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

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Austin Property

Property owners must protect against a variety of risks like fire, flooding, and burglary. But what about something that can’t be perceived by human senses? Carbon monoxide is different from other dangers because you may never know it’s there. Nevertheless, using CO detectors can effectively safeguard yourself and your household. Explore more about this potentially lethal gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Austin residence.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Known as the silent killer due to its lack of color, taste, or odor, carbon monoxide is a common gas formed by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any appliance that utilizes fuels like an oven or furnace can create carbon monoxide. Although you usually won’t have any trouble, difficulties can crop up when an appliance is not regularly inspected or properly vented. These missteps may cause an accumulation of the potentially lethal gas in your residence. Generators and heating appliances are commonly responsible for CO poisoning.

When in contact with minute levels of CO, you may experience dizziness, headaches, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Continuous exposure to elevated levels can cause cardiopulmonary arrest, and even death.

Recommendations On Where To Place Austin Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t own a carbon monoxide detector in your residence, buy one now. Ideally, you ought to install one on each floor, and that includes basements. Here are several recommendations on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Austin:

  • Place them on every level, specifically in places where you use fuel-burning appliances, such as furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and gas dryers.
  • You should always use one no more than 10 feet away from bedrooms. If you only install one carbon monoxide detector, this is where to put it.
  • Place them about 10 to 20 feet from potential CO producing appliances.
  • Avoid installing them directly above or beside fuel-consuming appliances, as a non-threatening amount of carbon monoxide could be discharged when they turn on and set off a false alarm.
  • Secure them to walls about five feet from the ground so they will sample air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid putting them next to doors or windows and in dead-air places.
  • Install one in spaces above garages.

Inspect your CO detectors often and maintain them according to manufacturer instructions. You will typically need to replace units in six years or less. You should also ensure any fuel-burning appliances are in in good working condition and have adequate ventilation.