Are some types of detectors better than others? How do I select the best detector for me?

Regardless of the type of sensor used all detectors sold on the market today should conform to minimum sensitivity and alarm characteristics. These characteristics have been defined and are verified by Underwriters Laboratory in their standard for carbon monoxide detectors UL 2034. This standard was most recently revised in June of 1995 and went into effect in October of 1995. This revision specified additional requirements regarding identification of detector type, low-level (nuisance) alarm sensitivity and alarm silencing. Under no circumstances should one purchase a detector that is not UL listed.

How many carbon monoxide detectors should I have and where should I place them?

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends a detector on each floor of a residence. At a minimum, a single detector should be placed on each sleeping floor with an additional detector in the area of any major gas burning appliances such as a furnace or water heater. Installation in these areas ensures rapid detection of any potentially malfunctioning appliances and the ability to hear the alarm from all sleeping areas. In general, carbon monoxide detectors should be placed high (near the ceiling) for most effective use. Detectors should also not be placed within five feet of gas fueled appliances or near cooking or bathing areas. Consult the manufacturers installation instructions for proper placement of a detector within a given area.

What are the most common causes of carbon monoxide detector alarms?

There are many conditions which can cause a carbon monoxide detector to alarm. Most are preventable and few are actually life threatening. Ideally through proper placement of the detector and education of the users the number of preventable calls can be minimized and activation will only occur in the more serious situations.

What should I do when my carbon monoxide detector goes off?

First and foremost, stay calm. As mentioned previously most situations resulting in activation of a carbon monoxide detector are not life threatening and do not require calling 911. To determine the need to call 911, ask the following question of everyone in the household:

"Does anyone feel ill? Is anyone experiencing the 'flu-like' symptoms of headache, nausea or dizziness?"
If the answer to the above by anyone in the household is true, evacuate the household to a safe location and have someone call 911. Failure to evacuate immediately may result in prolonged exposure and worsening effects from possible carbon monoxide gas. The best initial treatment for carbon monoxide gas exposure is fresh air.

If the answer to the above by everyone in the household is no, the likelihood of a serious exposure is greatly diminished and one probably does not need to call 911. Instead, turn off any gas burning appliances or equipment, ventilate the area and attempt to reset the alarm. If the alarm will not reset or resounds, call a qualified heating and ventilating service contractor to inspect your system for possible problems. If at any time during this process someone begins to feel ill with the symptoms described above evacuate the household to a safe location and have someone call 911.

What can I expect to happen if I call 911?

What to expect when calling 911 is based on the polices and procedures of the public safety agencies serving your community and will vary from area to area. Most public safety agencies are, however, recognizing the dangers posed by carbon monoxide gas and are adopting similar procedures to the ones described below. These procedures are based on information developed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and other national and regional associations. The objective of these procedures is to quickly determine the severity of the situation and provide the proper emergency response. The following is a summary of what one can expect to happen if the call 911 because a carbon monoxide detector is sounding:

When initially calling 911 be prepared to provide the following information:

Your address.
The type of detector that is sounding.
Whether or not anyone is feeling ill with 'flu-like' symptoms as previously described.
Whether or not everyone has evacuated the residence.
The reading on the detector (if known or available)
The dispatcher will determine the response required based on the answers to the above- most significantly whether or not anyone is feeling ill.

If anyone is feeling ill and/or you can not or have not been able to evacuate everyone, law enforcement, medical and fire personnel will be assigned to the call on an emergency basis. Law enforcement to assist with the immediate evacuation of individuals, medical to treat any victims and fire to monitor for CO gas and assist with the other activities.

If no one is feeling ill, you may be advised to contact your local heating contractor or gas company to assist you or, more likely, fire personnel will be dispatched on a routine basis to monitor for CO gas and advise if a 'real' carbon monoxide problem exists.

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