs, can experience a wide range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, confusion, and vomiting. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning should get immediate medical attention.
Where can you find carbon monoxide?
Carbon monoxide can be found almost anywhere. You should be especially cautious when using appliances that burn fuel, like gas stoves, gas water heaters, and wood stoves. You may also find high levels of CO inside cars that are running in an attached garage, poorly ventilated areas like enclosed stairwells, and around poorly maintained oil-burning furnaces. If you’re worried about high CO levels in your home, you can buy a CO monitor to test the levels of this gas in your home. If you find that the levels are too high, you should get the source of the gas removed as quickly as possible. If you have an oil-burning furnace, make sure that it’s being maintained and serviced regularly. If you’re parking your car in an attached garage, make sure that it’s well-ventilated. You should also make sure that your car has fresh fuel, as this can also increase levels of CO.You can also find CO in poorly maintained gas furnaces. Faulty pressure regulators and faulty CO sensors can cause these problems. CO sensors are often found near the furnace’s fresh air intake, so CO can be a problem in any home. You may also find CO in homes with fossil fuel-powered electricity, like oil-fired, coal-fired, or gas-fired power plants.
How to spot the signs of CO poisoning
If you’re keeping an eye on your home’s CO levels, you’ll probably notice the first signs of CO poisoning before you start to feel sick. These early warning signs can range from feeling tired and dizzy to nausea and headaches. If you experience any of these symptoms, try to get fresh air as soon as you can. If you’re still feeling ill, call your doctor or go to the emergency room. Your carbon monoxide detector may start going off, or you may start to notice a strong, metallic smell. You should also be on the lookout for these symptoms: Unfortunately, these symptoms could also be a sign of other health issues. If you think you may be experiencing CO poisoning, you should call your doctor immediately.
Installing a Simplisafe Carbon Monoxide Detector
Ideally, you should have a carbon monoxide detector in every room of your home. Make sure to change the batteries when they start to emit a low beeping sound. These are inexpensive and can save your family’s lives. If you have a larger home and don’t have a CO detector in a certain area, you can purchase a carbon monoxide detector with a range. These emit a signal that will alert you if there is a CO concentration in the air that is dangerous. This includes bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens, and attached garages. Your alarm should be placed approximately 10 feet away from your primary source of CO, like your furnace, water heater, or stove. You should also keep your detector away from large pieces of furniture, like bookcases or dressers, that could block its sensors. Always check your detector once a month to make sure it’s still functioning properly. If you notice that your alarm is beeping or flashing or that the battery has been compromised, you should call a professional to replace it immediately. Otherwise, you may not be alerted when CO levels are too high.
Conclusion
Carbon monoxide is a silent killer that can cause serious harm to anyone in your home, especially if you aren’t aware of its presence. This gas is colorless and odorless, so you can’t rely on your senses to determine whether or not it’s in your home. Instead, you have to make sure you have the right appliances, have them installed correctly, and have them maintained regularly to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. When you have a CO detector, you have a loud signal that cannot be ignored if something goes wrong. Even if you have a silent leak, it will alert you to the fact that you have a problem that needs to be fixed immediately. This gas is produced when fuel isn’t burned completely, which can happen in any fuel-burning appliance, like a furnace or stove. You can protect yourself and your loved ones from CO by installing a SimpliSafe carbon monoxide detector in every room of your home and checking it monthly to make sure it’s functioning properly.
