Several products and services are available for consumers to use to test for carbon monoxide in their homes. You should put them to good use, and also be aware of physical symptoms that might indicate CO poisoning. The Importance of Testing for Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide can kill a person at concentrations of 300 parts […]
From personal home detectors to professional air quality testing services, there are many ways to test for carbon monoxide.
Several products and services are available for consumers to use to test for carbon monoxide in their homes. You should put them to good use, and also be aware of physical symptoms that might indicate CO poisoning.
Carbon monoxide can kill a person at concentrations of 300 parts per million (ppm) or less, according to Iowa State University’s Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering’s article on carbon monoxide poisoning. The deadly gas can emanate from a variety of household appliances, or it can enter from your garage and quickly blanket your home’s air space, putting your entire family at risk of CO poisoning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s information on CO Poisoning, reports that because CO has no odor, color, or taste, you and your family would never know you were in danger. You would simply go to sleep and never wake up.
This is why testing your indoor air quality and checking for carbon monoxide is so important. We shall review several options here.
Affordable (starting at around $20) and effective, you can place these devices throughout your home. For certainty, one should be placed on each floor, as well as near any gas appliances. Like a smoke detector, they will sound an alarm when CO is detected. With some offerings, you can integrate all the devices installed so that when one alarm sounds, they all do. Still, other options allow the devices to connect to a smartphone app that will notify you anytime a unit detects CO. Not only are these detectors good for peace of mind, but they also are required in many states before you can sell a house.
Check online or in your phone book for air quality and improvement test service providers. These professionals will come to your home and use an electronic portable toxic multi-gas monitor to test for carbon monoxide by gauging the air quality. Carbon monoxide will register in this test, as will other common household pollutants. The tester can calibrate their device to detect CO levels as small as 0 parts per million.
Before you hire a service provider, though, check with your utility company and municipal fire department. They might offer the service free of charge.
Carbon monoxide can fill your home quickly when it is released from gas appliances, like your furnace. If you think a part of your HVAC system is emitting carbon monoxide, call your HVAC company. A representative will use a combustion analyzer to test vented gases coming directly out of the appliance, rather than in the air at large, resulting in a more precise read on any fume concentrations that could be problematic.
Your local hardware or home-improvement store should sell CO detector badges for less than $10 each. You place these near or around any gas appliances in your home, then give the badges 15 minutes to render their analysis. If the badge changes color, usually by darkening, the air in your home contains carbon monoxide, possibly to a dangerous degree.
As an extra precautionary note, keep in mind that a person who complains of headaches, dizziness, nausea, and other flu-like symptoms may actually be suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Be especially suspicious if all household members, including pets, seem to “get the flu” at the same time. And if your symptoms seem to subside upon leaving the house, your concerns about CO poisoning might be valid. Have your air tested for carbon monoxide and see a doctor immediately.
If you are suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, or if a loved one died as the result of CO poisoning, you might be entitled to compensation from a liable party. The lawyers at Newsome Melton can help you identify the liable party and fight on your behalf to recover your damages. Call Newsome Melton today for a free consultation: (888) 808-5977.
