Boating Safety expert discusses the reasons you should install a Carbon Monoxide Detector on your boat
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Short video that highlights the importance of installing a Carbon Monoxide Detector in your home
Every home should have enough CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) detector alarms to provide adequate safety. But questions arise as to the best type of CO2 detector alarms. The truth is, there are many types on the market and all have their place in a residence or commercial building.
Options exist as to how the detector is powered. Some CO2 detector alarms are hard-wired into the building’s electrical system. This prevents them from ever being accidentally unplugged. Most alarms that are hard wired also provide a battery back-up when the home or commercial building is without power. Other CO2 detector alarms are plug-in types, fitting in any standard outlet, and some also feature battery back-up. These units are popular because they can be added at any time with no installation fees.
Another distinction in types is that some CO2 detector alarms combine a smoke alarm, since the two dangers are often present together. Employing sensors for both smoke and CO2 delivers maximum protection at all times. Some of these units can be hard-wired into the home’s electrical system to work in tandem with other alarms – if one detects the presence of smoke or CO2, all of units sound the alarm. Some units use loud, traditional siren type noise to alert you to danger, while others use talking, which has been shown in some studies to be more effective in waking up sleepers when danger strikes. For added convenience, you may want to look for a unit that offers a remote control for monthly testing, or to silence the unit on false alarms. You might also be interested inCO2 detector alarms which show a digital LED readout of level of CO2, so that you can relay that information to first responders when you call or when they arrive.
All of these types of CO2 detector alarms offer suitable protection when used properly. The key is to have them in your home, and to have at least one on each floor and in each danger zone, such as the utility room where the furnace is stationed.
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Do Not Overlook The Threat of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Poisoning
Most homeowners are aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, but few are also aware that carbon dioxide, or CO2, is a threat as well. Carbon dioxide can be harmful and even fatal with high levels of sustained exposure. CO2 is, of course, a common gas, including being a normal byproduct of breathing. Typical levels of CO2 outdoors is 300-400 parts per million (PPM), while indoor levels usually run about 600 PPM, which represents .06% concentration. In crowded rooms, the level of CO2, if ventilation in the room is poor, may rise as high as 1% concentration, and at that level one might feel drowsy. This is because CO2 displaces oxygen in the blood stream. The effects and danger increase as concentrations rise, and as the blood stream is unable to carry enough oxygen to the brain. At about 5% concentration, CO2 represents a potentially fatal threat, if exposure lasts for as short 20 minutes. Because CO2 is odorless, one will likely be unaware of the exposure, and either fall asleep or lose consciousness, with permanent brain damage or death following.
Lighting, electrical appliances, and electric heating are major sources of CO2 emissions at home. Under normal working conditions, emissions levels are not dangerous. But when electrical systems begin to fail, the fixture or appliance may continue to run while emitting dangerous levels of carbon dioxide. Monitoring in the home is the only way to insure that dangerous levels of carbon dioxide will be detected and alleviated if they occur.
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Knowing the Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning May Save Your Life
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a serious, even deadly, threat in any home. If your house has a gas furnace, gas water heater, fireplace, or alternative forms of heating , high levels of carbon monoxide are a threat, because they displace oxygen in the bloodstream. Here are three telltale levels of carbon monixide poisoning.
The first level of symptoms includes a feeling of being overheated, including a flushed face. Feeling tired, accompanied by a pulsing headache, is common. If you are at home and start to feel the way described here, go outside for a few minutes and see if the symptoms are relieved. If so, it may be a clue that excessive levels of carbon monoxide are present within. Of course, the best way to determine if CO is an issue is to have CO monitors in the home.
The second level of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning includes a rapid pulse, as your body struggles to get oxygen to the brain and cells throughout the body. The result may be an irregular heartbeat, extreme lethargy, and mild confusion. If you find yourself in this condition, get outside immediately, and contact emergency services.
The third level of symptoms, which become a reality when carbon monoxide levels are toxic and exposure lasts for 20 minutes or more, include disorientation due to a lack of oxygen in the brain, possible feelings of panic, convulsions, a loss of consciousness, and eventually death.
Knowing these facts may save your life, or the lives of those you love. Never think it cannot happen in your home, because it does, and every year lives are lost to this preventable tragedy.
Place CO2 Alarms Where They Will Alert You To Danger
Carbon dioxide poisoning is the cause of illness and death in startling numbers. This is true because virtually every home is a place where carbon dioxide poisoning may occur. Carbon dioxide, CO2, is released by appliances that use electricity and by the burning of fuels, including wood, propane, and natural gas. In appliances and equipment that is working properly, the CO2 that is produced is vented through chimneys, vent pipes, and exhaust fans. When those means of venting the carbon dioxide are leaking, blocked, or otherwise not working properly, CO2 enters the living space and becomes a serious threat to the home or building’s inhabitants. The best way to eliminate the threat of carbon dioxide poisoning is to employ an adequate number of carbon dioxide alarms in your home.
As a general rule, a CO2 detector or alarm should be placed on every level of the home or building. If the level is more than 1500 square feet, than additional carbon dioxide alarms should be employed, placed evenly throughout the level. In addition to the general placement of CO2 alarms, an alarm should be placed in close proximity to the appliances or equipment that are most likely to emit into the environment dangerous levels of carbon dioxide. Place a CO2 alarm near the furnace and hot water heater. If the home has a fireplace, wood, wood pellet, or corn burning stove, place a carbon dioxide detector nearby. Since CO2 alarms are inexpensive, this is a very affordable way to eliminate one of the most preventable causes of accidental death.
Common Appliances May Be the Most Deadly Source of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
More accidental poisoning deaths are caused by carbon monoxide (CO) than by any other poison. That fact alone should cause every homeowner to learn what appliances in their house create carbon monoxide and to add enough CO monitors to their home to eliminate the potential of this deadly threat. The simple fact to remember is that anything in your home that burns fossil fuels, renewable fuels like wood or corn, and even smoking cigarettes will produce carbon monoxide as one of the byproducts.
Improper ventilation of appliances is the leading cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. Broken, leaky or disconnected ventilation pipes will cause CO to be released into your living environment, and represent a potentially fatal threat. While the following list is not comprehensive, it does outline the most common household appliances that emit carbon monoxide. Gas furnaces that have issues with their ventilation system are the number one cause of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is essential that every home have a carbon monoxide monitor very near the gas furnace. Gas water heaters also produce CO, and should be monitored.
In addition, be aware that these appliances also create carbon monoxide: Kerosene space heaters, propane heaters, propane and gas stoves, and gasoline or diesel powered generators. Deaths from carbon monoxide are easily prevented with the use of carbon monoxide detectors, which are very effective and also very affordable. Protect yourself, and those you love, by putting monitors on guard where dangers exist.