Difficult to detect and treat once the damage is done, carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer. This sneaky, toxic gas finds its way into your home through a wide range of seemingly harmless sources.

Even in small doses carbon monoxide can be harmful and may even cause permanent damage if not caught quickly, and heavy exposure can be lethal in the worst cases.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control reports carbon monoxide poisoning sends about 15,000 people to the emergency room and kills 480 people each year. This is a type of gas exposure that should not be taken lightly.

 

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is near impossible to identify without a proper detector. It is caused by fuels not burning completely, including wood, gasoline, coal, propane, natural gas, gasoline, and heating oil. This unburned fuel can come from anything from clothes dryers, water heaters, and ovens to ranges, a fire-burning fireplace, or a car left running in a closed garage.

When carbon monoxide passes through the lungs, it enters the red blood cells and binds to hemoglobin in the same place as oxygen. This forms carboxyhemoglobin, which interferes with the transportation and gas exchange of oxygen in the red blood cells. This starves the body of oxygen, permanently damages brain and lung tissue, and induces suffocation. Perhaps most troubling is that before symptoms turn lethal, they may come off as symptoms of a flu or cold, such as shortness of breath, nausea, or mild headaches.

One way to prevent extreme or even mild exposure to carbon monoxide is to install a carbon monoxide detector or detectors in your home, either on their own or connected to a full security system.

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How do carbon monoxide detectors work?

Carbon monoxide detectors sound an alarm when they sense a certain amount of carbon monoxide in the air over time. Different types of alarms are triggered by different types of sensors.

•  Bio-mimetic sensor: A gel changes color when it absorbs carbon monoxide, and this color change triggers the alarm.

•  Metal oxide semiconductor: When the silica chip's circuitry detects carbon monoxide, it lowers the electrical resistance, and this change triggers the alarm.

•  Electro chemical sensor: Electrodes immersed in a chemical solution sense changes in electrical currents when they come into contact with carbon dioxide, and this change triggers the alarm.

Once the alarm sounds, the carbon monoxide detector must be in a carbon monoxide-free environment to reset itself.