We all know that having smoke detectors installed in the home is a must, but what you might not know is that carbon monoxide (CO) detectors are just as vital to your safety, especially during the winter months!

According to the Centers For Disease Control (CDC), when winter temperatures plummet, the heating system in the home runs for hours, which can put your home at a high risk for a carbon monoxide leak. Approximately 50,000 people in the U.S. visit the emergency room due to accidentally carbon monoxide poisoning, and at least 430 people die from it. If your home does not have a functioning carbon monoxide detector, you need to call your electrician immediately to have one installed properly! 

The most dangerous thing about carbon monoxide poisoning is that it’s colorless and odorless, making it invisible. Even if you are able to escape before completely succumbing to this poison, you might experience symptoms like loss of balance, memory and vision loss, and eventually loss of consciousness. This can happen within 2 hours if you’re not careful. Carbon monoxide can affect your entire household, including your pets, so it’s best to have your electrician install an alarm that alerts you of CO in the air even when you’re away from home. 

At F.H. Furr, our electricians will help you decide on the best carbon monoxide alarm for your home. More often then not, we’ll recommend a Nest Protect Smart Smoke and CO Alarm, which, as the name suggests, alerts detects both smoke and carbon monoxide, so you don’t need to install separate systems. When a little danger is sensed, the alarm speaks in a friendly, non panic-inducing tone and glows yellow, so you’re able to take the proper steps to evacuate without feeling the stress of the alarm continuously blaring through your home. The Nest Protect tells you where the danger is, pinpointing the room where the carbon monoxide is coming from, allowing you to give the right instructions to the fire department should you need to. 

This detector is considered a “smart home” appliance, which means it connects to your devices so that you can get alerts and even silence it from anywhere. It’s also convenient as it lights up when you walk past, giving you a little glow when you’re up at late night. When there’s a serious emergency, such as a heavy flow of carbon monoxide, or an immediate, smoldering fire, it sounds a more intense alarm and pulses red, once again, notifying you of where the emergency is located. 

Whether your electrician installs a Nest Protect or a more basic carbon monoxide alarm model, it’s important that you have a functioning alert system installed this winter! Want to learn more about electrical safety? Contact us today and have an electrician perform an electrical safety inspection in your home to maintain your system and inform you of potential hazards to keep your home and family safe this winter!