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Carbon Monoxide Alarm Going Off

CO alarm sounding in a Utah home: get outside, call 911, and have fuel-burning appliances inspected. Facts from CDC and EPA.

Safe things to check

• Get everyone, including pets, outside to fresh air right away.
• Call 911. If anyone has headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion or chest pain, tell the dispatcher you suspect CO poisoning. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Do not go back inside until emergency responders say it is safe.

Stop here

Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless. Gas and oil furnaces can produce it. Common symptoms are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion, often described as flu-like. The CDC says to have the heating system serviced by a qualified technician every year. (Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

What a technician checks

The EPA recommends having fuel-burning appliances, including furnaces and gas water heaters, inspected by a trained professional at the start of every heating season, and checking that flues and chimneys are connected and not blocked. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) The EPA also recommends a CO alarm on every level of the home, tested monthly. (Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)

Typical cost

Do not delay an inspection over cost. A furnace that set off a CO alarm should not be used until it has been inspected. National figures; not a quote.

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