Fire alarms and smoke detectors are high on the list of important installations designed to ensure safety in your home, especially when you heat the building with a fireplace. However, these are not the only sensors worth installing. Equally important are devices that detect toxic carbon monoxide, quickly notify you of exceeding the permitted standards and thereby protect the health of residents. Find out how and where to install a system that alerts you to an invisible, odorless leak – a carbon monoxide detector can save you and your family’s lives.

A carbon monoxide detector can save your life

Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that you may not even realize is being released in your home. It is invisible, odorless and tasteless, which means that without appropriate equipment it is impossible to assess how much of it is in the air and whether the concentration reached poses a threat to residents.

The symptoms of CO poisoning initially resemble a developing respiratory infection or the flu – which makes it even more difficult to determine the cause of your deteriorating health.

  • The installation of special sensors that detect carbon monoxide and warn of its harmful effects should be a priority in every household that uses devices such as fireplaces, stoves, gas water heaters, burner stoves, and the like.

A carbon monoxide detector can save lives, but it will only work properly if it is installed according to specific instructions. If you choose an inappropriate location, the system for detecting dangerous gas concentrations may not work quickly enough and this poses a risk to the health and life of the building’s occupants. How and where to place a carbon monoxide detector?

  • It turns out that this device should not be located where the smoke detectors are, which calls into question the point of installing 2-in-1 detectors.

Where to place the carbon monoxide detector?

Experts advise not to limit yourself to one device for detecting threats. Complex architectural designs that combine open spaces with complex corridor systems or where many closed rooms are planned require clever placement of detectors. One sensor in the whole building is definitely not enough.

Do you want your home to be truly safe? After that place carbon monoxide detectors according to the following instructions:

  • At least 1 device per floor, as well as in the basement and attic.
  • Additional equipment near the garage.
  • Install additional sensors next to the main CO sources.
  • Place another sensor right next to the bedroom.
  • Mount each detector at knee-to-head height, not on the ceiling as with smoke detectors.

When installing sensors, pay attention to the manufacturer’s instructions, which usually indicate the important parameters of the device and the efficiency of its operation in different sizes of rooms and systems. Remember that carbon monoxide has a similar density to air, meaning it neither rises high nor sinks to the floor. That is why the appropriate height of the CO sensors is so important in order to detect irregularities as quickly as possible.

Now you know where to place your carbon monoxide detector, but you should also know what places are not recommended.

  • These certainly include a bathroom and a laundry room.
  • It will also be a bad choice to install detectors near the kitchen hood, ventilations, vents, right next to windows and doors and near skylights.
  • The operation of the devices can be distorted by placing them in places where air flow is limited, so do not install the sensor in a pantry or closet.

Aesthetics in this case is much less important than proper operation.

Do not forget the need for maintenance of individual elements of the installation. Start with the simplest activity that is vacuuming small gaps in the sensor, this will improve its sensitivity and ensure proper operation. Regular maintenance and testing of your equipment is key to your safety.

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