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Carbon monoxide detector attached to wall of home
January 08, 2024

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Greenville Home

Residents must defend against various risks like fire, burglary, and flooding. But what about a risk that can’t be discerned by human senses? Carbon monoxide presents unique challenges as you might never know it’s there. Even so, installing CO detectors can effectively shield yourself and your household. Find out more about this potentially lethal gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Greenville property.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Known as the silent killer as of a result of its lack of odor, color, and taste, carbon monoxide is a common gas produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels. Any fuel-consuming appliance like an oven or fireplace can create carbon monoxide. Even though you typically won’t have problems, issues can present when appliances are not regularly serviced or appropriately vented. These oversights can lead to an accumulation of the potentially lethal gas in your interior. Heating appliances and generators are commonly to blame for CO poisoning.

When in contact with low concentrations of CO, you could experience headaches, dizziness, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Extended exposure to elevated levels could cause cardiorespiratory arrest, coma, and death.

Recommendations On Where To Place Greenville Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t use a carbon monoxide detector in your interior, purchase one now. Ideally, you ought to install one on every floor of your home, and that includes basements. Here are a few suggestions on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Greenville:

  • Put them on each floor, especially where you utilize fuel-burning appliances, like furnaces, gas dryers, fireplaces, and water heaters.
  • Always install one within 10 feet of sleeping areas. If you only install one CO detector, this is where to put it.
  • Position them at least 10 to 20 feet away from potential CO sources.
  • Avoid placing them immediately above or beside fuel-consuming appliances, as a small degree of carbon monoxide might be discharged when they turn on and trigger a false alarm.
  • Attach them to walls at least five feet above the floor so they can sample air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid installing them in dead-air zones and near doors or windows.
  • Put one in areas above attached garages.

Inspect your CO detectors often and maintain them in accordance with manufacturer instructions. You will usually need to switch them out within five or six years. You should also make certain any fuel-consuming appliances are in in optimal working condition and have proper ventilation.