As cooler weather arrives, now is a great time to begin thinking about your house’s carbon monoxide detectors. When heating season starts, the Centers for Disease Control says the potential of carbon monoxide poisoning builds.
Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It’s a byproduct of combustion your gas furnace relies on to add warmth to your home. When your heating is operating as it should, the gas is safely moved outside of your home. Cracks in your furnace’s heat exchanger or flue pipes can cause carbon monoxide to seep into your house, where ongoing exposure can be fatal.
Although carbon monoxide poisoning is escapable, the CDC says at least 430 people in the U.S. are killed by it each year. And another approximately 50,000 people go to the ER because of related symptoms, including headaches, dizziness and vomiting.
The best ways you can help your family is by scheduling yearly maintenance of all gas, oil, or wood burning appliances, including your furnace and water heater, and using a carbon monoxide detector. From plug-in to smart carbon monoxide detectors, there’s an option on the market that fits for your home and budget.
Smart Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smart carbon monoxide detectors, including the Nest carbon monoxide detector, make it simple to stay on top of keeping your home safe. They’re frequently offered as duo carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and can typically be linked with other smart home devices via Wi-Fi.
Here are a few other perks of installing them in your home:
- Alerts you that there’s trouble through voice notifications, as well as alerts on your phone.
- Points out the problem room, such as the kitchen or basement.
- Can be silenced from your phone.
- Automatically reviews its sensors and batteries and reveals findings through a useful report on your phone.
- Notifies you of dead batteries with an alert on your phone, not a screeching noise in the middle of the night.
- Lasts up to 10 years, depending on the kind.
The only problem with getting Wi-Fi carbon monoxide detectors is the price. These detectors are typically much more expensive than their plug-in or battery-powered counterparts. But they also offer many beneficial and important features you can’t receive in a non-smart device.
When you’re buying a new device, it’s important to understand where to put carbon monoxide detectors. The Environmental Protection Agency encourages placing a carbon monoxide detector around five feet above the floor or on the ceiling. This is because carbon monoxide can rise with warm air.
We advise using a detector on each floor of your house, as well as outside bedrooms. You’ll want to be certain the alarm will wake you up.
Battery-Powered and Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Plug-in and battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors are the most economical. A couple of the most popular models are Kidde carbon monoxide detectors and First Alert carbon monoxide detectors.
But they also have restricted features that don’t work with your phone or smart home devices. They generally have a digital display and test button, which you’ll have to remember to use.
The National Fire Protection Association recommends testing hardwired carbon monoxide alarms each month. Battery-powered detectors that don’t plug in ought to be tested weekly. If you’re unsure how to test for carbon monoxide, it’s pretty easy. Use the button to ensure your detector is working.
If your detector is hardwired, make sure to swap the backup battery at least every year. If it’s battery-powered, you’ll want to swap it once a month to bypass the irritating chirp in the middle of the night.
If you’re hearing noise or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping regularly, it generally means it has a low battery. Or, it’s getting to the end of its life. How long carbon monoxide detectors last depends on the brand you have. Most often, it’s approximately 5–10 years, but make sure to review instructions from your system’s manufacturer.
If you’re confused about why your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, it’s frequently due to the fact it’s picking up dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. If your carbon monoxide detector is going off with constant, loud beeping, leave your house right away and contact 911.
Now is an excellent time to make sure your carbon monoxide detector is running properly before heating season begins. If you need to request furnace maintenance or you’re interested in upgrading to smart carbon monoxide detectors, the Experts at Fras-Air/General Service Experts can help. Get in touch with us at 908-448-2154 today and we’ll help you pick the ideal carbon monoxide detector for your house.