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Carbon monoxide detector attached to wall of home
January 08, 2024

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Charlottesville Property

Homeowners must defend against a variety of risks like fire, burglary, and flooding. But what about a risk that can’t be discerned by human senses? Carbon monoxide is different from other threats because you may never realize it’s there. Nevertheless, implementing CO detectors can easily safeguard your family and property. Learn more about this hazardous gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Charlottesville home.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Known as the silent killer because of its absence of odor, taste, or color, carbon monoxide is a readily found gas caused by incomplete fuel combustion. Any fuel-burning appliance like a furnace or fireplace may create carbon monoxide. Although you usually won’t have a problem, issues can present when an appliance is not routinely inspected or adequately vented. These missteps can lead to a proliferation of this potentially deadly gas in your interior. Heating appliances and generators are commonly culpable for CO poisoning.

When exposed to minute levels of CO, you could suffer from fatigue, headaches, dizziness nausea, or vomiting. Extended exposure to higher amounts could cause cardiorespiratory failure, and even death.

Tips On Where To Place Charlottesville Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector in your interior, purchase one now. If possible, you ought to install one on every level of your home, and that includes basements. Review these recommendations on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Charlottesville:

  • Place them on each level, especially in places where you have fuel-burning appliances, like furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and gas dryers.
  • You ought to always install one no more than 10 feet away from bedroom areas. If you only get one CO detector, this is where to put it.
  • install them at least 10 to 20 feet from potential CO sources.
  • Avoid installing them immediately above or beside fuel-burning appliances, as a non-hazardous amount of carbon monoxide may be discharged when they kick on and prompt a false alarm.
  • Attach them to walls at least five feet from the floor so they may measure air where inhabitants are breathing it.
  • Avoid installing them beside windows or doors and in dead-air zones.
  • Put one in spaces above attached garages.

Check your CO detectors often and maintain them in accordance with manufacturer guidelines. You will usually have to switch them out every five to six years. You should also ensure any fuel-utilizing appliances are in in good working order and have proper ventilation.