Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas produced by burning gas, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel.
You must have a CO detector if you have fuel-burning appliances in your home. And if you have such appliances on more than one level of your home, you should have a carbon monoxide detector on each level. And it’s very important to install them near bedrooms too.
For a typical three-bedroom, two-bath home with an attic and basement, the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) recommends four CO detectors.
If something goes wrong with one of your fuel-burning appliances, such as your furnace, fireplace, stove or hot-water heater then dangerous levels of carbon monoxide can start to circulate throughout your home.
Here are the types of appliances/engines that can produce CO:
- Any oil, propane or natural gas furnace, cooking stove or range, refrigerator, hot water heater, other appliance or fireplace.
- Any wood or wood-burning product such as a woodstove, heat stove, fireplace, wood-pellet stove, box or parlor stove.
- A running car in an attached garage.
Check Your CO Detectors Today
Just like smoke detectors, you must monitor your CO detector to ensure it is in working order so it can protect you and your family when it’s most needed.
Remember to replace the device after 5-6 years. Check for a manufactured date stamped on the back to determine its age.
Look on the back of the CO detector for a UL symbol—for Underwriters Laboratories to ensure it has passed safety tests. This symbol indicates that it has been tested to a widely accepted safety standard. This is a third-party testing agency and lets you know that your device is certified. Unfortunately, there are some detectors out there that haven’t had third-party testing and have failed when exposed to dangerous levels of CO, according to Consumer Reports.
Don’t forget to replace batteries as needed. Set a time twice each year, like daylight savings, to replace your CO detectors’ batteries along with any smoke detectors in your home. Keep in mind that you also can buy CO detectors that are hard-wired or that can be plugged in.
State Requirements for Home Sellers and Homeowners
Many states have enacted legislation or imposed regulations that require home sellers to install carbon monoxide detectors before a home is sold. Some states also require home inspections by fire officials to make sure the devices have been installed correctly and are in working order before a home is sold.
In April of 2018, the city of Austin adopted that any structure that is used for residential purposes and uses gas or fuel-burning appliances and/or has an attached garage that connects to the structure, are required to install and maintain Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms.
The Silent Killer
Carbon monoxide is poisonous to humans and pets so you need to take it seriously as a homeowner.
Mild exposure to CO can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, irregular breathing, drowsiness and confusion. It has symptoms similar to the flu but without a fever. Those with heart disease can experience an increase in chest pain.
Severe exposure to CO can cause brain damage and death. Children and the elderly are even more susceptible.
CO doesn’t smell and you won’t be aware that high levels are being released into the air. That’s why it’s called the silent killer.
Some people who are overexposed simply fall asleep and never regain consciousness. Unfortunately, faulty heating devices are a major cause of CO poisoning during the cold weather.
If you think you or a family member has been exposed to CO, get outside immediately for fresh air and seek emergency medical help. Open the windows of your home to ventilate. Call the fire department and don’t use any faulty appliance/engine until it has been thoroughly checked out or replaced.
How to Prevent CO Poisoning
Improperly ventilated appliances and engines, particularly in a tightly sealed or enclosed space, may allow carbon monoxide to accumulate to dangerous levels.
That’s why it’s very important to have your appliances properly installed and maintained regularly. Have professional service inspections on a timely basis to ensure that your appliances and chimney are in working order and are venting properly. And, always follow manufacturer’s directions when operating any appliances. Other tips:
- Make sure the room where an unvented gas or kerosene space heater is used is well ventilated; doors leading to another room should be open to allow added ventilation.
- Never use an unvented combustion heater overnight or in a room where you are sleeping.
- Never use charcoal grills inside a home, tent, camper, or unventilated garage.
- Don’t leave vehicles running in an enclosed garage, even to “warm up” a car on a cold morning.
Be in touch if you have any questions about CO detectors. Take the time today to go through your home and look at each of you CO detectors and be sure you have one on every floor or consider getting additional devices.
I'm Brooke and I love helping first-time homebuyers in the Austin area make their first home more affordable!
I'll keep your goals in mind before, during, and after you make your real estate moves.
11215 S IH-35, Ste 110
Austin, TX 78747
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Carbon monoxide ni gesi isiyo na rangi, harufu, na ladha inayotokana na moto wa gesi, mbao, propani, makaa ya mawe au mafuta mengine. Ikiwa una vifaa vya kuwaka mafuta nyumbani, lazima uwe na kifaa cha kugundua CO. Ikiwa una vifaa vya kugundua kaboni monoksidi katika nyumba yako, unapaswa kuwa na vifaa vya kugundua kaboni monoksidi katika kila ghorofa. Na ni muhimu sana kuwaweka karibu na vyumba vya kulala pia. Kwa nyumba ya kawaida ya vyumba vitatu vya kulala na bafu mbili, na ghorofa ya juu na sakafu ya chini, Chama cha Kitaifa cha Kuzuia Moto (NFPA) inapendekeza vifaa vinne vya kugundua CO. Ikiwa kitu kinakwenda vibaya na moja ya vifaa vyako vya kuchoma mafuta, kama vile tanuru, moto, jiko au maji ya moto, viwango hatari vya kaboni monoksidi vinaweza kuanza kuzunguka nyumbani kwako. Aina ya vifaa vinavyoweza kutokeza CO2 ni: - Chumba cha mafuta, propane au gesi ya asili, jiko la kupikia au jiko la kupikia, friji, jiko la maji moto, kifaa kingine au moto. - bidhaa yoyote ya kuni au kuni-kuwaka kama vile stove kuni, stove joto, fireplace, stove kuni-pellet, sanduku au stove parlor. - Gari linaloendesha gari katika karakana iliyounganishwa. Kama vile detector za moshi, lazima uangalie detector yako ya CO ili kuhakikisha ni katika hali ya kazi ili iweze kukulinda wewe na familia yako wakati inahitajika zaidi. Kumbuka kubadilisha kifaa baada ya miaka 5 au 6. Angalia ikiwa tarehe ya utengenezaji imeandikwa nyuma ili kujua umri wake. Angalia nyuma ya detector CO kwa ishara UL <unk> kwa Underwriters Laboratories kuhakikisha imepita vipimo vya usalama. Alama hii inaonyesha kwamba imepimwa kwa kiwango cha usalama kinachokubaliwa sana. Hii ni shirika la majaribio ya mtu wa tatu na inakuwezesha kujua kwamba kifaa chako kimethibitishwa. Kwa bahati mbaya, kuna baadhi ya detectors huko nje ambayo hawajawa na majaribio ya tatu na wameshindwa wakati wa kuambukizwa viwango hatari vya CO, kulingana na Ripoti za Watumiaji. Usisahau kubadilisha betri kama inahitajika. Weka wakati mara mbili kila mwaka, kama vile kuokoa mwanga wa mchana, kubadilisha betri za detector zako za CO pamoja na detector zozote za moshi nyumbani kwako. Kumbuka kuwa unaweza kununua vifaa vya kugundua CO ambavyo vinaweza kuunganishwa kwenye waya au vinaweza kuunganishwa kwenye umeme. Kwa mujibu wa sheria za serikali, nchi nyingi zinapaswa kuwa na sheria au kanuni zinazohitaji wauzaji wa nyumba kuweka vifaa vya kugundua kaboni monoksidi kabla ya nyumba kuuzwa. Baadhi ya majimbo pia yanahitaji ukaguzi wa nyumba na maafisa wa moto ili kuhakikisha vifaa vimewekwa kwa usahihi na viko katika hali ya kufanya kazi kabla ya nyumba kuuzwa. Mwezi Aprili 2018, Jiji la Austin lilipitisha sheria ambayo itaamuru kwamba jengo lolote linalotumiwa kwa madhumuni ya makazi na kutumia vifaa vya kuchoma gesi au mafuta na au kuwa na karakana iliyounganishwa na jengo hilo, lazima liwekwe na kudumishwa na Alama za Carbon Monoxide (CO). Kifo cha Silent Killer Carbon Monoxide ni hatari kwa wanyama na watu, na ni muhimu kwa ajili ya afya ya binadamu. Madhara ya CO inaweza kusababisha maumivu ya kichwa, kichefuchefu, kichefuchefu, kupumua isiyo ya kawaida, usingizi na kuchanganyikiwa. Ina dalili zinazofanana na homa lakini haina homa. Wale walio na ugonjwa wa moyo wanaweza kupata maumivu zaidi kifuani. Kuathiriwa sana na CO kunaweza kusababisha uharibifu wa ubongo na kifo. Watoto na wazee-wazee ni wenye kuathiriwa hata zaidi. CO haina harufu na huwezi kuwa na ufahamu kwamba viwango vya juu vinatolewa hewani. Hiyo ndiyo sababu inaitwa muuaji kimya. Watu fulani ambao wameathiriwa sana na mionzi hiyo huanguka usingizi na kamwe hawajioni tena. Kwa bahati mbaya, vifaa vya kupasha joto visivyofaa ni kisababishi kikuu cha sumu ya CO wakati wa hali ya hewa baridi. Ikiwa unafikiri wewe au mwanachama wa familia yako umepatikana na CO2, tafadhali nenda nje mara moja kwa hewa safi na utafute msaada wa matibabu ya dharura. Fungua madirisha ya nyumba yako ili upepe hewa. Piga simu idara ya moto na usitumie kifaa chochote kibaya au injini mpaka itakapochunguzwa kikamilifu au kubadilishwa. Vifaa na injini zisizo na uingizaji hewa wa kutosha, hasa katika nafasi iliyofungwa kwa nguvu, zinaweza kuruhusu kaboni monoksidi kujilimbikiza kwa viwango hatari. Hiyo ndiyo sababu ni muhimu sana kuwa na vifaa vyako imewekwa vizuri na kudumishwa mara kwa mara. Msaada wa wataalamu wa ukaguzi wa huduma ya umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme wa umeme Na, sikuzote fuata maagizo ya mtengenezaji unapotumia vifaa vyovyote. Vidokezo vingine: - Hakikisha chumba ambapo heater ya nafasi ya gesi au kerosene isiyo na uingizaji hewa inatumiwa ina hewa nzuri; milango inayoongoza kwenye chumba kingine inapaswa kufunguliwa ili kuruhusu uingizaji hewa zaidi. - Kamwe usitumie heater ya mwako isiyo na hewa usiku au katika chumba ambapo unalala. - Kamwe usitumie grills za makaa ya mawe ndani ya nyumba, hema, gari la kukokotwa, au karakana isiyo na hewa. - Usiache magari yakitembea katika karakana iliyofungwa, hata "kupasha joto" gari asubuhi baridi. Wasiliana na mimi ikiwa una maswali yoyote kuhusu vifaa vya CO Jitahidi kutumia muda wako leo kupitia nyumba yako na kuangalia kila moja ya detectors CO na kuwa na uhakika una moja katika kila ghorofa au kufikiria kupata vifaa vya ziada. Mimi ni Brooke na ninafurahia kuwasaidia wanunuzi wa nyumba za kwanza katika eneo la Austin kufanya nyumba zao za kwanza ziwe za bei nafuu zaidi! Weka malengo yako akilini kabla, wakati, na baada ya kufanya biashara yako ya mali isiyohamishika. 1121 S. H-35 Ste. 110 Austin, TX 78747 - Jadwal konsultasi yako ya bure