Choosing the Best Place for a Carbon Monoxide Detector

A carbon monoxide detector is an important part of any home. Because carbon monoxide is invisible, odorless, and tasteless, it is imperative that you have the means to detect a leak before it harms you and your family. However, many homeowners are uncertain about where they should place a detector. Read the following article to get a better idea of where your carbon monoxide detector should be placed for optimum performance.

Height

Carbon monoxide is lighter than air, so in order to optimally detect any leakage, your carbon monoxide detector is best placed about 5 feet above the floor. You can mount it on a wall or a ceiling.

Interference

Keep your detector out of reach of children and pets. They could compromise the effectiveness of the detector if they are able to play with it. Be sure that you do not place your detector next to a fireplace, oven, or any other appliance that involves or produces flames. There will be a concentration of carbon monoxide around these appliances that, while not dangerous to you or your family, could cause the detector to sound its alarm unnecessarily.

Safety

In order to make sure that you and your family are able to evacuate your home before carbon monoxide leakage can affect you, you should be sure that your detector is close enough to your sleeping areas that if it sounds when you are asleep, it will wake you up. If your house has more than one floor, you will need a separate detector for each floor.