How to tell if your carbon monoxide detector is working
Just because there are batteries in your carbon monoxide detector doesn't mean that it's operating like it should. Does that surprise you? Pressing the test button only reveals whether the batteries are fresh enough and if the appliance is getting power. You're really only testing the siren. It doesn't tell you whether the device will detect a dangerous concentration of carbon monoxide.
The quality of your indoor air is very important for the health and safety of your family. If your carbon monoxide detector is more than 5 years old, it's time to replace it. But if not, here's what you need to know about how your detector works and how to test to be sure that it's working at all.
WHY CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTION IS IMPORTANT
Carbon monoxide, often abbreviated as CO, is an odorless gas that's always present, but high concentrations are dangerous. Combustion increases the levels, which can come from a gas furnace, water heater, fireplace, gas stove or any other device that burns some type of fuel. Most of these are well ventilated, which routes much of the gas outside.
High concentrations of carbon monoxide can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and even death. And while anyone can suffer CO poisoning, especially while sleeping at night, the Centers for Disease Control says that elderly people, infants, people with chronic heart disease and those with pre-existing breathing problems are the most at risk.
TYPES OF CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
Carbon monoxide Detectors fall into three categories: Metal oxide, biometric and electrochemical. While each type works differently, they're all effective as long as the detector is working properly.
Detectors might have a lot of features, or only a few. Some are combination units that work in conjunction with your smoke detectors. Yours might have a digital readout that shows CO levels, a peak level memory which remembers the highest amount ever present in the area, remote control for silencing the alarm and they all have a device or button for testing.
An electrician can install hard-wired CO detectors, which are safer than those with only a battery.
HOW TO TEST YOUR CO DETECTOR
You should test the batteries in your CO detector by pressing the test button or with another test device no less than once a month, and more frequently during heating season if you use gas heat. As for testing the effectiveness of the appliance, you'll need a special kit.
Unlike a smoke detector, which you can test using a match or a blown out candle, you need something that produces a high concentration of CO to be sure that your detector is working like it should. Test kits that include a canister of CO let you expose the device to high levels of the gas. If it's working, the alarm will sound within a few minutes to half an hour of constant exposure. They don't always alarm immediately the way that a smoke detector does.
