| A carbon monoxide monitor is a must to detect | | | | know where to go without having to think about |
| dangerous levels of the deadly gas in your home. | | | | it. |
| But if you don't have an emergency plan, then all | | | | If your carbon monoxide monitor keeps going off, |
| the alarms in the world aren't going to help you! | | | | or you aren't sure where the leak is coming from, |
| Here's what you need to do when your carbon | | | | get out of the house and call the fire department |
| monoxide monitor goes off. | | | | and your gas company. Keep emergency |
| Before you do anything, check and see if it really | | | | numbers in your cell phone, or somewhere |
| is your carbon monoxide monitor, and not your | | | | outside of the house so that they are accessible, |
| smoke detector that is sounding. They are often | | | | such as your car. |
| installed in the same area, and often sound similar. | | | | Have your connections, vents, pipes and such |
| Next, get everyone in the house together and | | | | checked by a professional. Start with your |
| check for carbon monoxide poisoning. Quickly find | | | | furnace, and work your way through all of your |
| out if any of them are experiencing headaches, | | | | appliances until you find the source of the leak. It's |
| nausea, dizziness or confusion. If they are, get | | | | a good idea to have a regular maintenance plan to |
| them out of the house and into the fresh air | | | | make sure everything is operational and up to |
| immediately and call emergency services. Carbon | | | | code. |
| monoxide poisoning can be diagnosed with a blood | | | | Having a carbon monoxide monitor is just one |
| test, so be sure to have that done. | | | | component of carbon monoxide safety. Annual |
| Ventilate the house. Open all the doors and | | | | maintenance, and an established emergency plan, |
| windows to let the gas dissipate. Next, turn off all | | | | will help you and your family stay safe. After you |
| of your gas appliances and make sure any open | | | | install your monitor, develop a plan with your |
| flames are put out. This includes cigarettes, pilot | | | | family and assign tasks, so that everyone knows |
| lights... anything that is combustible. If you can, | | | | exactly what to do and where to go in the event |
| shut off the main valve. It's a good idea to have | | | | that your alarm goes off. Being prepared and |
| a map of all gas appliances in the home, such as | | | | monitoring regularly will ensure that you are |
| space heaters, dryers and such, so that you | | | | protected. |