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

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Birmingham House

Property owners must safeguard against various risks like fire, flooding, and burglary. But what about something that you can’t smell or see? Carbon monoxide is different from other threats because you might never know it’s there. Even so, implementing CO detectors can easily shield you and your household. Explore more about this dangerous gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Birmingham home.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Referred to as the silent killer as of a result of its lack of color, odor, or taste, carbon monoxide is a commonly found gas formed by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any appliance that consumes fuels like an oven or furnace may generate carbon monoxide. Although you typically won’t have problems, issues can present when equipment is not routinely maintained or adequately vented. These oversights could cause an accumulation of this dangerous gas in your home. Generators and heaters of various types are commonly responsible for CO poisoning.

When in contact with lower concentrations of CO, you could suffer from headaches, dizziness, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Prolonged exposure to high levels can result in cardiorespiratory failure, and potentially death.

Suggestions For Where To Place Birmingham Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If your home is without a carbon monoxide detector, buy one now. Ideally, you ought to have one on each floor, and that includes basements. Here are several recommendations on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Birmingham:

  • Put them on every floor, especially in places where you use fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces, fireplaces, gas dryers, and water heaters.
  • Always install one within 10 feet of bedrooms. If you only get one CO detector, this is where it should go.
  • install them approximately 10 to 20 feet away from sources of CO.
  • Do not affix them directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, as a small amount of carbon monoxide may be released when they kick on and set off a false alarm.
  • Secure them to walls at least five feet off the floor so they can measure air where inhabitants are breathing it.
  • Avoid using them in dead-air zones and near doors or windows.
  • Place one in rooms above attached garages.

Test your CO detectors routinely and maintain them per manufacturer guidelines. You will usually need to replace them every five to six years. You should also make sure any fuel-utilizing appliances are in in optimal working shape and have adequate ventilation.