CO Detection: Homeowners Should be Vigilant All Year Long

CO Detection: Homeowners Should be Vigilant All Year LongCarbon monoxide (CO) is a hazardous gas that, when left undetected, can create long term health affects, seriously injure or kill people and animals caught inside a building or other enclosed space. It’s all the more dangerous since it lacks odor, color and taste. When CO begins leaking, or otherwise infiltrating your home, it can cause a variety of non-specific symptoms that people don’t always relate to carbon monoxide in the air. Because of this, it’s important for homeowners to install at least one CO detection device in each level of their home.

The Problem With CO Leaks

Carbon monoxide leaks can result when combustion appliances in the home – furnaces, boilers, gas water heaters or stoves – are not working correctly, or are incorrectly vented. Such equipment has been designed to efficiently and completely burn fuels in order to create carbon dioxide and water vapor. However, when incomplete combustion occurs, carbon monoxide results. Sources of CO in your home may include:

  • Hot water heaters
  • Furnaces
  • Fireplaces
  • Space heaters
  • Gas generators
  • Barbeque grills
  • Auto exhaust

To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, it is important to ensure that each of the above equipment is properly installed, operated and vented, with plenty of fresh air in the immediate area of the appliance.

CO Detection

Carbon monoxide detection, fortunately, is simple with a CO detector. There are several types of these devices available for homeowners to choose from, each offering various features and functionality.

The most basic CO detection devices offer a simple visual clue regarding the gas’s presence. More advanced models operate on chemical principles that detect how substrates interact with oxygen and CO. When an electrochemical change occurs and the device indicates high levels of CO, an audible alarm is triggered to alert inhabitants of the danger.

To learn more about CO detection, and about how to protect your family from this deadly gas, contact Overland Park Heating & Cooling. We’ve been proudly serving Greater Kansas City residents since 1983.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Overland Park, Kansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). 

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