Do I need a carbon monoxide detector?
Absolutely. 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. Homes have many ways for carbon monoxide to be produced, including your furnace, water heater, portable generators or gas ranges, for some examples.
You should be especially careful if you have a wood burning appliance in your home, such as a wood stove, or if you have an attached garage. 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.
There is a smoke detector in my home. Won't that detect carbon monoxide as well?
Negative. Fires that are burning or just smouldering create deadly smoke, and that is the only thing that your smoke detector is designed to detect. Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to do one simple thing, which is to recognize deadly carbon monoxide. There are some units that will detect both smoke and carbon dioxide, but regular smoke detectors will only recognize smoke. Provincial building codes provide guidelines as to where these units must be located.
Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to sound an alarm before carbon monoxide exposure presents a hazard to a healthy adult. They can either be hard wired or battery-operated. They are available as stand-alone models or monitored devices. 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
Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the blood. People who have been inhaling the gas will feel flu-like symptoms, but if it's a high amount of gas, you can have difficulty breathing, brain damage, and it could lead to fatality. Impaired judgment, confusion, headaches, drowsiness, chest pains, nausea are just some of the known symptoms. The first step if these symptoms occur is to leave the home immediately, and then call 911 and tell them that you think carbon monoxide poisoning has happened to you or your family Wait until the fire department says it's safe to go back inside your house.
Safety tips
Don't let your car run inside the garage, even if the doors are open. Have an expert come in annually to ensure that your heating is safe if it is fuel burning. Chimneys can have leaks or blockages, so have them professionally inspected. If you use your fireplace, remember to open the flue for safety reasons. It seems obvious, but only barbecue in the yard, never in the garage or house. 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. It takes so little to make sure you and your family are protected.
Absolutely. 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. Homes have many ways for carbon monoxide to be produced, including your furnace, water heater, portable generators or gas ranges, for some examples.
You should be especially careful if you have a wood burning appliance in your home, such as a wood stove, or if you have an attached garage. 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.
There is a smoke detector in my home. Won't that detect carbon monoxide as well?
Negative. Fires that are burning or just smouldering create deadly smoke, and that is the only thing that your smoke detector is designed to detect. Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to do one simple thing, which is to recognize deadly carbon monoxide. There are some units that will detect both smoke and carbon dioxide, but regular smoke detectors will only recognize smoke. Provincial building codes provide guidelines as to where these units must be located.
Carbon monoxide detectors are designed to sound an alarm before carbon monoxide exposure presents a hazard to a healthy adult. They can either be hard wired or battery-operated. They are available as stand-alone models or monitored devices. 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
Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in the blood. People who have been inhaling the gas will feel flu-like symptoms, but if it's a high amount of gas, you can have difficulty breathing, brain damage, and it could lead to fatality. Impaired judgment, confusion, headaches, drowsiness, chest pains, nausea are just some of the known symptoms. The first step if these symptoms occur is to leave the home immediately, and then call 911 and tell them that you think carbon monoxide poisoning has happened to you or your family Wait until the fire department says it's safe to go back inside your house.
Safety tips
Don't let your car run inside the garage, even if the doors are open. Have an expert come in annually to ensure that your heating is safe if it is fuel burning. Chimneys can have leaks or blockages, so have them professionally inspected. If you use your fireplace, remember to open the flue for safety reasons. It seems obvious, but only barbecue in the yard, never in the garage or house. 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. It takes so little to make sure you and your family are protected.
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