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One item that we get asked about a lot are about Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Usually, the questions come in when customers hear a chirping sound coming up from the basement. This sound is usually coming from the low battery indicator on the detector. It may also be an end of life indicator as well.

Some calls express concern that those sounds mean that there is Carbon Monoxide present in the house. To ease those concerns, press the test button on the detector and you will hear what it sounds like when it detects CO. The chirping sounds mean something else.

First, it may be a low battery indicator sound. They chirp when the batteries that power the unit are running out.  On a plug-in model, it may mean that the backup battery may be going bad and in need of replacement. 

Secondly, the chirp may be an end of life indicator for the detector. Most people are unaware that CO detectors are built to quit working after a set amount of time; usually between 7 to 10 years. The reason for this is not to sell you more detectors, but to replace the unit before the delicate sensor becomes ineffective. CO sensors lose there ability to detect carbon monoxide over time.

If you do have a CO detector in your house and it is over 10 years of age, get rid of it immediately and replace it with a new one. (CO detectors are either stamped with a date, or will provide you with a sticker to write the install date on it. Use a permanent ink pen to write the date on the sticker.

As you are supposed to do with your smoke detectors, regularly press the test button to check to see if it is working properly.

On a lighter note, we had a call from a customer that called in to see if we could come and get the bird out of their furnace. The chirping sound from the CO detector in the basement was echoing up through the heat runs. The customer just assumed that a bird had come down the chimney and got into the furnace.

 

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