Carbon Monoxide Detection: James Island Heating & Air Experts
You may do everything in your power to keep your home safe and secure from threats, but you may not realize perhaps one of the largest threats to you and your family’s safety may already be inside.
Carbon monoxide is commonly known as the “silent killer” because it’s odorless, tasteless, and colorless, making it virtually impossible for human senses to detect. However, it’s also extremely toxic and in haling too much of it can be deadly.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors Protect Your Family
Fortunately, detectors exist that can alert you to the presence of carbon monoxide well before levels reach potentially deadly. This will allow you to ventilate your home and fix the issue. Every homeowner should have at least a couple of these detectors located at different important spots. Put one in the kitchen area and another in a central location near bedrooms. Let’s take a look at why this is important.
Almost Every Home Can Have Carbon Monoxide
We know what you might be thinking. Why not just do everything you can to remove the contributing factors for carbon monoxide? To be honest that’s easier said than done. You may have to remove some of your most utilized features or devices to do so.
Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of the combustion process. In other words, anything that burns can create carbon monoxide. This includes:
- Candles
- Incense sticks
- Fireplace
- Gas range or oven
- Central heater (if it runs on gas)
Even a gas-burning laundry dryer or water heater can create carbon monoxide. While not every home has a natural gas connection, the majority of homes do. This means the majority of homes utilize appliances that run on gas and could create carbon monoxide.
Now, does that mean these appliances are inherently unsafe? No, not at all.
Most gas-burning appliances have exhaust systems built. This allows them to safely dispose of these carbon monoxide fumes. While a little bit might sneak in to your air, odds are it’s nowhere near enough to cause any harm.
However, you should inspect these appliances fairly regularly to make sure they are well cared-for and in good condition to avoid the possibility of any leaks making things worse.
Selecting a Detector
Fortunately, you can protect yourself from carbon monoxide by purchasing a detector and have your James Island heating and air specialists install it.
At Carney & Son 72 Degrees, we provide reliable and trustworthy carbon monoxide detector services, including in-home installation and testing to ensure your home remains safe and secure.
All models we offer are reliable and come with a five-year warranty to give you the peace of mind of knowing you’re protected. We can even come to your home and run thorough carbon monoxide testing to set you up with an ideal carbon monoxide detector solution that keeps your whole home protected for years to come.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends at least one detector on each floor of your residence as well as one detector in each area where major gas-burning appliances can be found, such as in your garage, laundry area, or kitchen.
Most of these detectors have battery backups in them—be sure to check these batteries periodically and replace them as needed to ensure they continue to function should their main power connection go down.
Causes of Carbon Monoxide Leaks
It’s particularly important to have these detectors during winter months if you have a gas-burning furnace because your furnace is arguably the largest risk factor when it comes to carbon monoxide formation. A crack in your furnace heat exchanger could rapidly leak carbon monoxide out into the air, creating a huge threat to your home, and other malfunctions could also cause leaks as well.
These leaks most commonly appear during the first heat cycle of the season, which means it’s important to have your system maintained and inspected before firing up your furnace for the first time by a James Island Heating and Air specialist.
If you need a furnace inspection or maintenance service, call the James Island heating and air repair experts at Carney & Son 72 Degrees today at to schedule an in-home appointment!