Hints Tips and Reminders – Carbon Monoxide Safety

Fall is coming quickly upon us and with the windows tight and the furnace running, this time of year is the most important time of year for Carbon Monoxide awareness. Taking a pro-active approach in CO awareness is not only smart for you, but it is smart for your entire family. Below are some helpful tips to ensure your monitors are in top condition.

HINT: If your Carbon Monoxide detector is over 5 years old you should replace it. If your smoke alarm is over seven years old, it’s time for a new one. Most alarms have an electro-chemical sensor to detect carbon monoxide and smoke. Over time, that chemical sensor dries up and in turn, becomes less accurate.

TIP: Install smoke alarms inside and outside each bedroom and sleeping area. Install alarms on every level of your home, including the basement.

REMINDERS: Performance checks on your carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms are recommended to be done every three months. If that seems a little excessive to you, when you change your clocks for daylight savings time, check your alarms as well. This consists of pressing the alarm button to make sure it’s still working. Batteries should be changed once a year, a good rule of thumb is to do it on New Year’s Day.

For more information on carbon monoxide, please visit our blog article.