In recent years there has been much greater awareness brought to the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) in the home. It is called the silent killer because it is colorless, odorless, invisible, and is produced by the incomplete combustion of many common heating and cooking fuels.

People often mistake smoke, and CO to be one in the same. It is a false security that they will smell the smoke before CO rises to dangerous levels in the air. The fact is that CO is only a single ingredient of smoke and it will often exist on its own.

One of the more common sources of CO in the home is a malfunctioning furnace or hot water tank. This source of CO is all the more dangerous because typically when the furnace is on, the house is sealed up tight to keep the heat in. Gas could accumulate while people are sleeping thus creating a life threatening situation.

There is an easy way for us to protect ourselves from this dangerous gas, and that is to install a CO detector. Much like a smoke detector, this will provide the early warning that you need to safely get your family out of the home, and to call the Fire department who will be able to use specialized detection equipment to find the source of the CO gas and ventilate the home till it is safe for your return.

When placing your CO detector remember that CO gas is the same weight as air which means it will neither rise nor fall. This means you can place the detector any where that it will be clearly heard day or night.

Both CO detectors and smoke detectors should be checked once a month and batteries changed every year. Always remember that if either detector goes off be sure to FIRST get everyone out of the house then call 911.