Carbon-monoxide detectors key tool in avoiding poisoning

Facts and tips about carbon-monoxide detectors:

How they work: Carbon monoxide detectors continuously monitor levels of carbon monoxide in the air and sound an alarm when a harmful level is reached.

Buying a detector: Detectors can cost from $30 to $60, and can come combined with a smoke detector. Some more expensive detectors will include a memory that monitors and records levels of carbon monoxide in the home. Some are battery-operated, others can be plugged into a standard electrical outlet.

Ensure your detector has been certified by the Canadian Standards Association.

Maintenance: Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully. If it requires batteries, they should be regularly checked and changed. Note the expiry date of the device if it is indicated. If it is not, replace the detector after five years.

Where to put the detector: Because carbon monoxide can have the greatest impact on people as they sleep, detectors should be placed near sleeping areas so they can be heard, in addition to other areas.

Plug-in models will limit users to where there are outlets, but the area around the detector should not be blocked. Do not connect them to an outlet that is controlled by a switch.

Other models can be placed up to knee height. They should not be in the immediate area of air vents, heating or cooking appliances, chimneys or unheated areas of the home.

If the alarm sounds: Do not ignore the alarm even if you do not feel symptoms.

If you know what the source is, evacuate the house first and then remove or turn off the source. Ventilate the house and reset the alarm. Call 911 if anyone is feeling flu-like symptoms.

If you don't know what the source is, evacuate the house. Otherwise, call the gas utility, a heating contractor or the fire department to have the house tested.

(Sources: Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.; Ontario Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council)