Smart vs. Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detectors: How to Choose the Best Carbon Monoxide Detector for Your House

As autumn arrives, now is a great time to start thinking about your home’s carbon monoxide detectors. When heating season begins, the Centers for Disease Control says the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning increases.

Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that’s colorless, odorless and tasteless. It’s a product of combustion your gas furnace uses to warm your home. When your heating is operating as it should, the gas is safely pushed outside of your residence. Fractures in your furnace’s heat exchanger or flue pipes can cause carbon monoxide to leak into your residence, where ongoing exposure can be deadly.

Although carbon monoxide poisoning is avoidable, the CDC says at least 430 people in the U.S. die because of it annually. And another approximately 50,000 people are transported to the hospital because of related issues, such as headaches, dizziness and vomiting.

The best ways you can safeguard your home is by scheduling annual maintenance of all gas, oil, or wood burning appliances, like your furnace and water heater, and installing a carbon monoxide detector. From plug-in to smart carbon monoxide detectors, there’s a model on the market that matches for your house and budget.

Smart Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Smart carbon monoxide detectors, like the Nest carbon monoxide detector, make it straightforward to keep on top of keeping your home safe. They’re often available as duo carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and can typically be linked with other smart home devices via Wi-Fi.

Here are a few other perks of installing them in your house:

• • Tells you there’s trouble through voice notifications, as well as alerts on your phone.

• • Points out the problem spot, such as the kitchen or basement.

• • Can be silenced from your phone.

• • Automatically checks its sensors and batteries and shares findings through a useful report on your phone.

• • Informs you of dying batteries with an alert on your phone, not an annoying chirp in the middle of the night.

• • Lasts up to 10 years, depending on the kind.

The only problem with using Wi-Fi carbon monoxide detectors is the price. These detectors are frequently much more expensive than their plug-in or battery-powered counterparts. But they also provide many helpful and important features you can’t find in a non-smart device.

When you’re getting a new device, it’s crucial to understand where to put carbon monoxide detectors. The Environmental Protection Agency suggests putting a carbon monoxide detector around five feet above the floor or on the ceiling. This is due to the fact carbon monoxide can rise with warm air.

We recommend having a detector on each floor of your residence, including outside bedrooms. You’ll want to be certain the beeping will wake you up.

Battery-Powered and Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Plug-in and battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors are the most reasonable. Some of the most popular models are Kidde carbon monoxide detectors and First Alert carbon monoxide detectors.

But they also have limited features that don’t link with your phone or smart home devices. They tend to have a digital display and test button, which you’ll have to remember to use.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends testing hardwired carbon monoxide alarms every month. Battery-powered detectors that don’t plug in need to be tested every week. If you’re concerned about how to test for carbon monoxide, it’s fairly straightforward. Depress the button to make sure your detector is running.

If your detector is hardwired, make sure to swap the backup battery at least once a year. If it’s battery-powered, you’ll want to replace it once a month to avoid the dreaded chirp in the middle of the night.

If you’re noticing that sound or your carbon monoxide detector is beeping more frequently, it generally indicates it has a low battery. Or, it’s approaching the end of its life. How long carbon monoxide detectors last depends on the brand you have. Most often, it’s between 5–10 years, but make sure to review instructions from your device’s manufacturer.

If you’re wondering why your carbon monoxide detector is beeping, it’s frequently due to the fact it’s detecting dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. If your carbon monoxide detector is going off with continued, loud beeping, leave your residence right away and call 911.

Now is a good time to make sure your carbon monoxide detector is running normally before heating season arrives. If you need to request furnace maintenance or you’re interested in upgrading to smart carbon monoxide detectors, the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can help. Contact us at 866-397-3787 today and we’ll help you select the best carbon monoxide detector for your home.