How Important is Having Carbon Monoxide Detectors Installed

If you are like many homeowners and even some business owners, installing gas appliances in your home or office has become quite the fashionable thing to invest in. Stainless steel stoves and gas water heaters, even gas fireplaces all burn a natural gas that creates carbon monoxide, or CO that can be deadly if not properly vented. This gas can also be detected from leaks that may occur when not properly installed or when and if a gas line were to be damaged or compromised in any way. Gas space heaters are probably the number one cause of gas appliance deaths in the United States but this deadly emissions device doesn’t stop there. Carbon monoxide can be emitted from any appliance or device that ignites and burns, from oil, kerosene, diesel, propane, gas, and even from wood-burning stoves. The appliance mix includes stoves, ovens, broilers, fryers, fireplaces, heating systems, generators, boilers, furnaces, space heaters, and even a poorly ventilated campfire stoves. All of these apparatuses should be well ventilated when in use. Most importantly any room, basement, kitchen, garage, or communal area needs to be equipped with a Carbon Monoxide Detector to monitor any CO emissions detected.

Signs Of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

There are basic signs of carbon monoxide exposure and they include sudden headache, nausea, dizziness, lack of oxygen or breathlessness, collapse and then loss of consciousness, and probable death as a result of continued exposure without relief. CO is hard to detect because it is both a colorless and odorless gas formed by incomplete combustion of carbon. Carbon Monoxide has been called the “Silent Killer” because after exposure its symptoms come on rapidly and it is difficult for humans to detect on their own. It can’t be seen, smelled, or even detected by taste. When ingested into the lungs it enters the bloodstream and then circulates through the whole body. Deadly to all living things, CO is extremely toxic even in small dose exposure and death can occur as rapidly as within five minutes of exposure. Even small amounts can cause permanent brain damage and could result in a coma occurring.

Protection From Carbon Monoxide Exposure

At ESI, Emergency Systems Inc. Jacksonville’s premier security alarm company, we recommend several tips on preventing carbon monoxide leaks in your home, business, or office setting.

#1. Make sure all gas appliances are properly installed and ventilated.

#2. Any indoor heating system such as a furnace, heated boiler, or other forms of heating system needs to have adequate chimney space ventilation. Chimneys should be inspected at least once a year for debris and any residue buildup needs to be removed.

#3. Never use any combustion devices such as generators, camp stoves, or similar devices indoors or close to open windows and doors.

#4. Most importantly, install a monitored carbon monoxide detector alarm on every level of your home even away from appliances where burning combustible gas is in use.

If a carbon monoxide alarm should sound, move all occupants immediately outdoors and out of harm’s way into the fresh air. Initiate emergency service responders and inform them of the presence of carbon monoxide. Do not re-enter the building for any reason until given the all-clear.

Let ESI Install, Replace, Service, and Monitor All CO Detector Alarms

Did you know that most security alarm detectors have a specific shelf life and life expectancy? Building occupants are especially vulnerable to harm or even death if carbon monoxide detectors are improperly operating. ESI recommends replacing these devices every three years. Talk to one of our security technicians about the proper commercial grade detectors available and their recommended installation. Let ESI protect your family, employees, vendors, and customers from these silent killers with professionally installed carbon monoxide detectors. Give us a call at 904-388-3975 for a free, no-obligation estimate to install, service, or even monitor CO detector alarms.