Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Why You Need Them In Your Homes & How They Work (Part 1)

A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide (CO) gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. || _Source

In life, one of the most amazing characteristics of animals is detection ability. Animals generally and quickly learn to detect things that pose a danger to their lives, and will do everything within the limit of their ability to avoid such sources of dangers. Taking human beings as an example, one wouldn't be wrong to say that our basic sense organs (eye, nose, skin, ear and tongue) were partly evolved to enable us detect things that could threaten our existence and avoid them.

_{[A carbon monoxide detector. Source: Wikimedia commons. Author: FASTILY. CC BY-SA 4.0 licensed]}

In the old, our forebearers have ways of sensing approaching wild animals and either prepare to fight them or evade them. Compare to modern times, we still depend on our sensory prowess to avoid dangers; for instance, when we cross a major highway. However, some dangers are simply too subtle for our sense organs to detect. One of such threats is the carbon monoxide poisoning. As intelligent as evolution has made human beings to be, it has not managed to provide us with natural ability to detect carbon monoxide concentration in our environment.

But thanks to human ingenuity which has stepped forward to deal with the threat being posed by carbon monoxide poisoning with invention of carbon monoxide detectors. Why do we need carbon monoxide detectors in our homes? How do they work? All these we will find out in this article. Welcome✌️.

Why we need carbon monoxide detectors in our homes

As has been noted in the above quoted definition, we simply need carbon monoxide detectors in our homes to avoid buildup of carbon monoxide to such a level that could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning which, in itself, does not give prior warning before striking.

_{[Source: Pixabay commons. CC0 licensed]}

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that is near impossible to identify without a proper detector. It is caused by fuels not burning completely, including wood, gasoline, coal, propane, natural gas, gasoline, and heating oil. This unburned fuel can come from anything from clothes dryers, water heaters, and ovens to ranges, a fire-burning fireplace, or a car left running in a closed garage. || _Source

Carbon monoxide poisoning, according to Journal of the American Medical Association, remains the leading cause of accidental deaths relating to poisoning in the US. The CDC reports that of 15,000 people taken to emergency room following carbon monoxide poisoning, 480 lose their lives every year in the US. The risk of carbon monoxide poisoning is real and should not be taken lightly.

Generally, fuels only burn properly in the present of adequate amount of oxygen. If, however, oxygen is not available, then fuels will not burn at all. This simple chemistry is what firefighters use to put out fires. Firefighting devices including fire extinguishers, sprinklers and fire blankets work by removing oxygen component from a fire which will effectively make it to go out. But what happens when oxygen is available but not in plenty amount? The result is incomplete combustion in which carbon monoxide is produced instead of energy, water and carbon dioxide^ref.

Once carbon monoxide passes through the lungs, it combines with hemoglobin, the body's oxygen carrying pigment, displacing oxygen to form carboxyhemoglobin and thus interferes with oxygen transport and exchange in the body. This prevents oxygen from getting to body tissues where they are needed, causing suffocatiion and damaging the brain, lungs and other body cells, tissues and organs.

_{[Source: Pixabay commons. CC0 licensed]}

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of carbon monoxide poisoning is the fact that you will not notice it accumulating and even when it has built-up to dangerous level because it is odourless, colorless and tasteless and so cannot be detected by any of our ordinary sense organs. Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms are not easily discernible. It confuses the person with symptoms of a flu. They person feels such symptoms as shortness of breath, nausea, or mild headaches. This is followed by a feeling of drowsiness and then puts the person to sleep, and finally it kills the person. What a painless way to die😢?

Carbon dioxide poisoning can wipe off a whole family. These reports here and here are good instances of such scenarios.

So based on what we have said so far, one way to prevent exposure to carbon monoxide poisoning is to have carbon monoxide detectors fitted in our homes so that once the heating system begins to produce it, and it gets to a dangerous level, we will be alerted by the detector's alarm system or colour change, depending on the type of detector in use. This way, we can take appropriate action to avert catastrophe. This is essentially why we need carbon monoxide detectors in our homes.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article in which we will be discussing the different types of carbon monoxide detectors, their components and how they work. Thanks for reading.

References for further reading

• _{Carbon monoxide detector}
• _{What does a carbon monoxide detector does and how does it work?}
• _{Carbon monoxide detectors}
• _{Carbon monoxide detectors}
• _{How carbon monoxide detectors work}
• _{Non-fire related carbon monoxide exposures}

Yours truly,
@eurogee

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