Carbon monoxide is known as the "silent killer" and for good reason, as it's very hard to detect in your home without the use of a carbon monoxide detector being installed. At least with fire alarms they're not always the first thing that will alert you to a fire taking place in your property. You can see flames, you can see smoke, and you can smell smoke. You can actually physically see a fire take place; you don't have to wait for the fire alarm to go off to let you know your house is burning down.

That's the complete opposite when it comes to carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide, also known as carbonous oxide, is a gas that is colorless, odorless and tasteless. It's also lighter than air. All those features of carbon monoxide make it a dangerous gas and that is how it has earned the moniker "silent gas." A gas you can't see, taste or smell is just absolutely dangerous and has been known to claim a few lives of those living in homes that weren't equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.

That's why your home needs to have at least one carbon monoxide detector installed in your home, but like fire alarms, you should have one installed on every floor of your home. How dangerous is carbon monoxide? Well, the Department of Health states that this "silent killer" is responsible for the deaths of over 500 U.S. citizens every year and that thousands of Americans are in need of some form of medical care and attention because they have come in contact with carbon monoxide poisoning that isn't fatal.

If you just read that stat and don't have at least one carbon monoxide detector installed to protect you and your family then you better go out and buy one or two. There are a lot of products located in homes that can malfunction and produce carbon monoxide that can lead to dangerous and perhaps fatal poisoning that you need to be wary of when it comes to carbon monoxide such as fireplaces and fuel-burning appliances like ranges, furnaces, water heaters and gas room heaters.

Not being fully aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and how to protect you and your family from the dangers of carbon monoxide is a real issue. There are plenty of properties out there that believe having a fire alarm installed in their home is enough when the reality is that it's not. A fire alarm doesn't detect carbon monoxide and a carbon monoxide detector doesn't detect fire. They are two completely different things and you should have one of each in your home.

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