Most reputable home security companies offer home alarm system monitoring packages that include carbon monoxide sensors. If you are looking for a CO monitoring system that will protect your family and pets while you are away, consider a monitored solution. The benefits of a remotely monitored home alarm with CO sensor is that if a centrally monitored facility such as those monitored by ADT Security will alert you and medical first responders in the event of a situation. If you return to you home to the sound of an home alarm system alert and unconscious pets or loved ones it is too late.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an odorless and invisible gas that consists of one carbon atom bonded with one oxygen atom. CO gas is usually produced from the combustion of fuels that contain carbon, such as gasoline. Combustion often produces carbon dioxide, the well-known greenhouse gas, but in conditions where oxygen is of only limited availability, carbon monoxide forms instead. The gas is toxic and can cause death in humans and pets if inhaled in high enough concentrations for prolonged periods.
The symptoms of mild Carbon Monoxide poisoning are headaches, dizziness and flu-like symptoms. Higher exposure can cause heart attack, degeneration of the central nervous system, and death. The gas can cause death in unborn children if their mother is exposed to the gas. There are treatments for exposure but prevention is by far the best approach to prevent health damage.
The most common sources of Carbon Monoxide exposure are house fires, malfunctioning heaters or stoves, car exhaust, and propane or gas-fueled equipment like grills, stoves, generators, etc. CO poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in the United States, with more than 40,000 people per year seeking treatment in the US. About 500 people die each year from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the United States, not including about 2,000 people each year who use the gas as a suicide method.
Prevention of CO Poisoning and exposure is a matter of responsible and informed use of fuel-burning equipment in the home and workplace. Learning how to safely operate grills, industrial equipment, stoves, etc. is a key element in any poison protection strategy. It is of particular importance to ensure that fuel-burning equipment and heaters are functioning properly, and not to use the equipment if there are problems such as leaks. The first line of defense in a residential environment is a Carbon Monoxide Detector, installed near heaters or other gas-burning equipment. These devices sound a loud alarm if excessive levels of the gas are detected, giving residents of the home a warning that they should evacuate the area immediately.
Fortunately, CO Detectors are widely available and quite inexpensive. Stand-alone models can be purchased for as little as $20, and can either use AC power or batteries. It is important to install and regularly test Carbon Monoxide Detectors, particularly in confined spaces or in areas that contain stoves, grills, or other common sources of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. It is especially important to remember that the gas has no taste or odor, and cannot be detected by unaided human senses - "I don't smell anything" is not a reason to disregard a Carbon Monoxide Detector going off!
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