As cooler weather arrives, now is a great time to start thinking about your house’s carbon monoxide detectors. When heating season begins, the Centers for Disease Control says the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning builds.
Carbon monoxide is a hazardous gas that’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It’s a product of combustion your gas furnace relies on to warm your residence. When your heater is working properly, the gas is securely moved outside of your house. Cracks in your furnace’s heat exchanger or flue pipes can cause carbon monoxide to leak into your residence, where long-term exposure can be fatal.
Regardless of the fact carbon monoxide poisoning is avoidable, the CDC says at least 430 people in the U.S. are killed by it annually. And another approximately 50,000 people go to the ER due to related issues, like headaches, dizziness and vomiting.
The best ways you can help your home is by setting up yearly maintenance of all gas, oil, or wood burning appliances, like your furnace and water heater, and getting a carbon monoxide detector. From plug-in to smart carbon monoxide detectors, there’s a model on the market to work for your house and budget.
Smart Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smart carbon monoxide detectors, such as the Nest carbon monoxide detector, make it easy to remain in control for keeping your family safe. They’re often sold as duo carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and can generally be used with other smart home devices via Wi-Fi.
Here are a few other benefits of installing them in your home:
- Alerts you that there’s an issue through voice notifications, plus alerts on your phone.
- Points out the problem spot, such as the kitchen or basement.
- Can be quieted from your phone.
- Automatically reviews its sensors and batteries and shares findings through a full report on your phone.
- Alerts you of low batteries with an alert on your phone, not a loud sound in the middle of the night.
- Lasts up to 10 years, depending on the kind.
The only downside of using Wi-Fi carbon monoxide detectors is the expense. These detectors are often much higher-priced than their plug-in or battery-powered counterparts. But they also include many useful and worthy features you can’t receive in a non-smart device.
When you’re getting a new device, it’s crucial to learn where to attach carbon monoxide detectors. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests placing a carbon monoxide detector around five feet above the floor or on the ceiling. This is due to the fact carbon monoxide can rise with hot air.
We suggest installing a detector on each floor of your home, including outside bedrooms. You’ll want to be certain the noise will wake you up.
Battery-Powered and Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Plug-in and battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors are the most economical. A couple of the most popular types are Kidde carbon monoxide detectors and First Alert carbon monoxide detectors.
But they also have restricted features that don’t work with your phone or smart home devices. They generally have a digital display and test button, which you’ll have to remember to use.
The National Fire Protection Association advises testing hardwired carbon monoxide alarms once a month. Battery-powered detectors that don’t plug in should be tested every week. If you’re wondering how to test for carbon monoxide, it’s pretty simple. Use the button to make sure your detector is running.
If your detector is hardwired, make sure to swap the backup battery at least once a year. If it’s battery-powered, you’ll want to change it once a month to bypass the irritating chirp in the middle of the night.
If you’re noticing a chirp or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping more frequently, it often indicates it has a low battery. Or, it’s approaching the end of its life. How long carbon monoxide detectors run depends on the brand you have. Typically, it’s around 5–10 years, but make sure to review instructions from your system’s manufacturer.
If you’re confused about why your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, it’s often due to the fact it’s picking up high amounts of carbon monoxide. If your carbon monoxide detector is going off with continuous, loud beeping, leave your residence right away and contact 911.
Now is an excellent time to confirm your carbon monoxide detector is running normally before heating season arrives. If you need to request furnace maintenance or you’re interested in upgrading to smart carbon monoxide detectors, the Experts at TML Service Experts can assist you. Get in touch with us at 208-488-4892 today and we’ll help you select the ideal carbon monoxide detector for your house.