Carbon monoxide is called “The Silent Killer” and with good reason.

That’s because it is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you.

In my time as a journalist, one of the hardest stories I had to write was about the funeral for a family of six who died in their Fenton Township home due to carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Leonard and Heather Quasarno and their four children – Luke, 11, Brendan, 9, Rachel, 7, and Grant, 2, were overcome by carbon monoxide from a generator inside their home. The generator had been set up following a power outage a few days earlier.

This story from 2016 has stuck with me because this is the sort of thing that happens all too often. The Centers for Disease Control reports hundreds of people die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning and makes thousands more sick.

Having a carbon monoxide detector in your home is important, and here’s why.

Reasons Why Every Home Needs a Carbon Monoxide Detector

Carbon monoxide detectors in a home can save a life.

Here are a few other reasons why to have them installed.

• A carbon monoxide detector is on the frontline of knowing when levels are rising. The noise set off by the detector can alert you when there is carbon monoxide in your home. Most detectors are loud enough to be heard throughout the house.
  
  
• The system is designed to alert you about carbon monoxide levels before someone gets sick. A carbon monoxide detector is designed to alert you of the deadly gas before levels get too high and before anyone gets sick. It’s important though to know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning just in case. Those symptoms include headaches, dizziness, and nausea.
  
  
• The detector will let you know that one of your appliances isn’t working properly. Any appliance that produces heat can also produce carbon monoxide. A carbon monoxide detector can alert you if your appliances like your furnace, gas water heater, gas stove, gas dryer, or gas fireplace have a leak that is emitting the dangerous gas.
  
  
• Some detectors are monitored for those who can’t respond to the alarm. There are some detectors on the market that are monitored, much like a security system, to alert first responders if it goes off. This is helpful for those who may not be able to respond to the alarm like children, pets, disabled people, and the elderly. 

Protecting Your Family from Carbon Monoxide

Honestly, if you’re burning any type of fuel for heating, cooking, or for any other uses, you should have carbon monoxide detectors installed in your home.

Any home should have a carbon monoxide detector, even if there aren’t any fuel-burning appliances.

The CDC recommends following these steps to keep your home and family safe. 

• Install a carbon monoxide detector near every sleeping area of the home.
• Check the detectors regularly to make sure they are working properly.
• Have the furnace inspected every year. 
• Never use a generator inside the home or garage, even if the windows are open.
• Only use generators outside, more than 20-feet away from the home, doors, and windows.

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