Keeping your home safe from carbon monoxide poisoning is as simple as following a few dos and don’ts.
Carbon monoxide possesses several advantages of stealth—its lack of odor, color, and taste, for example—that make it hard for a human to detect. This requires that you be on the offensive if you want to protect yourself and make your home safe from carbon monoxide.
There are many things you can do to keep your home safe from CO. Review a few of them here:
Invest in a CO Detector
These devices work very similarly to smoke detectors. Starting at around $20, these devices can save your life or that of a family member.
Consumer Reports on the best CO detectors publishes a buying guide for CO detectors. Its review considers all types of devices, from standalone detectors to combination-smoke-and-CO detectors, and even interconnected offerings that protect the entire house and will sound all devices when a single device detects CO.
Make sure the device you choose performs well for accuracy at both low and high levels. You may also consider purchasing a device that offers wireless connectivity and apps for smartphones with alerting capability. Also, check for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Standard label, as well as the date of manufacture. CO devices should be replaced every five years.
Place the CO Detectors Strategically Throughout Your House
Place a CO detector on every floor of your house, as well by your water heater, furnace, cooktop, range, and other major gas-burning appliances. If your appliances are all-electric, do not think you are safe from CO. This deadly gas can seep in through your garage. Because you will not be able to detect it on your own, you need to make sure all the spaces within your house are equipped for detection.
Get a Battery Backup
For CO detectors that plug into a wall, you should take the extra precaution and get a battery backup. A good tip is to check and replace your detectors’ batteries twice a year when you change your clocks in the fall and spring.
Check Your Appliances
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s CO Poisoning FAQs, recommends having a qualified technician annually check your appliances, including your water heater, heating system, and any gas, coal, or oil-burning appliances. The organization also suggests you check your gas refrigerator for odors. These odors sometimes indicate a CO leak, so if you detect one, call a technician to service the refrigerator. Check that all your gas appliances are properly vented, especially if pipes are not tightly fitted.
And, like your CO detector, your appliances should carry the UL label.
Things You Should Not Do
Equally important to the above “to-do items” are the things you should not do if you want to keep your home safe from carbon monoxide:
- Do not patch vent pipes with gum or tape.
- Do not heat your home with a gas oven or range.
- Do not use a generator inside.
- Do not use camp stoves or charcoal grills in your home.
Call For a Free Consult on Your Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Claim
If you suffered the death of a loved one or a personal injury from carbon monoxide poisoning, you might be entitled to monetary compensation. Call today for a free consultation: (888) 808-5977.
