A carbon monoxide detector (or CO meter) is an essential safety device that detects and alerts you to toxic levels of CO gas in your building. A CO meter is especially important in homes that have gas heating, since CO can build up to dangerous levels very quickly. Investing in the right CO detector will save you and your family from harm and ensure that your home is a safe place to live.
Most co meter have a silicon microchip that monitors the air for high concentrations of CO gas and sends an electrical signal to a sound sensor to trigger an alarm. This is an efficient and economical way to provide life-saving protection, with many models also containing a power indicator light and test button for simple maintenance. More advanced models offer a digital readout of the current CO level, often in parts per million (ppm), and can even store the peak reading of the previous 30 minutes.
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Plug-in units, which go into the wall outlet, are more convenient than battery-operated models and can be easily moved around the house. However, unless the unit has a backup battery in case of a power failure, it will not provide protection during a long outage. Alternatively, you can purchase a battery-operated detector with an external power supply, which is more expensive but will provide full protection during power outages.
Some CO detectors have a built-in alarm that sounds when the unit is activated by carbon monoxide, while others have an additional external sounder to warn you of an impending danger. In addition, some have a feature that will shut off the internal alarm once the CO concentration has been safely reduced.