Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Carbon monoxide detectors, also called carbon monoxide alarms, are indispensable tools of safety that belong in every home across the nation. Poisoning from carbon monoxide is a far more serious threat than most people give it credit for. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in this country. While some of these deaths are intentional, such as committing suicide by sitting in the garage with the car running, most deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are accidental and could have been avoided if carbon monoxide detectors were present in the home.
Carbon monoxide detectors work in much the same way as smoke alarms. A carbon monoxide detector will sound an alarm when the level of carbon monoxide in the home is of a dangerous level, usually exceeding fifty parts per million. Carbon monoxide alarms are often made by companies that also make smoke alarms. This makes sense, because both are important devices that need to be in homes across the country. The difference is that many more homes have smoke detectors than carbon monoxide detectors. This is likely due to the mass ignorance of the population regarding the dangers posed by carbon monoxide. While fire safety is pounded into the head of society from grade school, carbon monoxide awareness is largely forgotten. This is an even more curious problem when considering the fact that carbon monoxide and fire go hand in hand. Whatever the reason, carbon monoxide poisoning is a problem that is not being looked at as severely as it warrants.
At any rate, a carbon monoxide alarm can be found at nearly any hardware store, in addition to the larger warehouse chains. Retail giants like Wal-Mart and Kmart also often sell carbon monoxide alarms. These devices are rarely expensive. Most carbon monoxide alarms can be found for under fifty dollars. The more expensive carbon monoxide alarms usually have data displays that show the amount of carbon monoxide present at all times, but this isn’t an absolute necessity. Any kind of alarm that will sound when too much carbon monoxide is present will do. One may wish to consider purchasing more than one carbon monoxide alarm in order to further safeguard the house if the threat is coming from different areas in the house. Many companies sell carbon monoxide alarms that double as smoke alarms. This may be the best idea for a household that has neither a carbon monoxide alarm or a smoke detector in the house.
Tags: carbon monoxide alarms, Carbon Monoxide Detector, carbon monoxide poisoning, dangerous level, smoke detectors