How to Choose The Best Carbon Monoxide Detector Alarm
How to Choose a Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Carbon monoxide (CO) is created anytime a fuel such as gasoline, oil, wood, or propane is burned, and can be caused by many common household appliances. It is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in North America. Odorless, tasteless and invisible, the only safe way to know if you are being poisoned is to install a CO alarm on every level of your home and in sleeping areas.
View the Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm Catalog (opens a new window) |
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The experts at Kidde recommend choosing CO alarms that have the most accurate sensing technology available. CO alarms are designed to alert the homeowner when carbon monoxide levels have begun to accumulate over a period of time, and will alarm before most people would experience any CO poisoning symptoms. The more accurate the alarm, the greater chance a family will respond appropriately to the problem.
Below are key factors to look for when purchasing a CO alarm:
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Electrochemical sensor: Alarms with electrochemical sensors are more stable during humidity and temperature changes and resist reacting to common household chemicals that may cause false readings. Kidde's CO alarms include Nighthawk technology, which has been proven to be the world's most accurate CO sensing technology based on claims by major manufacturers.
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End-of-life warning: This feature alerts consumers when it's time to replace the alarm. Kidde is the only major manufacturer who tests its CO alarms for long-term reliability, and whose alarms have a built-in end-of-life feature.
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UL or CSA Listed: CO alarms should meet the strict third-party standards set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Canadian Standards Association (CSA). A UL Listed or CSA Listed label should be printed on the product's packaging. Kidde is the only major manufacturer whose CO alarms currently meet the strict standards set forth by both UL and CSA.
Important Features
Below are a few of the major features to consider when selecting CO alarms for the home:
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Accuracy: Look for a statement on the package about the alarm's accuracy level. If the CO alarm is UL listed, then the accuracy statement will have been certified by UL, too.
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Battery Operated: Consumers who live in areas prone to power outages or who own a gas-powered generator should consider a battery-powered CO alarm with a backlit digital display. Battery-powered units offer 24-hour-a-day CO monitoring when power is interrupted. The backlit digital display allows the user to view the CO level in the dark. The alarm can also be placed on a shelf or wall or moved from room-to-room.
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Digital Display: A digital display screen clearly shows the level of CO detected in the home, and updates the reading every 15 seconds.
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Peak-Level Memory: This feature records the highest level of CO present. Knowing the CO level in the home can help emergency personnel determine treatment.
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Plug-in with Battery Backup: Easy to plug into any electrical socket, these alarms include a 9V battery for protection during short-term power outages.
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Voice Warning: This feature clearly announces the threat present in the home, in addition to emitting the traditional alarm beep. It is often a feature of combination smoke/CO alarms.
Placement & Maintenance
Below are recommendations on the optimal placement of your CO alarms:
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Install at least one CO alarm on every floor and in sleeping areas.
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Make sure CO alarms are at least 15 feet away from cooking or heating appliances to prevent false alarms.
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Don't cover or obstruct the unit. Test the CO alarm monthly.
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Replace CO alarms every 5 to 7 years to benefit from the latest technology upgrades.
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Potential CO Dangers in Your Home
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Facts
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CO is a produced anytime a fuel is burned. Potential sources include gas or oil furnaces, water heaters, space heaters, clothes dryers, barbecue grills, fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, gas ovens, generators, and car exhaust fumes.
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Every year more than 10,000 people die or seek medical attention due to CO poisoning from home-related products. (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
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More than two-thirds of Americans use gas, wood, kerosene or another fuel as their home's major heat source.
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65% of CO poisoning deaths from consumer products are due to heating systems.
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Only 27% of homes in America have carbon monoxide alarms, according to the Hardware/Homecenter Research Industry.
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An idling vehicle in an attached garage, even with the garage door opened, can produce concentrated amounts of CO that can enter your home through the garage door or nearby windows.
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CO poisoning deaths from portable generators have doubled for the past two years, and many of these deaths occurred in the winter months and during power outages.
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A poorly maintained gas stove can give off twice the amount of CO than one in good working order.
Prevention
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Install at least one battery-powered CO alarm or AC-powered unit with battery backup on each level of your home and near sleeping areas.
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Do not use charcoal or gas grills inside or operate outdoors near a window where CO fumes could seep in through a window.
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Check all carbon monoxide alarms in your home. Do they use the most accurate sensing technology? Do they need new batteries?
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Replace CO alarms every five to seven years in order to benefit from the latest technology upgrades.
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Have a licensed professional inspect heating systems and other fuel-burning appliances annually.
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Install fuel-burning appliances properly and operate according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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Keep chimneys clear of animal nests, leaves and residue to ensure proper venting. Have all fireplaces cleaned and inspected annually.
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Do not block or seal shut the exhaust flues or ducts used by water heaters, ranges and clothes dryers.
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Do not leave your car running in an attached garage or carport.
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Do not use ovens or stoves to heat your home. | |
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Health and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning |
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CO claims more than 2,000 lives each year. (Journal of the American Medical Association).
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At high concentration levels, carbon monoxide can be fatal in minutes. CO rapidly accumulates in the blood and is attracted to the hemoglobin in your bloodstream. When breathed in, CO passes through the lungs and bonds with hemoglobin, displacing the oxygen that cells need to function.
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Carbon monoxide does not discriminate; everyone is at risk.
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Young children and the elderly accounted for more than 25% of deaths due to CO poisoning in 1999. (CDC)
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Early symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to the flu and are often misdiagnosed. Headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness are all non-specific symptoms of CO poisoning.
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The combined medical cost of CO accidents, lost productivity and lost wages amounts to $8.8 billion a year. Equipping every home with two CO alarms would cut that cost by 93%. (Carbon Monoxide Health and Safety Association)
Young Children
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According to the Mayo Clinic, 51% of all poisoning cases reported involve children six years old and under.
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In 1999, nearly 2,200 children under the age of six were accidentally poisoned by CO. (American Association of Poison Control Centers)
Pregant Women/Unborn Babies
Elderly
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25% of the CO poisoning deaths from home-related products in 2001 were adults 65 years and older. (Consumer Product Safety Commission)
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Older adults more frequently have pre-existing health conditions that affect the heart, lungs and circulatory system. The presence of one or more of these conditions lowers a victim's tolerance and increases the risk of a fatal exposure. (CPSC) |
What are the medical effects of CO?
Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood's ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Once combined with the hemoglobin, that hemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen.
How quickly the carboxyhemoglobin builds up is a factor of the concentration of the gas being inhaled (measured in parts per million or PPM) and the duration of the exposure. Compounding the effects of the exposure is the long half-life of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood. Half-life is a measure of how quickly levels return to normal. The half-life of carboxyhemoglobin is approximately 5 hours. This means that for a given exposure level, it will take about 5 hours for the level of carboxyhemoglobin in the blood to drop to half its current level after the exposure is terminated.
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Symptoms Associated with a Given Concentration of COHb |
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% COHb |
Symptoms and Medical Consequences |
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10 |
No symptoms. Heavy smokers can have as much as 9% COHb. |
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15 |
Mild headache. |
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25 |
Nausea and serious headache. Fairly quick recovery after treatment with oxygen and/or fresh air. |
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30 |
Symptoms intensify. Potential for long term effects especially in the case of infants, children, the elderly, victims of heart disease and pregnant women. |
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45 |
Unconsciousness |
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50+ |
Death |
Since one can't easily measure COHb levels outside of a medical environment, CO toxicity levels are usually expressed in airborne concentration levels (PPM) and duration of exposure. Expressed in this way, symptoms of exposure can be stated as follows:
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Symptoms Associated with a Given Concentration of CO Over Time |
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PPM CO |
Time |
Symptoms |
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35 |
8 hours |
Maximum exposure allowed by OSHA in the workplace over an eight hour period. |
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200 |
2-3 hours |
Mild headache, fatigue, nausea and dizziness. |
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400 |
1-2 hours |
Serious headache-other symptoms intensify. Life threatening after 3 hours. |
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800 |
45 minutes |
Dizziness, nausea and convulsions. Unconscious within 2 hours. Death within 2-3 hours. |
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1600 |
20 minutes |
Headache, dizziness and nausea. Death within 1 hour. |
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3200 |
5-10 minutes |
Headache, dizziness and nausea. Death within 1 hour. |
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6400 |
1-2 minutes |
Headache, dizziness and nausea. Death within 25-30 minutes. |
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12,800 |
1-3 minutes |
Death |
As can be seen from the above information, the symptoms vary widely based on exposure level, duration and the general health and age on an individual. Also note the one recurrent theme that is most significant in the recognition of carbon monoxide poisoning- headache, dizziness and nausea. These 'flu like' symptoms are often mistaken for a real case of the flu and can result in delayed or misdiagnosed treatment. When experienced in conjunction with a the sounding of a carbon monoxide these symptoms are the best indicator that a potentially serious buildup of carbon monoxide exists.
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