Have your ever walked to the refrigerator then forgot what you were after? What about leaving a room and not shutting the lights off? Or leaving the water running in the kitchen sink? What does that have to do with a blog about carbon monoxide safety? Just bear with us, and Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air will connect the dots for you.
CO Safety
November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month, so it’s a great time to refresh everyone’s memory about the dangers of this gas produced by all fuel burning devices. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it, but it can kill you. The first line of defense is to install carbon monoxide (CO) detectors. They sound an alarm when the indoor air quality shows a dangerously high level of CO gas.
Detectors in garage
We are often asked where the detectors should be located? One of our answers is don’t forget about the garage. Especially with an attached garage. There are many reasons why you need detectors in the garage, and this is where we relate this to forgetfulness.
Modern vehicles
New technology using key fobs and remote starting makes it very easy to accidentally leave a car running in the garage. If you don’t believe me, just do an online search about the number of times it happens. When a vehicle is left running with the garage doors closed, carbon monoxide can quickly flood the attached home. A detector in the garage can give you early warning even when you’re sleeping
More dangers
The danger doesn’t stop there. Any fuel burning device in a garage can create carbon monoxide safety issues. While heated garages aren’t common in Auburn, Opelika, and Montgomery, AL you still need to be aware of the danger. For example, let’s say you decide to have a big party in your garage to watch the Iron Bowl this year. You take the chill off with a portable propane heater. That’s not a good idea, but it’s even more dangerous if you don’t have a CO detector. Some people also have gas water heaters in the garage which can be another source of carbon monoxide.
Maintenance
We also want to discourage slapping up CO detectors and forgetting about them. Just like smoke detectors, they need to have batteries changed on a regular basis. Many people use the daylight savings time change as a reminder to change batteries.
We’re always here to help
Dixie Electric, Plumbing & Air is always available to answer your questions about carbon monoxide safety and other indoor air quality issues. Use Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month to assure your family’s safety. For more great information be sure to like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
