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Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detector Installation

Household Protection Against Preventable Disasters

According to The Journal of the American Medical Association, 2,100 Americans die annually in the United States from unintentional carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Carbon monoxide poisoning has actually grown to be our nation’s leading poisoning deaths cause. Carbon monoxide has no color, odor, or taste, so this killer is undetectable if you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector. However, you can easily prevent carbon monoxide poisoning if your home has a carbon monoxide detector. Furthermore, homeowners are required by law to place smoke detectors in their homes, no matter what home type they have. Having Mr. Electric of Lansing perform a carbon monoxide and smoke detector installation at your Lansing or East Lancing, MI property can help you successfully safeguard your loved ones against domestic disasters.

Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detector Installation

Household Protection Against Preventable Disasters

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  • Do you have adequate protection against carbon monoxide poisoning in your home? If a malfunctioning appliance causes a carbon monoxide leak while you’re sleeping at night, you won’t wake up and notice your house is filling with poisonous gas if you don’t install a carbon monoxide detector. Furthermore, carbon monoxide can kill your loved ones in minutes, depending on what level carbon monoxide reaches in your indoor spaces. Carbon monoxide detectors alert you when they detect elevated carbon monoxide levels that put you at risk of CO poisoning. We’ve listed various symptoms of CO poisoning to help you identify when you’re at risk of poisoning. You might feel like you have the flu but not have a fever. The following warning signs can indicate your home is filling with carbon monoxide:

    • Dizziness
    • Nausea
    • Vomiting
    • Headache
    • Sleepiness
    • Lightheadedness
    • Confusion
    • Chest pain
    • Irregular breathing
    • Shortness of breath
    • Fatigue or weakness

  • Mr. Electric of Lansing can help you meet state and local laws by installing smoke detectors in your home. These laws require residents to place smoke detectors near every bedroom in a house, and they may also need to be present in halls, stairways, and garages. According to new construction laws, you must have smoke detectors hooked up to your electrical wiring in a new home. These smoke detectors must also have a battery backup system and interconnect with each other. The National Fire Protection Association advises residents to replace old smoke detectors every 10 years. As these systems age, their electrical components become unreliable. We can help you choose which smoke detectors fit your needs, such as the following:

    • Ionization – This detector type has a continuous current running between electrodes. When smoke travels into a unit, it interrupts the current and sounds an alarm.
    • Photoelectric – With this detector type, a unit responds to light reduction reaching an internal photocell. Smoke going into the unit scatters light and causes the alarm to sound.
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What Are the Sources of Carbon Monoxide?

Various household appliances can produce carbon monoxide in your home, such as wood or gas fireplaces, water heaters, gas ranges or stoves, gas clothes dryers, and furnaces. Fuel-burning space heaters, car exhaust, and gas or charcoal grills are other CO-producing sources. Using these features and appliances when they have venting malfunctions or in poorly ventilated areas can cause rapid carbon monoxide buildup. A clogged chimney or closed woodstove flue can also cause carbon monoxide to back up into your home. Mr. Electric of Lansing makes safety our top priority. You can prevent CO poisoning at home by following our recommended ways:

  • Place at least one CO detector per level in your home and outside each bedroom.
  • Change the batteries in your CO detectors every six to 12 months.
  • Never start and run any device with a fuel-fed motor, such as a vehicle or generator, inside your home or garage.
  • Always turn off your vehicle while it’s parked inside your garage.
  • Look for the seal of approval from the American Gas Association or Underwriters’ Laboratories (UL) whenever you purchase a gas appliance or equipment.
  • Have a licensed appliance professional perform an annual gas appliance inspection.
  • Never use flameless chemical heaters in enclosed spaces or indoors.
  • Always have a service expert repair any malfunctioning gas appliance.
  • Always open your fireplace or furnace flue when burning a fire.
  • Never use a gas oven to heat your home.
  • Always run grills in a well-ventilated outdoor area.
  • Use battery-operated heaters whenever you go camping.
  • Adjust all gas appliances properly and use an exhaust fan whenever it’s appropriate.
  • Understand the unique sounds your smoke detectors and CO detectors make (each differs from the other).
  • Contact your local fire department if you can’t afford to buy and install a CO detector. This public service provider has programs in place to help the elderly and low-income households acquire these devices.

  • Smoke will rise in the air, but carbon monoxide spreads throughout your home evenly. Standalone carbon monoxide detectors should be installed at knee and chest height whenever possible. Mr. Electric of Lansing advises homeowners to place CO detectors at knee height because their heads are at about that level when they’re asleep. We also recommend chest-height CO detector placement if children or pets live in your home that might tamper with detectors because they don’t know any better. However, you must always install combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on your ceiling to alert you when they pick up a fire’s earliest smoke signs. Placing CO and smoke detectors behind curtains or doors to keep them out of view can negatively affect their functionality. Instead, you should always install them in open areas.

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