Despite its properties, colorless, odorless and tasteless, carbon monoxide (CO) is harmful if you are exposed to large enough levels. The best way to protect your home and family is to be aware of the dangers and to be able to separate myth from fact. The next step is to take the necessary precautions to provide protection from carbon monoxide poisoning.
The Myths And The Facts:
Myth number one: you can tell when carbon monoxide hits dangerous levels in your home because of the smell and the taste.
Fact number one: carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless, so there is no way you can tell when the levels reach a dangerous point.
Myth number two: CO is created when you have a source burning fuel like a fireplace furnace or gas appliance.
Fact number two: CO exists in the air naturally not requiring a source of burning fuel. We actually need some carbon monoxide to live. From time to time we can handle a spike in the amount of carbon monoxide, but we are not equipped to handle that spike for extended periods.
Myth number three: your carbon monoxide and your smoke alarms operate the same way.
Fact number three: smoke alarms are designed to detect smoke at any level. Carbon monoxide alarms are designed to pick up a buildup of carbon monoxide levels, which indicates the level is harmful.
Myth number four: CO alarms are often false.
Fact number four: older CO alarms were often overly sensitive. That design flaw is not longer present in newer alarms. The appearance of false alarms with newer carbon monoxide alarms is due to a temporary spike in the levels. You should be aware of the problem because it could worsen and cause the carbon monoxide to rise to dangerous levels for longer periods of time.
Myth number five: fire alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are alike.
Fact number five: Fire starts and spreads quickly. When you hear a fire alarm you should exit the building quickly. Carbon monoxide alarms usually have two alarms, “Alert” meaning to let fresh air into the building and “Warning” meaning to exit the building, levels are dangerously high.
Myth number six: you’ll be able to tell when CO levels are too high.
Fact number six: There are no definite symptoms to identify CO poisoning, except the death of a loved one. Obviously, you don’t want to discover you have a problem that way.
By understanding how insidious carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is, you’ll be better prepared to protect your family from it. Vacuum and test the alarms each month. Change the batteries at least twice a year and replace your alarms once every 10 years and call us for all your heating and air conditioning needs.
