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Carbon monoxide detector attached to wall of home
January 08, 2024

Where To Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors In Your Wausau Home

Homeowners must defend against numerous risks like fire, burglary, and flooding. But what about something that can’t be perceived by human senses? Carbon monoxide poses unique challenges as you may never know it’s there. Even so, implementing CO detectors can simply safeguard yourself and your household. Learn more about this dangerous gas and where to place carbon monoxide detectors in your Wausau residence.

What Is Carbon Monoxide?

Known as the silent killer due to its absence of odor, color, and taste, carbon monoxide is a commonly found gas caused by an incomplete combustion of fuels. Any fuel-utilizing appliance like a fireplace or furnace may produce carbon monoxide. Although you usually won’t have any trouble, issues can arise when appliances are not frequently maintained or adequately vented. These mistakes can cause a proliferation of the potentially lethal gas in your residence. Generators and heating appliances are commonly to blame for CO poisoning.

When subjected to low levels of CO, you could suffer from fatigue, headaches, dizziness nausea, or vomiting. Continuous exposure to high concentrations can cause cardiorespiratory failure, and even death.

Recommendations On Where To Place Wausau Carbon Monoxide Detectors

If you don’t own at least one carbon monoxide detector in your interior, get one now. Preferably, you should have one on each floor, including basements. Browse these recommendations on where to place carbon monoxide detectors in Wausau:

  • Put them on every level, especially in places where you use fuel-burning appliances, including water heaters, furnaces, gas dryers, and fireplaces.
  • Always have one within 10 feet of bedroom areas. If you only install one CO detector, this is the place for it.
  • install them approximately 10 to 20 feet from potential CO producing appliances.
  • Avoid placing them right above or next to fuel-burning appliances, as a small degree of carbon monoxide might be released when they turn on and prompt a false alarm.
  • Secure them to walls about five feet from the ground so they will sample air where people are breathing it.
  • Avoid using them in dead-air areas and next to windows or doors.
  • Place one in rooms above garages.

Inspect your CO detectors regularly and maintain them according to manufacturer instructions. You will typically need to replace them in six years or less. You should also make sure any fuel-utilizing appliances are in in good working shape and sufficiently vented.