If it still sounds, call the fire department. If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.
Yes, if a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm goes off, you should take it seriously. Here are the steps you should follow: Evacuate Immediately: Get everyone out of the building and into fresh air. Call 911: Once you are safe, call emergency services to report the alarm. They can send professionals to assess the situation.
Call 911 immediately and report that the alarm has gone off. Do not assume it is safe to reenter the home when the alarm stops. When you open windows and doors, it helps diminish the amount of carbon monoxide in the air, but the source may still be producing the gas.
False or nuisance alarms are when your smoke detector or CO alarm goes off, but there is no presence of smoke or carbon monoxide in your home. However, if your smoke or carbon monoxide detector sounds indicating an emergency and you are not certain it is a nuisance alarm, evacuate the home and call 9-1-1.
Install a CO detector:
If your CO detector goes off and you feel ill, leave the house and call 911 or the local fire department. If you do not feel ill, push your detector's reset button. If the alarm goes off again after a few minutes, open the windows, leave the house and call 911 or the local fire department.
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.
If the alarm is going off, make sure that everyone in the home immediately evacuates the building. Once safely outside, call the authorities so that they can evaluate your home and identify the cause of the leak.
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.
If it still sounds, call the fire department. If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call for help from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel.
If you have a carbon monoxide detector chirping and then it stops, it's important to take the situation seriously, even if the alarm is no longer sounding. Even if the alarm has stopped, get everyone out of the home to a place with fresh air. Contact 911 or your local fire department to report the incident.
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.
While CO detectors are designed to be reliable, various factors can cause them to beep erroneously. False alarms can be caused by incorrect installation, placement near a source of fumes or steam, or even a buildup of dust and dirt on the sensor.
What Does an Emergency Alarm Chirp Mean? This meaning is probably the most self-explanatory. When your carbon monoxide detector chirps 4 times in a row and pauses, this means it has detected unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. This means your entire household should evacuate immediately and seek fresh air.
For many models, this threshold may be as low as 30-70 ppm, with the alarm sounding within a few minutes to an hour of sustained exposure, escalating to higher concentrations like 400 ppm, where the response time is significantly quicker — often within three hours or less.
If you experience symptoms that you think could be from CO poisoning: DO GET FRESH AIR IMMEDIATELY. Open doors and windows, turn off combustion appliances and leave the house.
Severe leaks can cause this problem in just five minutes. The EPA states that exposure to concentrations of nine ppm or more for eight hours is enough to produce harmful health effects for at-risk individuals. Exit the property and call 911 if you suspect your home has a gas leak.
CO detectors are very sensitive and designed to alert occupants before CO reaches dangerous levels. If your detectors go off, call 911 and evacuate the home. Be sure to notify them if anyone in the house is experiencing flu-like symptoms.
My carbon monoxide alarm is sounding. What should I do? Call 911 and report what is happening. Immediately leave your residence and wait for the fire department to arrive.
Your carbon monoxide alarm is going off for one of the following reasons: It is doing its job properly and detects CO pollution in the air. It is a false alarm caused by other household items. The detector is malfunctioning or the batteries need changing.
Here's a simple guide: Smoke alarms alert you with three beeps in a row. Carbon monoxide alarms alert you with four beeps. A single chirp means the battery is low or the detector should be replaced.
If your CO alarm stopped beeping after being outside in the fresh air for 10 minutes, you may have a possible carbon monoxide leak in your home. We recommend calling your gas supplier or national emergency gas helpline on 0800 111 999 and await further instruction.
If no one is feeling symptoms, ventilate the home with fresh air and turn off all potential sources of CO. That includes 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.