Do Smoke Detectors Pick Up Carbon Monoxide?

When to Fit a CO Detector

• Carbon monoxide is created by the incomplete burning of fuels such as natural gas, wood, coal, oil and propane. If you have any oil, gas or wood-burning appliances in your home, you should install a CO detector in addition to smoke detectors.

Where to Fit a CO Detector

• Supply a CO a detector for each sleeping area in the house and install it in the hallway outside the bedrooms. Place it high up and away from drafts, which can lead to an artificially low reading. Consider placing one near to but not inside your garage.

Types of Detectors

• CO detectors can be battery operated, hard-wired into your home's circuitry or plugged into an electrical outlet. There may be regulations in your area determining which type you should buy, check with your local fire department and/or insurance company. Hard-wired or outlet detectors should have a battery backup for use in power outages.

Maintenance

• A CO detector should never be a substitute for regular maintenance of gas and oil appliances, or the cleaning of chimneys and flues. As with smoke alarms, they should be tested weekly and replaced when directed by the manufacturer's instructions.