As autumn gets closer, now is an excellent time to start thinking about your house’s carbon monoxide detectors. When heating season starts, the Centers for Disease Control says the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning builds.
Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It’s a product of combustion your gas furnace relies on to warm your house. When your heating is operating properly, the gas is safely pushed outside of your residence. Fractures in your furnace’s heat exchanger or flue pipes can cause carbon monoxide to spill into your residence, where long-term exposure can be deadly.
Regardless of the fact carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable, the CDC says at least 430 people in the U.S. die because of it every year. And another approximately 50,000 people go to the hospital thanks to related symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness and vomiting.
The best ways you can safeguard your family is by scheduling regular maintenance of all gas, oil, or wood burning appliances, including your furnace and water heater, and getting a carbon monoxide detector. From plug-in to smart carbon monoxide detectors, there’s a solution available to work for your home and budget.
Smart Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smart carbon monoxide detectors, such as the Nest carbon monoxide detector, make it easy to stay on top of keeping your loved ones safe. They’re frequently sold as dual-purpose carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and can usually be synced with other smart home devices via Wi-Fi.
Here are a few other benefits of using them in your house:
- Signals that there’s a problem through voice notifications, as well as alerts on your phone.
- Points out the problem room, such as the kitchen or basement.
- Can be shut off from your phone.
- Automatically checks its sensors and batteries and explains findings through a useful 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 brand.
The only issue with installing Wi-Fi carbon monoxide detectors is the price. These detectors are often much more expensive than their plug-in or battery-powered counterparts. But they also offer many beneficial and valuable features you don’t get in a non-smart device.
When you’re getting a new device, it’s vital to know where to place carbon monoxide detectors. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests putting 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 heated air.
We encourage having a detector on each floor of your home, as well as outside bedrooms. You’ll want to make sure the alarm will wake you up.
Battery-Powered and Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Plug-in and battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors are the most reasonable. Some of the most popular styles are Kidde carbon monoxide detectors and First Alert carbon monoxide detectors.
But they also have fewer features that don’t work with your phone or smart home devices. They tend to 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 more or less easy. Press the button to make sure your detector is working.
If your detector is hardwired, make sure to replace 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 dreaded chirp in the middle of the night.
If you’re getting noise or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping regularly, it usually indicates it has a low battery. Or, it’s getting to the end of its life. How long carbon monoxide detectors run depends on the brand you own. Typically, it’s approximately 5–10 years, but make sure to review instructions from your system’s manufacturer.
If you’re concerned about why your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, it’s frequently due to the fact it’s detecting hazardous amounts of carbon monoxide. If your carbon monoxide detector is going off with steady, loud beeping, leave your residence immediately and call 911.
Now is an excellent time to make sure your carbon monoxide detector is functioning as it should 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 A-PLUS Service Experts can help. Reach us at 301-747-3140 today and we’ll help you pick the perfect carbon monoxide detector for your house.