How does carbon monoxide get in your home?
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless chemical that gets released from gas. While it’s colorless and odorless components may have you thinking it’s harmless, when in fact it is very deadly. In fact, more than 20,000 people visit the Emergency Room at their local hospital due to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Impaired vision
- Loss of hearing
- Headache
- Dizzy feeling or feeling confused
- Nausea
- Chest pain
- Fatigue
These symptoms are very common to the common cold or flu so if you feel them and may think it’s due to CO poisoning, it’s imperative you seek medical attention.
How does carbon monoxide enter homes?
Without having a carbon monoxide alarm in your home, you may never detect its presence which can be deadly for you, your family, and your pets. Carbon monoxide enters homes most commonly through leaking gas lines going to your stove and other appliances.
If you accidentally keep a burner turned on after cooking, you are allowing carbon monoxide to easily enter your home naturally. And, if you fail to replace broken or cracked gas lines you’re also making it easy for carbon monoxide to enter your home.
What is a carbon monoxide alarm?
A carbon monoxide alarm is required statewide in the USA. Failure to have one during inspections will result in you getting fined by the city. Why? Because like fire alarms, a carbon monoxide alarm can save your life.
As mentioned previously, carbon monoxide is odorless and you likely won’t be able to detect its presence within a space which can cause death within a few hours. As carbon monoxide floats through the air in your home, your carbon monoxide alarm will detect its presence and sound an alarm for you to be alert and leave.
