Carbon Monoxide: Silent But Deadly

While you can smell smoke and gas, you can't smell Carbon Monoxide (CO), and you can't see it. But it's quite deadly and always on our minds this time of year when we're servicing our customers' systems.

Each year during the fall season, we take special tools into businesses and homes to test heating systems. These tools tell us if your system is emitting any CO, and they test for additional issues that could affect the operation of your heater. But there's a cheaper alternative for the average homeowner.

Carbon Monoxide detectors entered the market for mass consumption around 1993 and have become much more affordable since then. You can buy a good one for around $30-$40 on Amazon. Hopefully you already have smoke detectors in your home; a Carbon Monoxide detector is even easier to install -- just insert a battery (for back-up) and plug it in to any electrical outlet. Unlike smoke, which rises, Carbon Monoxide can be detected just as easily lower to the ground, so your standard wall outlet is a great location. We advise putting one in your bedroom to wake you up, although you can put additional ones anywhere in your house.

If your detector goes off, leave your house and call 911 to have the Fire Department come check for a leak. There's no need to panic if your detector goes off, but make sure everyone in your household is ok, and get them all outside. It may be that your detector is faulty, or even that something odd triggered the alarm -- one of our customer's alarm triggered when he was varnishing baseboards! But always err on the side of caution. Get everyone out, and call 911.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. We can help!