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Inspecting Your Smoke and Carbon Dioxide Detectors

Did you think we meant carbon monoxide – the high profile “invisible killer” that also needs early detection? We did not! Although we breathe carbon dioxide in and out every day, there are good reasons to monitor it. It can actually lead to death by asphyxiation, although this is thankfully very rare, in part due to detectors and their regular inspection.

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The CO2 Canary

Sometimes it seems that there is really nothing safe about the air we breathe, with warnings about yet another toxic gas to guard against. Carbon dioxide detectors are not quite the same thing, although they function to prevent the same kind of “intoxication” and poisoning caused by toxic gases. CO2 has to build up to extremely high levels to present a danger, but that makes it a good canary.

Because CO2 concentration can rise a great deal without posing risks, monitoring its presence can safely tell homeowners a lot about their chimneys and vents. Insufficient draft can be caught long before smoke and more toxic gases trigger other detectors and possibly fire suppression systems. If they function properly, with periodic inspection by certified professionals, carbon dioxide and smoke detectors ensure good ventilation and safer air.

Detectors for Workplace and Home

Primarily used in workplace settings because more people are exhaling carbon dioxide in enclosed spaces, CO2 detectors have a place in homes as well. Like the more known carbon monoxide gas, carbon dioxide is also a by-product of combustion and is generated by furnaces and fireplaces. In today’s air-tight homes, if vents and chimneys do not draft properly, toxic gases can build up to dangerous levels when unseen and unchecked.

That is where all detectors come in, whether designed to react to smoke, carbon monoxide, or CO2. They are an early warning system that gets people out of the house or building until the air quality improves. Carbon dioxide detectors, in particular, are also a good way to safely expose and correct inadequate ventilation for the home or office.

Fire and Candle Safety

Candles complete any dinner party, from pot lucks with friends to romantic dinners for two. They create an ambience that can be either warm and inviting for casual get-togethers or soft and shadowy for romantic evenings. They are essential to have in the household emergency kit, in event of power outages that do not involve gas. They send lovely aromas into the air and provide pretty little nightlights.

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Never Leave Candles Burning Unattended

It does not matter how stable they seem or how far away the flame is from flammable things; well, those things matter, but – never walk away from lit candles. They are easy enough to re-light, and they can cause a world of pain for you and your family. Blow them out before you walk away, even if you think you are coming right back.

Everyone is leading busy lives; cell phones are buzzing, texts are flowing in, kids’ plans are changing, dogs need to be fed. That lovely break is over and you are back into a million things. Soon enough, that burning “aromatic-therapy candle” is forgotten. Now it is sitting there lit, and the dogs come first so the cat is restless, and…. on and on it goes.

There Goes The Candle

It is just not worth risking; with kids and pet tails and breezes through open windows, lit candles pose huge fire safety dangers. It is almost laughable that many of us are thinking about chimneys and clothes dryers and scheduling sweeps to do professional cleanings. Generally careless with candles, all of us sometimes fail to fully appreciate their dangers and make those services even more necessary.

Be present when using your candles, and make sure you do not have a tragedy occur simply because you forgot about a candle. Give us a call if you would like more fire prevention information.

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