This is a sponsored post in partnership with First Alert and Mom It Forward. All opinions and ideas are my own.  Today I am thrilled to be sharing how to keep our families safe!

 

Who needs a carbon monoxide alarm? The answer is you and me.  To be honest I had no idea! Carbon monoxide alarms are the only way to detect this poisonous gas, yet nearly half of Americans report not having CO alarms in their homes. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the United States and is responsible for an average of 450 deaths and more than 20,000 emergency room visits each year. These statistics are startling! I had no idea that this poisonous gas was the #1 cause of accidental poisoning.

I want to protect my family this winter and all year long!

hopper family

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless and deadly gas that can be produced by any fuel-burning device, such as a furnace, boiler, stove and, of course, cars. It is known as “the silent killer,” 

Compounding the issue and concern is that carbon monoxide poisoning is notoriously difficult to diagnose, often until it’s too late. The symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses, including nausea, headaches, dizziness, weakness, chest pain and vomiting. 

How can you protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning?

  • Run kitchen vents or exhaust fans any time the stove is in use.
  • Never use generators, charcoal grills, camp stoves and other similar devices indoors.
  • In the case of a power outage, portable electric generators must be used outside and at least 15 feet from the home.
  • Have fuel-burning appliances inspected regularly.
  • Arrange for a professional inspection of all fuel-burning appliances (such as furnaces, stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, water heaters and space heaters) annually to detect any CO leaks.
  • Never leave a car running in an attached garage. Even if the garage door is open, CO emissions can leak into the home.

first alert carbon monoxide

Install a First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm

After you have installed an alarm, use this CO alarm checklist to keep your alarm in proper working condition:

  • Clear CO alarms of all dust and debris.
  • Ensure that alarms are plugged all the way into the outlet or, if battery operated, have working batteries installed. Some CO alarms, like the CO710 or the PRC710V, have a 10-year sealed lithium battery that never needs to be changed for the life of the alarm.
  • Test the alarm regularly, and replace the batteries every six months. If you have a 10-year battery alarm, it is still important to test the alarm regularly.
  • We recommend checking or replacing the batteries when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall (every six months) for Daylight Saving Time.
  • Alarms don’t last forever, and it is necessary to replace carbon monoxide alarms every five to 10 years (PRC710V and CO710 batteries last 10 years), and smoke alarms every 10 years.
  • If you can’t remember or don’t know how old the alarm is, it is best to replace the unit completely.
  • Make certain each person can hear the CO alarm sound from his or her sleeping room and that the sound is loud enough to awaken everyone. If young children are in the house, consider a smoke and CO combination alarm from First Alert that features both voice and location technology, such as the PRC710V.  Studies have shown children between the ages of 6 and 10 wake more easily to a voice than to the traditional audible beep of an alarm.
  • Make sure alarms are installed at least 15 feet away from sources of CO to reduce the chance of false alarms.

 

First Alert

The threat of carbon monoxide is at its highest during the winter. January is National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month, and the perfect time to stop the silent killer in its tracks by taking measures to ensure your home is properly equipped with working CO alarms. First Alert has a variety of alarms to fit each home’s specific needs and, most importantly keep families safe.

  • The CO710 is a nice table-top addition, uses a digital display with temperature and can be easily added to any room
  • The PRC710V provides both smoke and CO protection, has a 10-year battery and features both voice and location technology
  • The CO400 is an easy-to-use, battery-operated alarm with a wall mount
  • The CO615 is a plug-in alarm with battery backup with digital display

 

What do you do if your carbon monoxide alarm ever sounds?

If your CO alarm ever sounds, leave the home immediately and call 911.

WIN Four Carbon monoxide Alarms for your home!

Easy entry!

  • Like First Alert on Facebook
  • Leave a blog post comment that answers the question: How are you preparing for National Carbon Monoxide Safety Month?

You will win:

  1. 10-Year Combination Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice and Location Alerts (PRC710V) (MSRP: $59.99)
  2. 10-Year Alarm Life Carbon Monoxide Alarm (CO710) (MSRP: $49.95)
  3. Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Battery Backup & Digital Display (CO615) (MSRP: $38.49)
  4. Battery Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm (CO400) (MSRP: $18.99)
    Total retail value: $167.42

 


About Cindy Hopper

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Comments

  1. By sharing this with friends, and making sure they know how to be safe from carbon monoxide poisoning.

  2. How am I preparing for Carbon Monoxide poisoning month…after reading the blog post and checking our current dedector, I see we our current one is more than 10 years old.

  3. Would love to win this! We currently have a monitor but I’ve wanted to have the combination alarm with the voice alert for my kids room. I haven’t had our heater checked in a couple of years, so I’m making an appointment today to have all our gas appliances checked. Thanks for the reminder!

  4. We bought our first house a few months ago and just a few days ago a friend was sharing a scary story of someone they knew who died because of a gas leak. I went home to check the batteries on our smoke detectors & carbon monoxide detectors only to realize that we didn’t have any carbon monoxide detectors at all! I thought they were just standard because our rentals had always had them! Getting some ASAP especially because we have a gas stove.

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