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

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Albany Home

Residents must protect against numerous risks like fire, burglary, and flooding. But what about something that you aren’t able to smell or see? Carbon monoxide presents unique challenges as you may never know it’s there. Despite that, installing CO detectors can effectively shield you and your household. Explore more about this potentially lethal gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Albany property.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Called the silent killer because of its lack of odor, color, and taste, carbon monoxide is a readily found gas caused by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any fuel-utilizing appliance like an oven or fireplace may create carbon monoxide. Even though you normally won’t have a problem, difficulties can arise when equipment is not routinely serviced or adequately vented. These oversights could lead to a build-up of the potentially lethal gas in your home. Generators and heating appliances are the most consistent reasons for CO poisoning.

When subjected to lower amounts of CO, you may suffer from headaches, dizziness, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Extended exposure to high concentrations can result in cardiorespiratory arrest, coma, and death.

Suggestions For Where To Place Albany Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t have at least one carbon monoxide detector in your residence, purchase one now. Preferably, you should have one on each floor, including basements. Explore these suggestions on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Albany:

  • Put them on each level, particularly in areas where you use fuel-burning appliances, like fireplaces, furnaces, water heaters, and gas dryers.
  • Always have one within 10 feet of bedrooms. If you only get one CO detector, this is where it should go.
  • Position them at least 10 to 20 feet from sources of CO.
  • Do not position them right above or next to fuel-burning appliances, as a small amount of carbon monoxide may be emitted when they turn on and prompt a false alarm.
  • Secure them to walls about five feet off the floor so they will sample air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid putting them next to windows or doors and in dead-air places.
  • Put one in areas above attached garages.

Test your CO detectors routinely and maintain them in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. You will generally need to replace them every five to six years. You should also make certain any fuel-utilizing appliances are in in good working shape and have proper ventilation.