Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Ultimate Guide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is one of the most hazardous gases found in the home. Known as the “silent killer,” CO gas is colorless, odorless, tasteless and non-irritating, however it can result in unconsciousness, brain damage or death. As a result, more than 400 people suffer fatal carbon monoxide influence each year, a larger fatality rate than any other kind of poisoning.

When the weather cools down, you seal your home for the winter and count on heating appliances to stay warm. These situations are when the threat of carbon monoxide exposure is highest. Thankfully you can safeguard your family from carbon monoxide in different ways. One of the most efficient methods is to add CO detectors throughout your home. Use this guide to better understand where carbon monoxide can appear from and how to take full advantage of your CO detectors.

What causes carbon monoxide in a house?

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of something burned. Because of this, this gas can appear when a fuel source burns, including natural gas, propane, oil, charcoal, gasoline, woo, and more. Common causes of carbon monoxide in a house consist of:

Clogged clothes dryer vent

Broken down water heater
Furnace or boiler with a damaged heat exchanger
Closed fireplace flue while a fire is lit
Poorly vented gas or wood stove
Vehicle running in the garage

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

Do smoke detectors detect carbon monoxide?

No, smoke detectors do not detect carbon monoxide. In fact, they start an alarm when they sense a certain amount of smoke generated by a fire. Installing dependable smoke detectors reduces the risk of dying in a house fire by about 55 percent.

Smoke detectors are offered in two primary forms—ionization detectors and photoelectric detectors. Ionization detection is ideal with quick-moving fires that generate large flames, while photoelectric models are more suited for smoldering, smoky fires. A few smoke detectors include both forms of alarms in a single unit to maximize the chance of sensing a fire, regardless of how it burns.

Obviously, smoke detectors and CO alarms are similarly important home safety devices. If you check the ceiling and find an alarm of some kind, you might not know whether it’s a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide alarm. The visual contrast depends on the brand and model you have. Here are several factors to keep in mind:

Quality devices are clearly labeled. If not, try to find a brand and model number on the back of the detector and locate it online. You should also find a manufacture date. If the device is more than a decade old, replace it right away.
Plug-in devices that use power from an outlet are almost always carbon monoxide detectors be labeled so.
Some alarms are really two-in-one, detecting both smoke and carbon monoxide with a different indicator light for each. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to tell without a label on the front, so double checking the manufacturing details on the back is worthwhile.

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

The number of CO alarms you require is dependent on your home’s size, how many floors it has and the number of bedrooms. Follow these guidelines to ensure total coverage:

Install carbon monoxide detectors nearby bedrooms: CO gas exposure is most prevalent at night when furnaces must run more often to keep your home comfortable. For that reason, all bedrooms should have a carbon monoxide detector installed about 15 feet of the door. If multiple bedroom doors are less than 30 feet apart, a single alarm is adequate.
Put in detectors on every floor: Dangerous carbon monoxide buildup can become caught on a single floor of your home, so make sure you have at least one CO detector on all floors.
Put in detectors within 10 feet of the internal garage door: A surprising number of people end up leaving their cars idling in the garage, resulting in dangerous carbon monoxide buildup, even if the large garage door is completely open. A CO detector right inside the door—and in the room over the garage—alerts you of heightened carbon monoxide levels within your home.
Put in detectors at the correct height: Carbon monoxide weighs about the same as air, but it’s often carried along with the hot air released by combustion appliances. Having detectors near the ceiling is a good way to catch this rising air. Models that include digital readouts are best installed at eye level to make them easier to read.
Put in detectors around 15 feet from combustion appliances: Some fuel-burning machines emit a small, non-toxic amount of carbon monoxide at startup. This dissipates quickly, but when a CO detector is installed right next to it, it could lead to false alarms.

Have detectors away from excess heat and humidity: Carbon monoxide detectors have certain tolerances for heat and humidity. To limit false alarms, try not to install them in bathrooms, in direct sunlight, next to air vents, or close to heat-generating appliances.

How do I test/troubleshoot a carbon monoxide alarm?

Depending on the model, the manufacturer may recommend monthly tests and resetting to maintain proper functionality. Also, change out the batteries in battery-powered units every six months. For hardwired units, replace the backup battery once a year or when the alarm starts chirping, whichever starts first. Then, replace the CO detector completely every 10 years or in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

How to test your carbon monoxide alarm

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

Press and hold the Test button. It may take 5 to 20 seconds for the alarm to go off.
Loud beeping means the detector is operating correctly.
Let go of the Test button and wait for two quick beeps, a flash or both. If the device continues beeping when you let go of the button, press and hold it again for five seconds to quiet it.

Change the batteries if the unit won’t work as expected for 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 swapping the batteries. A few models automatically reset themselves in 10 minutes of these events, while other models need a manual reset. The instruction manual can note which function you should use.

Use 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 notice a beep or see a flash, start the reset again or replace the batteries. If nothing happens, troubleshoot your carbon monoxide alarm with assistance from the manufacturer, or get rid of the faulty detector.

What should I do if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off?

Follow these steps to safeguard your home and family:

Do not disregard the alarm. You might not be able to recognize dangerous levels of carbon monoxide until it’s too late, so assume the alarm is working properly when it is triggered.
Evacuate all people and pets immediately. If you can, open windows and doors on your way out to help dilute the concentration of CO gas.
Call 911 or a local fire department and inform them that the carbon monoxide alarm has gone off.

Don’t assume it’s safe to reenter your home when the alarm stops running. Opening windows and doors might help air it out, but the root cause could still be creating carbon monoxide.
When emergency responders show up, they will search your home, assess carbon monoxide levels, look for the source of the CO leak and figure out if it’s safe to return. Depending on the cause, you might need to arrange repair services to prevent 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 exposure in your home. Besides installing CO alarms, it’s important to maintain your fuel-burning appliances, particularly as winter starts.

The team at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing is happy to inspect, clean, diagnose and repair problems with furnaces, boilers, water heaters and other combustion appliances. We recognize which signs could mean a possible carbon monoxide leak— including 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.