Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Carbon monoxide (CO), often called the "silent killer," is an invisible, odorless, colorless gas created when fuels (such as gasoline, wood, coal, natural gas, propane, oil, and methane) burn incompletely. 

In the home, heating and cooking equipment that burn fuel are potential sources of carbon monoxide. Vehicles or generators running in an attached garage can also produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. 

Many of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses. Symptoms may include:

• Dizziness
• Faintness
• Mental confusion
• Nausea
• Severe headache

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Safety Tips

• Install CO alarms (listed by an independent testing laboratory) inside your home to provide early warning of accumulating CO.
• CO alarms should be installed in a central location within ten feet of sleeping areas.
• Test CO alarms at least once a month and replace CO alarms according to the manufacturer's instructions.
• When the detector goes off, dial 911 and leave the home if anyone is feeling ill.
• If the alarm sounds and nobody has any signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, you should contact the gas company or provider in your area to have a service technician check your home CO levels. You should leave the home until you know the carbon monoxide levels have been checked and determined to be normal.
• Know the difference between the sound of the smoke alarms and the sound of the CO alarms.