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

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Oakland Home

Residents must protect against a variety of risks like burglary, flooding, and fire. But what about something that can’t be perceived by human senses? Carbon monoxide is different from other threats because you might never know it’s there. Despite that, installing CO detectors can easily protect your loved ones and property. Find out more about this potentially lethal gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Oakland property.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Referred to as the silent killer because of its lack of odor, color, and taste, carbon monoxide is a readily found gas formed by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any fuel-consuming appliance like an oven or fireplace may produce carbon monoxide. Although you normally won’t have any trouble, difficulties can arise when appliances are not frequently serviced or properly vented. These missteps can cause a proliferation of the potentially lethal gas in your home. Generators and heaters of various types are commonly to blame for CO poisoning.

When subjected to minute amounts of CO, you might suffer from dizziness, headaches, fatigue nausea, or vomiting. Continuous exposure to higher concentrations may lead to cardiopulmonary arrest, coma, and death.

Recommendations On Where To Place Oakland Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t own at least one carbon monoxide detector in your residence, buy one now. Ideally, you should have one on each level of your home, and that includes basements. Here are a few suggestions on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Oakland:

  • Put them on every level, particularly in areas where you use fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and gas dryers.
  • You should always install one within 10 feet of bedrooms. If you only install one CO detector, this is where it should go.
  • install them at least 10 to 20 feet from potential CO sources.
  • Avoid placing them immediately above or beside fuel-consuming appliances, as a small amount of carbon monoxide could be discharged when they turn on and prompt a false alarm.
  • Fasten them to walls at least five feet above the ground so they may sample air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid installing them in dead-air zones and near doors or windows.
  • Install one in spaces above garages.

Test your CO detectors often and maintain them in accordance with manufacturer recommendations. You will typically have to replace them within five or six years. You should also make sure any fuel-utilizing appliances are in in proper working condition and have appropriate ventilation.