Do I need a carbon monoxide detector?
"Yes" is the short answer. If this odourless and colourless gas goes undetected, the consequences are often fatal. Carbon monoxide is produced by the burning of many substances such as charcoal, natural gas or propane, kerosene, oil, wood, coal, and of course from a car's exhaust. A furnace, gas range, water heater, or portable generator are just some of the ways that carbon monoxide can get into your home.
If you have an attached garage in your home, you need to take extra precautions, and a wood stove can also be dangerous if not utilized correctly. The exhaust from a running vehicle can enter the home from the attached garage, and if undetected, can have serious consequences. Every year in Canada there are 250 deaths and 1,000 poisonings reported, caused by carbon monoxide.
We already have a smoke detector installed. They also detect carbon monoxide, don't they?
Negative. Smoke detectors only detect smoke from burning or smouldering fires. Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to do one simple thing, which is to recognize deadly carbon monoxide. You can purchase combination units, but a smoke detector alone will not detect carbon monoxide. Provincial building codes provide guidelines as to where these units must be located.
An alarm will sound from your carbon monoxide detector before the levels will be hazardous to people. These can be directly connected to your home's electrical, or they can run on battery power. These can be either monitored, or stand-alone units. These are linked up to monitoring stations who will notify the household if there is a present danger, so that helps those who are sleeping or even not in the residence. They should be approved by the CSA.
Known symptoms
Oxygen in the blood is replaced with carbon monoxide. Difficulty breathing, brain damage, and death can be the eventual result of this poisoning, but at first, most people simply feel like they may have the flu. Nausea, headaches, drowsiness, impaired judgment, loss of coordination, and chest pains are some symptoms that poisoning has occurred. Exit the home and call emergency services immediately explaining that you believe carbon monoxide poisoning has occurred if you or someone in your home are experiencing these symptoms. Wait until the fire department says it's safe to go back inside your house.
Some good safety advice
Don't let your car run inside the garage, even if the doors are open. Fuel burning heating appliances should be checked once a year by an expert. Have chimneys checked for blockages or leaks. And don't forget to open the flue on your fireplace when using it. Garages and houses are no place to barbecue, only do it in the yard. Heating and cooking equipment must be only installed by a trained professional. Don't forget that your smoke detector will do nothing to protect you from carbon monoxide. Following these basic steps ensures that you and your loved ones will be safe.
"Yes" is the short answer. If this odourless and colourless gas goes undetected, the consequences are often fatal. Carbon monoxide is produced by the burning of many substances such as charcoal, natural gas or propane, kerosene, oil, wood, coal, and of course from a car's exhaust. A furnace, gas range, water heater, or portable generator are just some of the ways that carbon monoxide can get into your home.
If you have an attached garage in your home, you need to take extra precautions, and a wood stove can also be dangerous if not utilized correctly. The exhaust from a running vehicle can enter the home from the attached garage, and if undetected, can have serious consequences. Every year in Canada there are 250 deaths and 1,000 poisonings reported, caused by carbon monoxide.
We already have a smoke detector installed. They also detect carbon monoxide, don't they?
Negative. Smoke detectors only detect smoke from burning or smouldering fires. Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to do one simple thing, which is to recognize deadly carbon monoxide. You can purchase combination units, but a smoke detector alone will not detect carbon monoxide. Provincial building codes provide guidelines as to where these units must be located.
An alarm will sound from your carbon monoxide detector before the levels will be hazardous to people. These can be directly connected to your home's electrical, or they can run on battery power. These can be either monitored, or stand-alone units. These are linked up to monitoring stations who will notify the household if there is a present danger, so that helps those who are sleeping or even not in the residence. They should be approved by the CSA.
Known symptoms
Oxygen in the blood is replaced with carbon monoxide. Difficulty breathing, brain damage, and death can be the eventual result of this poisoning, but at first, most people simply feel like they may have the flu. Nausea, headaches, drowsiness, impaired judgment, loss of coordination, and chest pains are some symptoms that poisoning has occurred. Exit the home and call emergency services immediately explaining that you believe carbon monoxide poisoning has occurred if you or someone in your home are experiencing these symptoms. Wait until the fire department says it's safe to go back inside your house.
Some good safety advice
Don't let your car run inside the garage, even if the doors are open. Fuel burning heating appliances should be checked once a year by an expert. Have chimneys checked for blockages or leaks. And don't forget to open the flue on your fireplace when using it. Garages and houses are no place to barbecue, only do it in the yard. Heating and cooking equipment must be only installed by a trained professional. Don't forget that your smoke detector will do nothing to protect you from carbon monoxide. Following these basic steps ensures that you and your loved ones will be safe.
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