Protect your home with Kidde
Kidde offers a large range of CO alarms. View all our CO alarms.
CO is produced any time fuel is burned. Potential sources of CO include the following household items. Heating systems can be particularly dangerous.
- Furnaces
- Water heaters
- Clothes dryers
- Stoves
- Fireplaces
- Portable generators
- BBQ’s used in an enclose space
- Vehicles running in an attached garage
At high concentration levels, CO can be fatal in minutes. When breathed in, CO passes through the lungs and bonds with hemoglobin, displacing the oxygen that cells need to function. Early symptoms of CO poisoning are similar to that of the flu and are often misdiagnosed.
Common CO poisoning symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
All people are at risk of CO poisoning. Unborn babies, young children, the elderly, and people with chronic heart disease, anaemia or respiratory problems are generally more at risk than others.
- CO is a colourless, odourless and tasteless poisonous gas that can be fatal when inhaled
- CO is often referred to as the “invisible killer”
- CO inhibits the blood’s capacity to carry oxygen
- CO is produced when fuels such as gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil or wood is burned
- Any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning or improperly installed
- Furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, stoves, fireplaces and portable generators
- BBQs used in an enclosed space
- Vehicles running in an attached garage
- Blocked chimney or flue
- Cracked or loose furnace exchanger
- Back-drafting and changes in air pressure
Initial symptoms are similar to the flu without a fever and can include dizziness, severe headaches, nausea, sleepiness, fatigue and disorientation.
- Mild Exposure: A slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, flu-like symptoms
- Medium Exposure: A severe headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate
- Extreme Exposure: Dizziness, convulsions, unconsciousness, brain damage, heart and lung failure followed by death
- The only safe way to detect CO in your home is with a working CO alarm. Equip your home with CO alarms on every level and outside each sleeping area.
- Have your boiler, vents, chimney, and flue inspected annually by a qualified technician
- Install and operate appliances according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Only purchase appliances that have been approved by a nationally recognised testing laboratory
- Never use a gas stove to heat the home
- Never leave a vehicle running in a closed garage
- Never use a BBQ or portable generator near your home. CO emitted by these items can seep into your home through vents and doors.
- A carbon monoxide alarm must be installed in any room which is used wholly or partly as living accommodation and contains a fixed combustion appliance. (Except gas cookers)
- A digital display allows you to see if CO is present and respond before it becomes a dangerous situation. Peak level memory stores the highest recorded reading prior to being reset. This feature enables you to know if there was a reading while you were away from home, and also can help emergency responders determine the best treatment.
