How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

How to detect and prevent carbon monoxide in your home.

By Our Readers

From The Family Handyman

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About This Project

Overview and Preparation

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Follow these two steps to keep this silent killer at bay

Common Carbon Monoxide Sources
Carbon monoxide is produced by gas-, oil- and wood-burning devices. Auto exhaust and poorly vented furnaces are the most common dangerous sources in a home.

1. Install Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms.

Why? How Dangerous Is CO?
Accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning accounts for several hundred deaths in the United States every year. The deaths are particularly tragic because most could have been easily prevented with a warning from a $20 to $40 CO alarm.

What Is CO?
CO is an invisible, odorless gas that’s produced by fireplaces, furnaces, stoves, water heaters and heaters that burn natural gas, propane, oil or wood. Usually chimneys and flues safely carry these combustion by-products up and out of your home. But not always. Flue blockage, poor natural drafting, leaks and other problems sometimes cause CO and other combustion gases to spill out into your living space and pollute the air you breathe. The CO is gradually absorbed into the bloodstream. Light doses cause flu-like symptoms and larger doses lead to unconsciousness and death .

Cars, lawn mowers and snow blowers also produce a lot of CO, especially at start-up. If you have an attached garage, natural drafts tend to pull that CO into your home, even if you have the garage door open! As a rule, never let a car engine idle in a garage.

Is the CO Threat Greater in an Energy-Efficient Home?
Sometimes. Reducing air leaks in your home is one of the best ways to make your home more energy efficient. Air tightening includes such things as closing up attic bypasses, weatherstripping, caulking around doors and windows, and installing new windows. But as your home gets tighter, flues and chimneys can’t vent CO and other combustion gases to the outside as easily, because they won’t have as much makeup air. CO alarms are simple, inexpensive insurance to warn you if CO spillage reaches a hazardous level . . . even if your home is new or you haven’t taken steps to improve energy efficiency.

Both types of CO alarms sound an alarm when hazardous levels of CO are present. The type with a digital display will also show the peak CO level in your home when you push the peak level button. It will not record very low levels.

Where Do I Put the Alarms?
At a minimum, put an alarm near the sleeping rooms on each level in your home. CO accumulates in the bloodstream, and you’re most vulnerable during long periods of sleep. Position alarms on ceilings or walls, away from drafts and solvents. (Read the directions that come with each alarm for more details.)

What’s the Best CO Alarm to Buy?
Look for a CO alarm with a UL listing on the package. It can be either battery-powered or a plug-in type (often with a battery back-up). All alarms have a test/reset button that you should push weekly to make sure the alarm is operating.

We recommend the plug-in type with a digital readout that tells you the peak CO concentration whenever you push the peak level button. The CO level might not be high enough to trigger the alarm. But detecting a low level can alert you to a potential problem, so you can trace the source before the CO reaches a higher level. This is particularly important if you have more vulnerable folks in your home such as young children, the elderly and those with certain illnesses.