Carbon Monoxide Detectors Save Lives
Do you have a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in your home? If you don’t have a CO detector, or if yours is more than seven years old, consider upgrading to a new carbon monoxide alarm today. Adding a detector to each floor and every bedroom is an easy way to protect you and your family from this odorless killer.
As an authorized Myrtle Beach Carrier dealer, Cooper Mechanical Services can help you save lives with Carrier’s latest electronic carbon monoxide alarms.
Sounding the Alarm on Carbon Monoxide
While smoke detectors entered the residential market in the mid-20th century, CO detectors and alarms didn’t become commonplace until the mid-1990s. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that is the product of incompletely burned fossil fuels. Common causes of carbon monoxide in the home are natural gas leaks related to heating and cooking appliances. However, carbon monoxide can also enter the house from a car or portable generator running in a poorly ventilated garage.
When there is too much CO in the air, the red blood cells carrying oxygen in your body will be replaced with carbon monoxide. Symptoms include loss of breath, dizziness, weakness, and loss of consciousness. CO poisoning can be fatal, especially if people in the home have lost consciousness or are asleep.
CO alarms like those from Carrier use electronic sensors to monitor carbon monoxide levels. Like smoke detectors, CO detectors sound an alarm when dangerous levels are detected. Carrier CO alarms use lithium ion batteries for detection during power outages, and units are equipped with a diagnostic testing button so you are confident your alarm is working properly.
Other Ways to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Exposure
- In addition to installing CO alarms in your home, take these precautions to prevent your family from carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Open garage doors before starting your car.
- Don’t run a generator in an enclosed space.
- Use gas-fueled appliances as intended (i.e. don’t use outdoor camping stoves indoors).
- Keep fuel-burning appliances properly ventilated.
- Keep chimneys and flues clear for ventilation.
If you suspect you’ve been exposed to CO or feel symptoms of CO poisoning, go outside or seek fresh air and contact a medical professional immediately.
With carbon monoxide detectors, you can feel confident that you and your family have taken a necessary step to protect you from carbon monoxide.