As we know, carbon monoxide poses a massive health risk to our family members and other indoor inhabitants. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop people from not investing in carbon monoxide detectors. Here’s a crash course on the importance of carbon monoxide detectors and why you should invest.
Understanding Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide — we’ve all heard about it, and we’ve all heard about the dangers it poses. But what exactly is carbon monoxide and how does it even come about?
To preface, carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas that can cause serious health problems if inhaled in excessive amounts. It is this odorless and gaseous quality that makes it so dangerous — because we can’t detect it without a carbon monoxide detector. So how does it come about?
CO is produced by incomplete combustion, which occurs when fuel (like natural gas) burns in air that doesn’t contain enough oxygen for complete combustion to occur. This happens inside your house when electrical appliances like stoves fail to work properly; without sufficient oxygen supply from outside sources such as open windows or fans running nearby, incomplete combustion will occur with higher than normal levels of CO being emitted into surrounding areas near these appliances where people spend their time indoors.
Other appliances that can lead to excess amounts of carbon monoxide in the home include:
- Clothes dryer
- Fireplaces
- Furnaces
- Boilers
Carbon Monoxide Detectors Save Lives
As carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless gas (as previously mentioned), it’s nearly undetectable by humans until it’s too late. Carbon monoxide detectors can ultimately help remediate this issue by identifying high levels of CO in an area before any symptoms show up on their own. This gives you time to react before anyone gets hurt, as you could get everyone out of the house if there’s too much carbon monoxide inside.
You can get medical help if someone starts to feel sick from the carbon monoxide. If you have children, it’s especially important to have a CO detector in your home.
Per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…
“Everyone is at risk for CO poisoning. Infants, the elderly, people with chronic heart disease, anemia, or breathing problems are more likely to get sick from CO. Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 20,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 4,000 are hospitalized.”
Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also notes that carbon monoxide poisoning has a number of symptoms, including…
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Weakness
- Confusion
- Vomiting
- Upset stomach
- Chest pain
Installing Carbon Monoxide Detectors with XTRAIRE
At XTRAIRE, we care about the utmost safety of all our clients. Therefore we advise that all install carbon monoxide detectors in their homes, replace the batteries every few months, and maintain its upkeep for optimal indoor air quality. To learn how XTRAIRE can help, please visit our website and contact us today!