Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Safety

Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire roughly in half. Carbon monoxide (CO) is invisible and odorless — detectors are the only warning you'll get.

Placement

• Inside each bedroom and outside each sleeping area
• One per floor, including the basement
• CO detectors near sleeping areas and near fuel-burning appliances
• At least 10 feet from cooking appliances (to avoid false alarms)

Testing & maintenance

• Test monthly with the test button
• Replace batteries twice a year (use the clock-change as a reminder), or use 10-year sealed-battery units
• Replace the entire unit every 10 years (manufacture date is on the back)
• Never disable a detector to stop a false alarm — relocate it instead

What type to buy

• Ionization: faster for flaming fires
• Photoelectric: faster for smoldering fires
• Combination units are best for general use
• Interconnected units (wired or wireless) so all sound at once

If a CO detector alarms, get everyone outside, call 911, and do not re-enter until cleared by responders.