Why You Should Use A Carbon Monoxide Alarm

In the United States, it is most likely that your home has some type of appliance or heat source that burns fuel. With that comes the potential risk of Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning. Especially in the winter months when using appliances like a gas furnace. 

What is CO Poisoning and how does it happen? 

According to the Mayo Clinic, CO Poisoning is when too much carbon monoxide builds up in the blood replacing oxygen in red blood cells. This happens when an excess of carbon monoxide accumulates with no ventilation to let it escape, replacing the oxygen in the air. 

While it might seem simple to allow for more ventilation to remove CO this is not the simplest fix. Unfortunately, it is not so easily detected. This gas substance has no smell, taste, or color. So, if it were leaking or building up in your home there would be no way of knowing unless you have a working CO Alarm. 

How does a CO Alarm detect this substance if it’s so hard to detect?

These alarms detect the amount of carbon monoxide in the air in ppm or parts per million. A standard CO detector should alarm around 30 ppm. If you have a preexisting condition such as asthma may want an alarm with less than 30 ppm detection. Anything below 9 ppm and more than 8 hours long is condsided safe indoors, but exposure should still be limited. 

Why is it important to limit exposure? 

Any exposure above 1 ppm can affect long-term cardiovascular health, brain health, and fetal development. The risk is increased for anyone with a preexisting condition and over 65 years old. In healthy adults, serious damage to long-term health begins around 50 ppm of exposure. At 200 ppm, symptoms start to show and can become fatal with hours of exposure. At 800 ppm exposure CO can be lethal within minutes. 

In the event that your detector goes off it is important to exit your home immediately, and contact your local fire department. If you do not have carbon monoxide alarms in your home, you should contact your local HVAC representative to install them as soon as possible. 

Air-Mart cares about your health and peace of mind. If you are located in the east texas area contact us to have your CO alarm replaced or installed. 

Sources: 

1. Carbon Monoxide Levels and Risks CO Level Action CO Level Action. (n.d.). https://www.spec-sensors.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Carbon-Monoxide-Risks-at-Low-Levels.pdf 

2. Carbon Monoxide Levels Chart. (n.d.). CO2 Meter. https://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/carbon-monoxide-levels-chart 

3. Carbon monoxide poisoning - Symptoms and causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carbon-monoxide/symptoms-causes/syc-20370642#:~:text=Overview