What Causes Your Carbon Monoxide Detector to Sound and How to Prevent Them

We’ve talked before about healthy home ventilation, but what about carbon monoxide detectors? And while we talk a lot about the big, obvious things that affect your indoor air quality, like dust, pet dander, mold and mildew, there’s one other thing you really can’t afford to ignore: carbon monoxide. 

Florida law requires carbon monoxide detectors in every building with new construction after July 1, 2008. But regardless of what the law says, here are the facts: every building, especially every home, should have a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless gas that’s also a by-product of all forms of combustion. That means that a gas furnace, a gas stove or water heater, a car carelessly left running in an attached garage, a backup generator put a bit too close to the house, the charcoal grill placed next to the home’s air intake…all of these items and situations produce carbon monoxide. And when it’s in the air you breathe, even a tiny amount is toxic.

How tiny? Well, after two or three hours, you’ll start feeling nauseous with a CO concentration of 200 parts per million. That’s when 0.02 percent of the air is carbon monoxide.

At four times that concentration, things get even more grim. That much CO can leave you unconscious within two hours, and kill you within three. If your furnace decides to malfunction while you’re sleeping, you could be in serious trouble.

That’s why carbon monoxide detectors are so important for your home. Whether it’s a furnace malfunction or a badly placed grill, they can alert you when you need to move to fresh air. Placed by your HVAC utility closet, they can help you see whether or not your ventilation is sufficient.

To learn more about keeping your home safe with the help of carbon monoxide detectors, call us at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning.

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Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

Categorised in: Indoor Air Quality, Thing You Should Know