Carbon Monoxide Alarms
The threat of CO poisoning is real. That’s what makes a CO detector essential in every home. Learn what carbon monoxide is, and how you can help protect your family.
What is carbon monoxide?
Most people are unaware there may be a silent killer lurking in their home. Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas that is colorless, tasteless and potentially fatal. It’s produced when fossil fuel burns incompletely because of insufficient oxygen. Many ordinary household things such as wood stoves, coal and charcoal fires always produce carbon monoxide, as do gasoline engines.
How dangerous is carbon monoxide? Consider these facts:
- According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more than 400 people accidentally die from carbon monoxide each year in the United States, more than from any other poison
- In the United States, an estimated 20,000 people are treated annually for CO poisoning in hospital emergency rooms, but it is believed that many more are misdiagnosed, or never seek medical care.
At low concentrations, CO can go undetected and contribute to nagging illnesses
- Exposure to CO happens most often within the home, a place families count on for safety and comfort
- Because CO poisoning symptoms are so similar to that of the flu, CO-related health problems are often misdiagnosed or ignored until it’s too late. Animals are also at risk, while unborn babies, infants, and people with chronic heart disease, anemia and respiratory problems are more susceptible to its effects
- Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
Common household appliances can be a deadly source of CO poison
CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion of fuels like natural gas, liquid propane, coal, oil and wood. That means a defective furnace, a blocked chimney, faulty gas appliances like a water heater or range, clogged venting or a car idling in the garage can all present a serious danger to your family.
How can you keep your family safe? A reliable CO detector is a great defense
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), knowledge is the key to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning. In many cases of unintentional poisonings, the person didn’t know carbon monoxide was being produced. Even with regular maintenance and checkups, any appliance can malfunction at any time, silently emitting poisonous CO into your air with no warning. Unless, of course, you help guard your family against this threat by having at least one dependable CO detector in your home. No appliance is designed to last forever. The potential for exposure to CO is a real one, and your family could be poisoned without even knowing it. Installing a CO detector is one important way to alert your family to this potential danger.
The CO Detector and CO Protection Plan are not regulated by the Michigan Public Service Commission.
