Do you need a Carbon monoxide detector if you have a central air unit or gas heaters?

Question

I have a propane heater my parents have a central heat and air. Which can possibly give off harmful toxins?

Answer 1

Yes, you should have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. And if you want to really do it right, one for each floor. ANY appliance which burns fuel is capable of emitting CO gas, if the wrong conditions occur. CO gas is emitted by fuel-burning appliances which are either improperly tuned (get a yearly furnace tune-up/check-up by a licensed repair tech!) or which does not receive enough oxygen to produce a clean burn. Chemically speaking, the CO molecule has one less oxygen atom than the CO2 atom, which is what you normally get when you burn a fuel, guess where the CO goes to get that extra oxygen from - YOUR BODY! Don't let this happen to you.

When CO is emitted, it is an odorless gas. Some people think that they will smell an odor if CO is emitted from an appliance, but this is wrong. Further, CO will cause people who are sleeping to fall into a deeper sleep, unable to do anything about the problem and dying in their sleep.

A CO detector is a very cheap lifesaving tool which is as important as the household smoke detector and a basic all-purpose fire extinguisher.

Answer 2

Most any device that burns fuel has the potential to emit CO. Some produce it anyway in small amounts such as ventless fireplaces and gas stoves/ovens. But usually the concern is in the event of a malfunction.

A heat exchanger can get a hole in it, allowing combustion gases into the living quarters. Flue/stove pipe can rot through or become plugged and leak into living spaces. A brick chimney can get cracked and leak into adjacent rooms (this happened to us).

I probably can't list all of the ways. But if it burns fuel, even without a flame - say with a glowing element like some propane heaters, it can still put out CO.

Your propane heater will and unless your parents have electric central heat, theirs will too.

Answer 3

Couldnt hurt AND MIGHT SAVE A LIFE!