According to the Centers For Disease Control, CO poisoning accidentally kills over 500 Americans each year. Tens of thousands are made sick, many suffering permanent physiological and nervous system damage.

Harmful levels of CO can occur in virtually any home. There is no acceptable low level. Carbon Monoxide sources include: gas and oil furnaces, boilers and water heaters • vehicles in attached garages • gas or wood burning fireplaces • space heaters • BBQ’s • electric generators • lawn mowers & power equipment • gas ranges and ovens • electric ovens when self-cleaning.

Any of these can cause CO to build up to harmful levels. Every home needs at least one CO Alarm, even “all electric” homes.

CO is measured in Parts Per Million (ppm). Many doctors and researchers now state that long term exposure to CO levels as low as 10 ppm can lead to permanent mental & physical health damage

• Because of accuracy problems and lobbying from fire departments and utilities, “retail store” Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms conforming to the UL standard will not alarm unless levels are very high over an extended period of time. They do not warn occupants of unhealthy chronic or intermittent low level exposure.

• Standard alarms may keep healthy adults from dying from an acute CO incident, but are unlikely to protect them from getting sick, or from suffering permanent health damage from low level CO exposure.

• 10 to 50 ppm could be in your home indefinitely, and a standard retail store CO alarm would NEVER go off. 70 ppm could be present for up to four hours before it would alarm.

• Standard retail store alarms generally have a three year operating life. If yours is older than that, you should have it checked – Ask our technician to test your alarm.

Only the CO Experts Low Level Monitor will warn you this is occurring so that you can correct it in time.

It reliably protects you and your family from both high and low level exposure to CO. The standard retail store devices only alarm at dangerously high levels. Even if you already have a standard retail store alarm, you should also have one of these.

• The digital display shows current CO levels if at 5 parts per million (ppm) or higher
• Alarm levels: if 10 ppm is present you will hear two attention getting beeps every minute; if 25 ppm is present: two warning beeps every 10 seconds; at 50 ppm, it sounds full alarm
• Short term hush-silence button
• Data recall button helps to diagnose the true cause: displays current CO level, peak level, hours and minutes since peak occurred, duration level, calculated approximate CO blood level
• Extremely accurate industrial electrochemical sensor (as used in CO diagnostic analyzers)
• Samples for CO every 10 seconds and performs many internal self-tests
• Low battery, electronic error and replacement warnings
• Uses 9 volt replaceable battery (monitor will work during power outages, and can be installed at eye level)
• One year limited warranty by manufacturer

If you would be interested in having one of our Comfort Consultants test your existing CO alarm or would like to purchase CO-Experts Low Level Alarm, simply call Gaithersburg Air Conditioning & Heating, Inc. at 301.926.3253

Any mix of the following symptoms may be due to CO exposure, especially if chronic or noticed by more than one person at the same time: Headache, Fatigue, Muscle Pain, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Confusion, Memory Loss, Heart/Chest Pain, Rapid Heart Beat, Rapid Breathing, Shortness of Breath, Changes in Vision, Hearing, Touch, Taste or Smell.

• Although everyone is susceptible to the effects of Carbon Monoxide; Young children, elderly, pregnant women, people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease or anemia are at a higher risk of low level CO exposure.

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers, The US Environmental Protection Agency, Utility Companies and many Fire Departments, say if the level of CO found inside your home exceeds the ambient level found outside your home by more than 9 ppm, you definitely have a problem that needs to be corrected at once.

• Most Fire Departments require that firefighters wear their oxygen masks if CO levels are 35 PPM or higher
• A recent Southern Gas Association survey revealed that over 80 % of the responding gas companies routinely “Red Tagged” or “Shut Off” household appliances when they found Carbon Monoxide at a level of 10 PPM or more.

While retail store alarms may provide immediate death protection for healthy adults, health authorities state they are totally inadequate for many other more sensitive people, notably infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, or people with chronic medical conditions such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, heart disease or anemia.