If your carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, get everyone (and pets) out of the house right away, then call 911 from outside. Don't try to find the source and don't go back in until the fire department says it's safe. Carbon monoxide has no color or smell, so treat every alarm as real.
Step by step: what to do right now
- Get out. Move everyone and pets outside into fresh air. Don't stop to open windows or look for the source.
- Call 911 from outside. Tell them your CO alarm is going off and whether anyone feels sick.
- If you also smell gas, call Nicor Gas at 888-642-6748 (888-Nicor4U) from outside or from a neighbor's home. Nicor answers that line 24 hours a day.
- Count heads. Make sure everyone is out and stay out until responders say it's safe.
- Get medical help for anyone with symptoms, even if they feel better once outside.
- Don't run gas appliances again until the cause is found and fixed.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning
The CDC lists headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Because these feel like the flu, CO poisoning is easy to miss. A clue: several people (or pets) in the house feel sick at the same time, and they feel better away from home. People who are asleep can be harmed before they notice anything.
Common sources of CO in a home
- A furnace or boiler with a blocked flue, cracked heat exchanger or bad burner
- A gas water heater with a disconnected or blocked vent
- A car or generator running in an attached garage
- A gas stove or oven used for heat
- A blocked chimney or fireplace flue
- Snow or ice covering the intake or exhaust pipes of a high-efficiency furnace
What Illinois law requires
Under the Illinois Carbon Monoxide Alarm Detector Act (430 ILCS 135), every dwelling unit must have at least one approved CO alarm in working order within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping. Alarms can be battery-powered, plug-in with battery backup, or hard-wired with battery backup, and combination smoke/CO alarms are allowed. In rentals, the owner installs the alarms and the tenant tests them and replaces batteries. Homes that don't burn fossil fuel for heat or hot water and have no attached garage may be exempt. Your village may have additional rules, so check with its building department.
If the alarm is beeping, not alarming
A full alarm is a loud repeating pattern. A single chirp every minute or so usually means a low battery or an alarm at the end of its life. Check the label on the back for the manufacture date and the manufacturer's guide for the replacement interval. Never pull the batteries out of an alarm that is sounding a full alarm.
How to lower your CO risk
- Test your CO alarms monthly using the test button. The CDC suggests checking batteries when you change your clocks in spring and fall.
- Have your furnace, water heater and other gas appliances checked by a qualified technician every year.
- After snowstorms, keep the outside intake and exhaust pipes of a high-efficiency furnace clear.
- Never run a car, generator, grill or gas-powered tool in the garage, even with the door open.
- Don't use a gas oven or stovetop to heat your home.
- Keep the area around the furnace and water heater clear so they get enough air to burn properly.
When to call a pro
After responders clear the house, have your furnace, water heater and venting checked before you use them again. Yogi Heating & Cooling can inspect your furnace, flue and venting and explain what we find. Call (814) 431-1709 or see our emergency service page. The CDC recommends a yearly checkup of your heating system and other fuel-burning appliances; our maintenance plan includes a fall furnace tune-up.
More questions
Can I open windows and stay inside?
No. Opening windows wastes time and doesn't make it safe. Get everyone outside first and let the fire department check the air.
Where should CO alarms go?
Illinois law requires at least one alarm within 15 feet of every sleeping room. Many homeowners also add one on each level, including the basement near the furnace.
How do I know if my CO alarm is too old?
Look for the manufacture or replace-by date on the back. Many models also chirp an end-of-life warning. Replace it if it's past the date in the manufacturer's instructions.
Can a furnace make CO even if it seems to be working?
Yes. A furnace can heat normally while a cracked heat exchanger or blocked vent lets CO escape. That is why working alarms and yearly inspections matter.
Related
- Emergency service
- Furnace and heating repair
- Maintenance plan
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