Carbon Monoxide Safety Month Tips
It is time to prepare for cold weather here in Kentucky! Carbon Monoxide Safety Month Tips to Protect Your Family is a great article to help you get started! One of the best ways you can prepare for the winter is by stocking up on supplies including food and medication and by upgrading your carbon monoxide safety measures. Now is the time to take steps to protect your family against the silent killer this winter. You will rather be safe than sorry!
Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless and deadly gas that can be produced by any fuel-burning device, such as a furnace, boiler, stove and, of course, cars. Known as “the silent killer,” CO poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States. It is so important to make sure your family is safe as you head into the winter. We actually had a scary incident at our house with our golf cart. The batteries overcharged and cause CO gasses to build up. Thank goodness for our CO detectors because they saved our life!
Compounding the issue and concern is that CO poisoning is notoriously difficult to diagnose – often until it’s too late. The symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses, including nausea, headaches, dizziness, weakness, chest pain and vomiting. In more severe poisoning cases, people may experience disorientation or unconsciousness, or suffer long-term neurological disabilities, cardio-respiratory failure or death. My husband actually experienced a severe headache and dizziness after waking up to the detector alarms. These Carbon Monoxide Safety Month Tips can save you and your loved one’s lives!
CO alarms are the only way to detect this poisonous gas, yet nearly half of Americans report not having CO alarms in their homes. This is so scary! After surviving a near fatal scare, we will always have them in our home and be sure the batteries are changed at least twice a year! According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the United States and is responsible for an average of 450 deaths and more than 20,000 emergency room visits each year.
The threat of carbon monoxide is at its highest during the winter. January is National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month, and the perfect time to stop the silent killer in its tracks by taking measures to ensure your home is properly equipped with working CO alarms. First Alert has a variety of alarms to fit each home’s specific needs and, most importantly keep families safe. Trust us they are worth the investment to protect your family. No home is safe without them.
There are several CO detector choices to choose from:
- The PRC710V provides both smoke and CO protection, has a 10-year battery and features both voice and location technology
- The CO710 is a nice table-top addition, uses a digital display with temperature and can be easily added to any room
- The CO615 is a plug-in alarm with battery backup with digital display
- The CO400 is an easy-to-use, battery-operated alarm with a wall mount
Carbon Monoxide Safety Month tips to protect your family:
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that carbon monoxide (CO) alarms should be installed on each level of the home and in a central location outside each bedroom. To put this in perspective, the average-sized home in America – a two-story, three-bedroom house – needs a minimum of four CO alarms.
Print our Carbon Monoxide Safety Tips below to keep on hand!
Besides installing a CO alarm, follow these general tips to protect against CO poisoning:
- Run kitchen vents or exhaust fans any time the stove is in use.
- Never use generators, charcoal grills, camp stoves and other similar devices indoors.
- In the case of a power outage, portable electric generators must be used outside and at least 15 feet from the home.
- Have fuel-burning appliances inspected regularly.
- Arrange for a professional inspection of all fuel-burning appliances (such as furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters and space heaters) annually to detect any CO leaks.
- Be mindful of the garage. Never leave a car running in an attached garage. Even if the garage door is open, CO emissions can leak into the home.
Even after a CO alarm is installed, use this checklist to keep your alarm in proper working condition.
- Clear CO alarms of all dust and debris.
- Ensure that alarms are plugged all the way into the outlet or, if battery operated, have working batteries installed. Some CO alarms, like the CO710 or the PRC710V, have a 10-year sealed lithium battery that never needs to be changed for the life of the alarm.
- Test the alarm regularly and replace the batteries every six months. If you have a 10-year battery alarm, it is still important to test the alarm regularly.
- Check or replacing the batteries when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall (every six months) for Daylight Saving Time.
- Alarms don’t last forever, and it is necessary to replace carbon monoxide alarms every five to 10 years (PRC710V and CO710 batteries last 10 years), and smoke alarms every 10 years.
- If you can’t remember or don’t know how old the alarm is, it is best to replace the unit completely.
- Make sure alarms are installed at least 15 feet away from sources of CO to reduce the chance of false alarms.
- Visit First Alert’s website to find a legislation map to learn your state’s specific CO requirements.
To learn more about CO poisoning prevention follow and visit First Alert:
If your CO alarm ever sounds, leave the home immediately and call 911. Do not turn on any light switches, take all of our pets and exit the home until help arrives.
GIVEAWAY has EXPIRED!
We have an awesome GIVEAWAY for one lucky Stockpiling Moms reader! The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only, 18 years or older. It ends on 1/14/18 at midnight ET.
Prize: Total retail value: $167.42
- 10-Year Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice and Location Alerts (PRC710V) (MSRP: $59.99)
- 10-Year Alarm Life Carbon Monoxide Alarm (CO710) (MSRP: $49.95)
- Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Battery Backup & Digital Display (CO615) (MSRP: $38.49)
- Battery Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm (CO400) (MSRP: $18.99)
To enter:
Leave a blog post comment that answers the question: How are you preparing for National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month?
Melissa is a football and soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 24 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
It’s always a good reminder to have Carbon Monoxide detectors in all homes. I definitely have had our detector here since we purchased our home. I believe we may have even replaced it once. This post is a good reminder for me to make sure ours is still working and the batteries are still good. Thank you!
To be honest, this is the first time i’ve thought about it in years, I’m going to try to invest in one. At any rate I’ll go over the safety measures you mentioned with my family
I am reading this blog and passing on information to friends and family. Also checking all the batteries on my alarms.
This reminds me to check batteries and I need to get a carbon monoxide detector!
By having our fireplace inspected
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
like first alert on facebook: michelle b
Thank you for the reminder. We need to buy new detectors since we just moved in our home 3 years ago and don’t know how old the current ones are. Been meaning to take care of this but kept forgetting.
I’m preparing for National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month by replacing the batteries in my alarms and running a test on them. We also have our heater serviced yearly to keep it in optimal working condition. I keep things away from my water heater and make sure it’s clean of dust and build-up. I also change my air filter for the house monthly. I’m a Mom of 8 and I want my family to stay safe. We have a Smoke Alarm outside each bedroom, but we only have 1 Carbon Monoxide Alarm for our entire house. This is an eye-opener because I didn’t know you needed one outside each bedroom. This is definitely something I need to do to keep my family safe.
I like First Alert on Facebook
Thank you for all the helpful tips and advice! We do have a First Alert Carbon Monoxide detector in our home and garage. They are vital and can save lives. I hope everyone gets one!
This is a great informative post! This is so important and every home needs to make sure they have a working carbon monoxide detector installed. I just actually had my husband install a new one because it appeared to be acting up for some reason. We have also checked all others and replaced batteries.
This is a fantastic reminder for me! I have been meaning to give our alarms a test and make sure they are working, I am the over reactor type when it comes to my family’s safety and have thought that maybe the car ran too long in there or maybe the alarms are not working. So this is a great time to log out and check them out, thanks again for the tips on how to avoid CO problems in the first place, very good resource!
Such a lot of great information. I didn’t know that you should have a co detector outside of each bedroom. Also I cook with gas and didn’t know I should be cooking with the vent fan on. I will be updating my detectors and cooking with the vent fan on to prepare for Carbon Monoxide Month and keep on doing it….
We are so thankful for First Alert. Without their Carbon Monoxide Detectors our family may not be alive today.
Thank you so much for sharing these tips. It serves as a true reminder that the dangers of CO are far too real! I live in Alaska so sometimes it easy to want to shut all doors (to keep warm) while cooking. Will be printing the guide.
Reading your article and entering this contest.
Im preparing by making sure my detectors work!
Will be spreading awareness about National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month! It’s so important! I will be going over our fire escape plan this month with my family and remind my loved ones to do so also. I’ve seen homes and buildings destroyed by fires and it’s so devastating. We just replaced our batteries in our smoke alarms, but my parents’ place needs smoke alarms in their bedrooms and kitchen areas, they live in an apartment and I want to make sure they will be alerted if there’s a fire. Hoping to win, thanks for the chance!
Spread Awareness about National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month. Check Batteries in alarms and work on fire drill.
Like First Alert on FB