Carbon monoxide poisoning is a quiet, unscented, and deadly danger that is relevant to every family. In most cases, the gas is leaked from a source such as a furnace that has cracked and is releasing the gas back into the home instead of taking it up and away through the piping.
Carbon monoxide poisoning can also happen from other sources, usually ones that burn. A homeless family that was living in their pick up truck closed the door to the cap and lit a Hibachi grill. The gas it released was carbon monoxide and the family perished in the back of their pick up truck. Enclosed places are the most dangerous as the concentration of the gas is much higher.
Even in large, spacious homes the gas can be released into the air. Because it is otherwise undetectable, if the home is without a carbon monoxide detector the leak can continue for days or even weeks while the concentration builds up without the family's awareness.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are relatively common to other physical conditions. Headaches are usually the first sign. The fatigue and the strong desire to lie down often come after the headaches. Most people will follow this instinct because we are always told to rest when not feeling well. Unfortunately, when the victim lies down the gas continues to compromise the central nervous system and the end result is death.
While once a random occurrence there are now steps that you can take to protect yourself and your family. Simply placing carbon monoxide detectors next to the smoke detectors or in other relevant places will alert you to any leak that could be releasing the poisonous gas. Placing a detector above the furnace is often recommended for smaller homes and mobile homes where the gas can accumulate faster.
It's important to maintain a schedule of checking the batteries and the effectiveness of the detector in the same six month fashion that smoke detectors are checked. This will help ensure that the integrity of the detector is well intact and that the batteries are fresh. Some of today's smoke detectors will offer a carbon detector as well. Having it all in one unit can be helpful, but if you need the addition of a single unit to ensure safety it's worth the extra purchase. Always remember that you can never treat the carbon alarm as a false alarm.
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