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

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Joplin Home

Residents must safeguard against a variety of risks like burglary, fire, and flooding. But what about a risk that can’t be detected by human senses? Carbon monoxide presents an uncommon challenge as you might never know it’s there. Despite that, installing CO detectors can effectively safeguard yourself and your household. Learn more about this potentially lethal gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Joplin property.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Called the silent killer due to its absence of odor, taste, or color, carbon monoxide is a common gas caused by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any fuel-consuming appliance like an oven or fireplace can produce carbon monoxide. Even though you typically won’t have problems, issues can present when equipment is not frequently inspected or adequately vented. These missteps could cause a build-up of this dangerous gas in your residence. Generators and heaters of various types are the most common culprits for CO poisoning.

When in contact with lower amounts of CO, you could experience dizziness, headaches, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Extended exposure to high amounts could result in cardiopulmonary arrest, coma, and death.

Suggestions On Where To Place Joplin Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If your home doesn’t have a carbon monoxide detector, purchase one now. Preferably, you ought to have one on every floor, and that includes basements. Here are a few recommendations on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Joplin:

  • Install them on every floor, especially in places where you use fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces, gas dryers, fireplaces, and water heaters.
  • Always have one no more than 10 feet away from bedroom areas. If you only install one carbon monoxide detector, this is the place for it.
  • install them at least 10 to 20 feet away from potential CO sources.
  • Avoid installing them directly above or next to fuel-consuming appliances, as a non-hazardous amount of carbon monoxide could be released when they start and trigger a false alarm.
  • Secure them to walls about five feet above the floor so they can measure air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid putting them in dead-air areas and beside doors or windows.
  • Place one in areas above attached garages.

Check your CO detectors regularly and maintain them per manufacturer instructions. You will typically have to replace units in six years or less. You should also make certain any fuel-burning appliances are in in proper working condition and appropriately vented.