Did you know? Installing a carbon monoxide (CO) detector can mean the difference between life and death!
The colourless, odorless and tasteless gas is untraceable without a CO detector. Inhaling low levels of carbon monoxide can lead to symptoms like headaches and impaired motor functions. Even worse, higher levels can be especially dangerous causing loss of consciousness or even death.
In 2008, Conservative MPP Ernie Hardeman addressed the CO issue by introducing a bill requiring households to install CO detectors to identify carbon monoxide.
The bill was created as a result of the deaths of Ontario Provincial Police officer Laurie Hawkins, her husband Richard and their two children, when carbon monoxide seeped into their house because of a blocked chimney. The Hawkins’ weren’t the only family that lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning, 250 people in the province were killed by the gas over the last decade.
As part of our commitment to home safety and comfort, ClimateCare Canada has partnered with the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation. When your system needs attention, having access to reliable home comfort service you trust means less stress and fewer surprises. ClimateCare will support the efforts of the foundation by educating homeowners on the imminent need for CO detectors in the household. The decisions involved here often come up alongside co alarm beeping now — the two are worth reading together.
The number of deaths in Ontario may lessen with new provincial laws. If you want to go deeper on this, your carbon monoxide alarm is beeping covers the topic from a practical homeowner’s perspective. Soon, it will be mandatory for CO detectors to be installed in every home with a fuel-burning device, attached garage or carport. Until then, here are some ways you can protect your household from carbon monoxide leaks:
- Get a CO detector. The detectors often cost $50 or less.
- Ensure your furnace, gas fireplace and hot water tank are well maintained. If any of those signs sound familiar, it’s worth having a licensed furnace technician take a look before a minor issue turns into an emergency repair.
- Don’t let vehicles idle in the garage and keep the garage door connecting to the house, closed.
