Want to improve security in your home? Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors can alert you in the event of a fire starting or a gas leak that could lead to poisoning. The smoke detector is mandatory since March 8, 2015, in all residential premises. The installation of a carbon monoxide detector is not required by law. However, carbon monoxide is much sneakier than fire and can be just as deadly. Read on to find out everything you need to know about this essential security system.
What is a carbon monoxide meter?
Like fire protection with the smoke detector, the carbon monoxide detector is an alarm system that can save lives. If it detects too much carbon monoxide in a room, it is triggered so that you can act as soon as possible. It contains a chemical solution that reacts when in contact with carbon monoxide. A threshold is determined and if it is exceeded, it triggers the co-meter’s audible alarm.
The importance of installing a CO alarm
The carbon monoxide detector is essential in homes equipped with one or more fuel-burning appliances: a gas or oil-fired water heater, a duct boiler, a fireplace, an auxiliary gas or oil heater, an oil stove, a wood stove, etc. Indeed, all this combustion equipment releases carbon monoxide. However, if these equipment are installed high in your home, the risk of poisoning is increased. Exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to headaches, fatigue, nausea and vomiting. Eventually, if you are not taken care of quickly, this gas can cause death.
Installing CO monitors in your house is necessary because carbon monoxide is an insidious gas that can spread without you realizing it since it is odorless, invisible and tasteless.
Where to install your carbon monoxide detector?
It is recommended to install a CO detector in each room of your house where there is a device emitting carbon monoxide, maintaining a distance of 1 to 3 meters from the fuel-burning appliance. It can be fixed on the wall or on the ceiling. Ideally, it will be placed above doors and windows.
If you place your CO detectors in living rooms, choose to position them at breathing height, that is to say, for example, at the head of the bed in a bedroom.
For ceiling mounting: the detector must be away from any obstacle.
For wall mounting: it must be placed at a height greater than that of the doors and windows. The location must be located at a distance of at least 15 cm from the ceiling.
What to do if the CO alarm is triggered?
- First, quickly ventilate your space by opening all the windows and doors to release carbon monoxide.
- Turn off your fuel-burning appliances and go out into the open air
- Do not re-enter the building while the alarm is sounding.
- Call the emergency services or make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible, stating that you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.
Next, you need to figure out why your detector went off. Do not hesitate to call in a professional to check before turning your devices back on. A dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide can have several causes. It may be a failure of your equipment or a change in the environment (a conduit that becomes clogged, a crack that opens, etc.). It could also be related to a ventilation problem in your space. If you have a chimney, make sure that the sweeping is carried out regularly and that the flue is not obstructed. Also remember to have your appliances checked annually by a professional.
