Where to Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors in Your Home

March 11, 2025 by Anas Mustafa

Carbon monoxide is a silent, invisible threat in many homes that is often called the “silent killer” for a good reason. This colourless, odourless, and tasteless gas is nearly impossible to detect without a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels, like gas, oil, wood, and coal. This means that appliances such as stoves, fireplaces, and heaters can be sources of carbon monoxide in your home.

Since it is undetectable by human senses, carbon monoxide can build up in high concentrations without anyone being aware, thus putting everyone in the household at risk.

Once inhaled, carbon monoxide interferes with the body’s ability to carry oxygen, as it binds to hemoglobin in the blood, preventing oxygen from reaching vital organs and tissues. This can lead to symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, confusion, and nausea, and in severe cases, it can cause loss of consciousness or even death.

The toxic nature of carbon monoxide means that even low-level exposure can be harmful over time, particularly to vulnerable individuals like children, the elderly, and those with heart or respiratory conditions.

Given the dangers of undetected carbon monoxide, having a functioning carbon monoxide monitor is essential to ensure early detection and prevent poisoning in your home. This makes it a life-saving device, as it can alert you to danger before it becomes deadly.

Why should you care about carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is one of the leading causes of accidental poisoning in Canadian homes, and its severity cannot be overstated. Every year, hundreds of Canadians are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, and unfortunately, some even lose their lives to this invisible and odourless gas.

What makes it so dangerous is that it does not have any colour, smell, or taste, meaning that by the time symptoms appear, it may already be too late. People often mistake the early signs of poisoning, such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea, as symptoms of something less serious. Over time, though, prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to confusion, loss of consciousness, brain damage, or even death.

The fact that this gas can build up quietly in your home, especially when appliances like furnaces, water heaters, and stoves are running, makes it a serious hidden danger. During Canada’s colder months, when homes are sealed tightly to keep warm, the risk of carbon monoxide buildup increases.

This is why it is crucial to take proactive steps in protecting yourself and your family. A simple carbon monoxide alarm can be a life-saving solution that gives you an early warning before the gas reaches dangerous levels.

Given that carbon monoxide poisoning is preventable with the right precautions, it is vital that homeowners in Canada take this threat seriously and ensure their homes are equipped with functioning detectors to avoid this silent but deadly risk.

Best Practices for Placing Carbon Monoxide Detectors

When it comes to protecting your home from carbon monoxide, the proper placement of detectors is key to ensuring maximum safety.

One of the best practices of CO detector installation is to install at least one detector on every level of your home, including the basement, where carbon monoxide can accumulate due to appliances like furnaces or water heaters. This guarantees that no matter where you are in your home, you have a layer of protection against carbon monoxide buildup.

Your carbon monoxide detectors should be installed about five feet from the ground. This is the ideal height for accurate readings since carbon monoxide tends to mix with air rather than rising or falling to a particular spot.

By placing the detectors at this height, you are ensuring that they can effectively sense any carbon monoxide in the air without interference from other factors, like high ceilings or furniture placement.

Another crucial best practice of carbon detector installation is to install detectors near every sleeping area in your home. This is especially important since carbon monoxide poisoning often occurs while people are asleep and unaware of the symptoms, which can be mistaken for other illnesses.

By installing a detector outside each bedroom or sleeping area, you ensure that if carbon monoxide levels rise while you are asleep, the alarm will sound loud enough to wake and alert you to the danger.

Taking these simple steps—strategically placing detectors at the right height and in key areas—can make a difference in protecting you and your family and ensuring carbon monoxide safety.

Things to Avoid When Placing Carbon Monoxide Detectors

With carbon monoxide detector installation, there are several common mistakes that can compromise their accuracy and effectiveness.

One key thing to avoid is placing co2 detectors near appliances that produce heat, like stoves or fireplaces. The heat from these appliances can interfere with the detector’s ability to accurately sense carbon monoxide, leading to false readings or delayed alerts.

Similarly, never install a carbon monoxide alarm in or near a damp or humid area, such as a bathroom or laundry room, as excessive moisture can affect its sensors and cause malfunction.

Also, avoid placing these detectors in areas with poor airflow, like corners or behind furniture, as this can prevent the sensor from getting an accurate reading of the air in the room.

Another mistake in carbon monoxide detector installation is placing the detectors directly in the line of sunlight, as prolonged exposure to the sun can affect the device’s sensors, leading to faulty readings.

While you should ensure that your detectors are out of the reach of children and pets, in some cases, placing them too high up can make it difficult to test or maintain the unit, so this should be avoided too.

Finally, avoid placing carbon monoxide detectors near windows, doors, or vents, where drafts could cause fluctuating readings and potentially delay an alert. This will also help ensure that your detectors work as intended, and keep your home safe from the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Conclusion

At Canadian Security Professionals, we can further advise you on how to protect your family from invisible, deadly carbon monoxide. Give us a call today and help safeguard your loved ones with our 24/7 monitored carbon monoxide detectors.