When winter goes on and temperatures stay consistently cold, our heating systems run more frequently and intensely. One of the dangers that can come from heating devices like furnaces, fireplaces, and stoves is carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide can kill you in less than five minutes. It’s produced as a byproduct when a fuel is burned with insufficient oxygen and it has no smell or taste.
To protect yourself from this hidden hazard, it’s important to install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Placement is important too – it’s good to install carbon monoxide detectors near heating elements. Many smoke detectors also have carbon monoxide detection built-in. If you’re not sure if that’s the case in your home or not, be sure to check it out. Also, try to be aware of whether there is a difference in the alarm the detector makes when it detects smoke vs. carbon monoxide.
