A survey led by Kidde, the leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products, revealed that 87 percent of homeowners in California had fuel-burning appliances. It brought to light that over a half of these families did not have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm despite the fact that these devices are easy to install and can be bought for less than $25 per unit.
Carbon monoxide leaks noiselessly from household appliances such as gas ovens, fires and boilers. It has no smell, no taste and is invisible. The only way to detect the presence of carbon monoxide is by installing a detector in your home.
Kidde offers a wide range of reliable carbon monoxide alarms that can be battery-powered, plug-in or wire-in units. They operate with the company's Nighthawk electrochemical CO sensor that emits loud beeps rated at 85 decibels at 10 feet.
Some models double up as a fire alarm and are capable of emitting a voice alert to inform you of the type of hazard to avoid confusion. The alarm announces "Warning: carbon monoxide!" when CO is detected, and "Fire! Fire!" for a smoke or fire hazard. These combination alarms halve installation time and help preserve your home décor.
Some models have a digital display feature to constantly monitor the level of carbon monoxide the unit is sensing. It updates every 15 seconds. A backlight display allows for easy reading in the dark.
Kidde battery-powered alarm devices can be simply screwed to the flat surface of any wall or ceiling. Some devices can be placed on a shelf or a bedside table, handy if you need a portable alarm for your travels.
You can plug these devices into any standard household outlet. Kidde plug-in CO alarms come with battery backup to ensure constant protection even during power outages, as well as a tamper resist feature. If the device comes loose from the socket it goes into constant alarm mode.
Kidde wire-in carbon monoxide alarms can be interconnected with as many as 24 Kidde fire, smoke and gas protection devices on one circuit. They can also replace existing brand models including First Alert,BRK and Firex without the need for rewiring. In this case the Kidde Quick Convert Adapter, which costs just a few dollars, will be required.
Carbon Monoxide kills hundreds of people every year. Kidde's range of CO alarms caters for every budget and situation. Installing a detector will give you protection peace of mind.
Rachel Brant is a writer who speclizes in home protection and security. You can check out her latest website where she provides helpful information about Kidde carbon monoxide alarms including the battery-powered Kidde Nighthawk KN-COSM-B, the wire-in Kidde KN-COSM-IB device, and much more.