Carbon monoxide (CO) is a byproduct of burning various fuels and can come from a variety of common, everyday home appliances. It’s a tasteless, odorless, colorless, and poisonous gas when inhaled, and all steps should be taken to help make sure you never do.

Normally the toxic gases from fuel combustion are expelled from the home, but processes called the “stack effect” and “backdraft” can keep them trapped inside. The stack effect occurs when faulty appliances create a negative air pressure inside the home by ventilating too much air out of the home. The building will then “backdraft” to compensate for the air pressure imbalance by sucking air—including toxic gases—back inside.

This is usually caused by loose vent pipes, cracked metal, or corrosion. Your home could also have internal equipment damage, malfunctioning components, or a hidden blockage or damage in the vent or chimney.

How to Prevent Serious Side Effects

If you have battery operated carbon monoxide detectors in your home, here’s something you should know about them. Typically, their alarms don’t sound until CO levels have reach 70 parts per million (ppm) or higher, levels at which symptoms of CO poisoning can already be in evidence.

Here at Excel Electrical Technologies, however, we installed high-quality, hard-wired CO detectors, far superior to battery operated models. Here’s why:

• The alarm sounds at CO levels as low as 10 ppm, giving you plenty of time to evacuate before anyone becomes ill.
• When one alarm goes off, it signals all other hard-wired detectors in your house causing those alarms to sound as well. That helps everyone react quickly to the potential danger at hand.
• Our CO detectors come with battery back-up power. That way if you lose power, you still have the protection you need. Just be sure to faithfully replace your batteries at least once a year.

To learn more or to schedule installation of hard-wired CO detectors in your home, contact Excel Electrical Technologies today. All installations are backed by our 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.