Installing a carbon monoxide detector could prevent someone in your household from becoming one of the over 400 deaths annually in the United States caused by carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Thousands more end up in emergency rooms and require serious medical treatment. Carbon monoxide gas is odorless, tasteless and invisible, so many people never realize they’re being affected until it’s too late. A large number of fatalities are individuals who die in their sleep, totally unaware they have gone to bed in a house slowly filling with deadly carbon monoxide.
A carbon monoxide detector installed correctly and regularly tested can provide the early warning of carbon monoxide that your natural senses of smell and sight cannot. Here are some guidelines for installation and use:
- At least one carbon monoxide detector should be installed on each level of the home, depending on the number of bedrooms. One should be located outside each bedroom in the hallway.
- Since carbon monoxide gas rises, the optimum location for the detector is on a wall, four to six inches below the ceiling.
- Test the detector once a month. To do this, press the “test” button on the face of the unit and hold it down until you hear the alarm sound, then release the button. If the alarm doesn’t sound, replace the detector immediately.
- Replace the batteries in a battery-powered unit every six months. Be aware that even AC-powered detectors that plug into a wall outlet incorporate batteries as backup in the event of a power failure. Most of these units will sound a “chirp” alert to warn you that the backup batteries are weakening and require replacement.
- If the alarm sounds, get everyone out of the house immediately. Don’t waste time investigating possible causes yourself. Once everyone is safely out of the house, call the fire department from a cell phone outdoors or ask a neighbor to call. Do not re-enter the house.
For professional installation and service of a carbon monoxide detector to safeguard your northeast Ohio home, contact Stack Heating & Cooling.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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