by Dave Donovan
Protecting your home from outside intruders is one way of keeping your family safe. But what if the intruder is invisible, odorless and virtually unnoticeable? This intruder can attack at any given time, without warning and with careless abandon. This intruder is, of course, Carbon Monoxide (CO).
Smoke detectors are of no use against such a crafty villain, home security systems are rendered powerless to stop it and the big Doberman you bought for protection will never know it’s there. So how do you stop this silent killer from claiming your family as its next victims?
Luckily, there are very good Carbon Monoxide detectors on the market that can notify the family if the toxic gas is present in the air. It’s recently become a standard requirement for home occupancy inspections and you need to have them on each floor if you want to buy or sell a home.
The CO detector looks very much like a traditional smoke detector. It’s generally round, white and has blinking green lights to signal that it’s working. Holding down the test button will allow you to ensure that it is functioning properly. It’s a wise decision to replace your CO detector’s batteries every year at the same time you replace your smoke detector’s batteries, usually the daylight’s savings time change is a favorite time.
So where does the gas come from and is there anything we can do to lessen the chance of it making an unwanted appearance?
Carbon Monoxide is a result of fuels not being burned enough in combustion-type implements such as a gas heater or a car engine. Essentially, anything that burns gas, wood, kerosene, oil or charcoal emits some amount of Carbon Monoxide. It’s usually minute enough that it doesn’t cause any damage. However, if the appliance is faulty, it could result in a much higher level of Carbon Monoxide being produced.
Thousands of people are affected by Carbon Monoxide poisoning each year. Hundreds end up dying from it. In most cases, it’s a faulty heater in the home or it’s the idling automobile in the garage that does it. The people most at risk include the elderly, infants, people with anemia or someone with heart or respiratory disease.
The easiest way to avoid CO poisoning is to vigilantly have your combustion appliances inspected. Many public gas utility companies have inspectors for just this type of thing. There may be a charge for it, but it gets rolled into your bill in most cases. The best thing to do is call your gas provider for details.
If you don’t have a CO detector yet, how do you know if you have been a victim of CO poisoning? First things first, go get one! Now, if you or most of your family has been experiencing mild or severe headaches with regularity, dizziness and nausea, confusion or shortness of breath, it could be that you have a low to moderate level of Carbon Monoxide in your home. It can sometimes feel like you have the flu or food poisoning. A tell-tale sign is if the symptoms disappear when you leave the house.
If you suspect that you or your family may be experiencing CO poisoning, immediately turn off any combustion appliances, open all windows and leave the house. Head straight to the emergency room of your nearest hospital and inform them that you believe you have CO poisoning. A simple blood test will confirm or deny your suspicion.
Most importantly, don’t idle your car in the garage and have your furnace inspected yearly. The cost of these simple things is much lower against the cost of what it would mean if you or a family member fell victim to Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Just because you have a CO detector doesn’t mean you don’t need to have your combustion appliances inspected. The detector is a notifier, not a preventer.
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