Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Ultimate Guide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a common risk found in the home. Nicknamed the “silent killer,” CO gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, but it can cause unconsciousness, brain damage or death. Consequently, more than 400 people die as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning each year, a larger fatality rate compared to any other type of poisoning.

While the weather gets colder, you close up your home for the winter and count on heating appliances to keep warm. This is where the danger of carbon monoxide inhalation is highest. The good news is you can defend your family from a gas leak in a variety of ways. One of the most efficient methods is to put in CO detectors around your home. Check out this guide to help you understand where carbon monoxide is produced and how to reap the benefits of your CO sensors.

What causes carbon monoxide in a house?

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct whenever something combusts. As a result, this gas is produced when a fuel source burns, such as natural gas, propane, oil, charcoal, gasoline, woo, and more. Common causes of carbon monoxide in a house include:

Overloaded clothes dryer vent

Malfunctioning water heater
Furnace or boiler with a broken heat exchanger
Closed fireplace flue with a lit fire
Improperly vented gas or wood stove
Vehicle sitting in the garage

Portable generator, grill, power tool or lawn equipment operating in the garage

Do smoke detectors detect carbon monoxide?

No, smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide. Alternatively, they sound an alarm when they recognize a certain level of smoke generated by a fire. Installing dependable smoke detectors decreases the risk of dying in a house fire by around 55 percent.

Smoke detectors come in two basic forms—ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detection functions well with fast-growing fires that produce large flames, while photoelectric detection is more applicable for smoldering, smoky fires. A few smoke detectors incorporate both kinds of alarms in a solitary unit to boost the chance of responding to a fire, no matter how it burns.

Obviously, smoke detectors and CO alarms are both important home safety devices. If you check the ceiling and notice an alarm of some kind, you may not recognize whether it’s a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide alarm. The visual difference depends on the brand and model you prefer. Here are a few factors to remember:

Some devices are visibly labeled. If not, look for a brand and model number on the back of the detector and locate it online. You can also find a manufacture date. If the device is more than a decade old, replace it as soon as possible.
Plug-in devices that draw power with an outlet are almost always carbon monoxide will be labeled as such.
Some alarms are two-in-one, sensing both smoke and carbon monoxide with a separate indicator light for each. Nevertheless, it can be tough to tell without a label on the front, so reviewing the manufacturing details on the back is smart.

How many carbon monoxide detectors do I need in my home?

The number of CO alarms you need depends on your home’s size, number of floors and bedroom arrangement. Use these guidelines to ensure thorough coverage:

Place carbon monoxide detectors around wherever people sleep: CO gas poisoning is most common at night when furnaces have to run constantly to keep your home heated. Therefore, every bedroom should have a carbon monoxide alarm installed about 15 feet of the door. If multiple bedroom doors are less than 30 feet apart, a single alarm is adequate.
Install detectors on every floor: Dangerous carbon monoxide gas can become trapped on a single floor of your home, so make sure you have at least one CO detector on each floor.
Have detectors within 10 feet of your internal garage door: Many people unsafely leave their cars running in the garage, resulting in dangerous carbon monoxide buildup, even while the large garage door is completely open. A CO detector immediately inside the door—and in the room above the garage—alerts you of increased carbon monoxide levels entering your home.
Install detectors at the proper height: Carbon monoxide features a weight similar to air, but it’s frequently pushed up by the hot air created by combustion appliances. Having detectors close to the ceiling is best to catch this rising air. Models that come with digital readouts are best installed at eye level to make them easier to read.
Put in detectors about 15 feet from combustion appliances: Certain fuel-burning machines emit a tiny, non-toxic amount of carbon monoxide when they start. This breaks up quickly, but when a CO detector is nearby, it could trigger false alarms.

Have detectors away from high heat and humidity: Carbon monoxide detectors have specific tolerances for heat and humidity. To minimize false alarms, don’t install them in bathrooms, in harsh sunlight, near air vents, or close to heat-generating appliances.

How do I test/troubleshoot a carbon monoxide sensor?

Depending on the specific unit, the manufacturer may suggest monthly tests and resetting to ensure proper functionality. Also, swap out the batteries in battery-powered units every six months. For hardwired units, replace the backup battery once a year or when the alarm is chirping, whichever happens first. Then, replace the CO detector outright after 10 years or as outlined by the manufacturer’s instructions.

How to test your carbon monoxide alarm

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

Press and hold the Test button. It will sometimes take 5 to 20 seconds for the alarm to begin.
Loud beeping indicates the detector is operating correctly.
Release the Test button and wait for two short beeps, a flash or both. If the device goes on beeping when you release the button, press and hold it again for five seconds to stop it.

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

How to reset your carbon monoxide alarm

You only have to reset your unit once the alarm goes off, after running a test or after replacing the batteries. A few models automatically reset themselves in under 10 minutes of these events, while other models require a manual reset. The instruction manual can note which function you should use.

Carry out these steps to reset your CO detector manually:

Press and hold the Reset button for 5 to 10 seconds.
Release the button and listen for a beep, a flash or both.

If you don’t hear a beep or see a flash, try the reset again or replace the batteries. If that doesn’t help either, troubleshoot your carbon monoxide alarm with assistance from the manufacturer, or install a new detector.

What can I do if a carbon monoxide alarm is triggered?

Follow these steps to safeguard your home and family:

Do not disregard the alarm. You may not be able to notice dangerous levels of carbon monoxide until it’s too late, so anticipate the alarm is operating correctly when it is triggered.
Evacuate all people and pets as soon as possible. If possible, open windows and doors on your way out to try and thin out the concentration of CO gas.
Call 911 or the local fire department and inform them that the carbon monoxide alarm has gone off.

Do not assume it’s safe to reenter your home when the alarm stops beeping. Opening windows and doors might help air it out, but the source might still be generating carbon monoxide.
When emergency responders arrive, they will search your home, measure carbon monoxide levels, look for the source of the CO leak and establish if it’s safe to go back inside. Depending on the cause, you might need to request repair services to keep the problem from reappearing.

Find Support from Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

With the proper precautions, there’s no need to fear carbon monoxide inhalation in your home. In addition to installing CO alarms, it’s important to maintain your fuel-burning appliances, particularly as winter arrives.

The team at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is happy to inspect, clean, diagnose and repair malfunctions with furnaces, boilers, water heaters and other combustion appliances. We understand what signs indicate a possible carbon monoxide leak— such as excessive soot, rusted flue pipes and a yellow, flickering burner flame—along with the necessary repairs to resolve them.

Do you still have questions or concerns about CO exposure? Is it time to schedule annual heating services? Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for more information.