Home Improvement DIY

Carbon monoxide isn’t called “the silent killer” for nothing.  It is estimated that in the United States 2,100 die from carbon monoxide (CO).  The sad truth is that these deaths could have easily been prevented if only carbon monoxide detector alarms were fitted in every home.

So do you understand what carbon monoxide is, where it comes from and how you can protect your loved ones from falling victim?  By understanding what carbon monoxide is, you’ll be better able to lower the chance of becoming ill or dying from it.  The best way to do this the by fitting a carbon monoxide detector alarm.

What is Carbon Monoxide?  The main problems with carbon monoxide are the fact that it is odourless, tasteless and colourless and extremely poisonous.  It forms in the air because fuels don’t burn completely.  In other words, when an appliance doesn’t burn the fuel correctly, carbon monoxide is produced.

You can get carbon monoxide from many forms of fuel including propane, gasoline, natural gas, coal, wood and oil.  The appliances most likely to release carbon monoxide in your home include, gas stoves, water heaters, furnaces and clothes dryers.

How to Protect Your Family From Carbon Monoxide Poisoning?

Although it is important to know how carbon monoxide is released into your home, you need to understand how to actually prevent it causing harm.  It is odourless after all so you can’t simply use your sense of smell.

The most obvious step is to ensure all appliances which use fuel are installed by a qualified professional and that regular checks and repairs are made.  However besides these things, the best method of preventing carbon monoxide poisoning is to buy and fit a carbon monoxide alarm.

These alarms work by detecting carbon monoxide levels in your home.  Once the poisons are detected, an alarm will sound to warn you.  There may even be some systems that alert your local fire department.  One of the good things about these detectors is that there are no false alarms.  There aren’t any substances which could be mistaken for carbon monoxide.

Now that you realize the importance of owning a carbon monoxide alarm, when making your purchase, ensure that it has been approved by the Underwriters Laboratories (UL).  There are many features you can have included in your alarm including a battery backup, home security integration and smoke detector.

The number of preventable deaths are enough to make anyone rush and buy a carbon monoxide detector alarm.  The dangers are very real.  Make sure you don’t put it off any longer as you never know just when you may really need it

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