There are two things that should get your attention about carbon monoxide. First, it is a colourless and odourless gas and that means you need to have a functioning detector to be aware when there are dangerous levels in your home. The second is the fact that this common byproduct of the burning of fossil fuels can be deadly if your exposure is long enough and there are at least 13,000 parts per million in the atmosphere.
Beyond the obvious need to choose from the variety of detectors available for the one best suited to your inside living space and understanding the things you can do to lessen your risk by using only the detectors that are Canadian Safety Standards (CSA) approved, you should know symptoms of CO exposure.
You might feel like you’ve got a cold or the flu with mild exposure and only have a runny nose or sore throat with a headache. However, these symptoms in an area around fireplaces might mean you need to look at the chimney or flue for obstructions.
Medium exposure is more dangerous and here the symptoms are confusion and even vomiting. Extreme exposure results in brain damage and even death in some situations.
Remember that if your CO detector is sounding, the best response is to get everyone out of the house.