How can I detect carbon monoxide without a detector?

Author: Ms. Elody Hoeger PhD  |  Last update: Thursday, November 27, 2025

Signs of carbon monoxide:
  1. Stuffy or stale air.
  2. A pilot light keeps going out.
  3. More condensation than usual on your windows.
  4. Soot build up around a fireplace, chimney, or other fuel-burning equipment.
  5. Fuel-burning equipment has a back-draft (flame flares up when a window or door opens and adds air).

How can I check my carbon monoxide levels without a detector?

How to find carbon monoxide leaks
  1. Brownish or yellowish stains around appliances.
  2. A pilot light that frequently goes out.
  3. Burner flame appears yellow instead of clear blue (exception: natural gas fireplaces)
  4. No upward draft in chimney flue.
  5. Stale-smelling air.
  6. Soot, smoke or back-draft inside the home.

Can I detect carbon monoxide with my phone?

Co Checker is a free Android app developed by Meter App, falling under the category of Utilities & Tools. It is a simple and handy tool that helps detect the presence of carbon monoxide in the air. This app transmits the data via the audio jack and can be used on Finest Device.

What is the easiest way to detect carbon monoxide?

A portable CO detector can be useful for detecting carbon monoxide levels near all gas-powered appliances. It's a handy way to check every room of the house. These units can be hardwired with battery backup, or you can choose a battery powered model.

Can you test a carbon monoxide detector with a candle?

You can perform a crisis test by lighting a candle, incense stick, or other material for burning. Once this material burns a steady smoke stream, hold it about 12 to 18 inches below the smoke detector unit.

What Most Homeowners Don’t Know About Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Is there any way to tell if carbon monoxide is in the air?

The best way to alert you and your family to unsafe levels of CO is to install a carbon monoxide detector. It works like a smoke alarm, sampling the air in your home and creating a loud alarm when levels of the gas are detected. It's important to evacuate your home immediately when your CO alarm sounds.

Does burning candles give off carbon monoxide?

The Bottom Line. A single candle can only generate a trace amount of carbon monoxide. But, when you burn multiple candles at one time, the amount of CO produced increases. When you get exposed to this gas for a long time, you might develop Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

How do I use my iPhone to detect carbon monoxide?

Go to the Home app on your iPhone or iPad. , then tap Home Settings. Tap Safety & Security. Tap Sound Recognition, then turn on Smoke & CO Alarm.

What are two warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you.

Can I test myself for carbon monoxide?

Diagnosing Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. There isn't a self-diagnosis option for carbon monoxide poisoning. Symptoms may include: Headache and nausea.

Can anything else trigger a carbon monoxide detector?

Even with the doors and windows open, any of these activities can trigger carbon monoxide detectors. Using a grill inside the garage or near open doors and windows–Not only is barbecuing among the most common CO-producing activities, but it can also be a fire hazard when done too close to your home.

How long does it take to detect carbon monoxide in house?

Carbon monoxide levels must build up in your home before an alarm goes off. Since an alarm measures the amount of carbon monoxide over a certain period, it could take your detector hours to go off or 10 or 20 minutes if you have a lot of gas building up in your home.

Can dogs detect carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide, commonly known as CO, is an odorless, colorless, and non-irritating gas. No pet can identify the gas because CO lacks any scent whatsoever. Exposure can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning in both humans and pets.

Does the fire department charge to check for carbon monoxide?

In most areas, the fire department does not charge to respond to carbon monoxide alarms or to check for the presence of CO in a residence. However, policies can vary depending on the jurisdiction or specific fire department. It's always a good idea to contact your local fire department for specifics on their policies.

Is there an app to detect carbon monoxide?

Nest Protect will sound an alarm and send a message to the app when it detects that carbon monoxide (CO) levels have reached an emergency level. It is important that you always respond to a CO emergency by evacuating the house and calling emergency services.

Is carbon monoxide easily detectable?

Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you.

How to test for carbon monoxide without a detector?

Any of the following could be a sign of a carbon monoxide leak:
  1. Floppy yellow or orange flame on your gas hob or oven, rather than a crisp blue flame.
  2. Dark, sooty staining on or around gas appliances.
  3. Pilot lights that frequently blow out.
  4. Increased condensation inside windows.

How to clear carbon monoxide from a house?

If no one is feeling symptoms, ventilate the home with fresh air, turn off all potential sources of CO - your oil or gas furnace, gas water heater, gas range and oven, gas dryer, gas or kerosene space heater and any vehicle or small engine.

Who can test my home for carbon monoxide?

Some municipal fire departments and utility companies will come to your home and check for carbon monoxide for free or at reduced rates. The main tool used in these tests is an electronic portable toxic multi-gas monitor.

What is the best way to detect carbon monoxide?

How Can You Detect Carbon Monoxide? While CO is entirely odorless, you can still detect it within your home. One straightforward solution is to get carbon monoxide detectors, which resemble smoke detectors and easily install anywhere around your home.

Can your phone detect carbon monoxide levels?

With the UEi COA1 Carbon Monoxide Detector Adapter for Android and iOS Smartphones, you can easily view CO levels picked up by your compatible clamp meter. Download the free app on your Android device or iPhone to see 3 visual danger levels.

How do you know if you have had carbon monoxide poisoning?

A common source is unvented space heaters. Symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea and vomiting, rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, seizures, chest pain, disorientation, and loss of consciousness.

What to do if a carbon monoxide alarm goes off?

If the alarm sounds, vacate the house. Then, it's best to call 911 or the fire department to come out and test for the source of carbon monoxide. Once they've identified what is causing carbon monoxide to be released in your home, you'll need to contact a licensed professional to service the offending appliance.

Should you open a window when burning a candle?

When burning a candle, avoid proximity to fans, air conditioners, open windows, or crowded areas with people walking back and forth.

What causes carbon monoxide in a house?

Carbon Monoxide sources in the home

CO is produced whenever a material burns. Homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are more likely to have CO problems Common sources of CO in our homes include fuel-burning appliances and devices such as: Clothes dryers.

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