Carbon Monoxide Detection For Homes
When toxic gas enters the bloodstream, it replaces oxygen in your red blood cells and deprives your brain, heart, lungs, and other organs of essential oxygen. Mild exposure can cause headache, nausea, fatigue and flulike symptoms; extreme exposure may lead to throbbing, rapid heart rate, dark red skin, mental confusion and loss of coordination. Carbon monoxide poisoning can be fatal in minutes. Carbon Monoxide Detectors help protect you and your family by sounding an alarm when carbon monoxide is detected. This early warning allows you to exit your home or business quickly and get fresh air before CO poisoning takes hold. Some system-connected detectors even alert a monitoring service to dispatch emergency services.
Carbon Monoxide Detection for Homes: A Guide to Safety
Most detectors use electrochemical sensors that contain electrodes submerged in a chemical solution (electrolyte). When carbon monoxide enters the gas-permeable compartment, the current through the sensor increases—the specific increase tells the detector how much carbon monoxide is present. Alternatively, some detectors use a metal oxide sensor that reacts with a small amount of carbon monoxide in the air to generate a small electrical signal. A light or electronic circuit tracks the signal to indicate the concentration of CO in the air.
It’s a good idea to install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your house and in all sleeping areas. Make sure to have your fuel-burning appliances inspected regularly and professionally, and keep chimneys and vents free of obstructions.