Housekeeping · 주거 안전

Home CO Alarms in 6 Steps: Placement, Monthly Tests and Emergency Action

Carbon monoxide has no color or smell. Learn where CO alarms belong, how to test them every month, when to replace batteries or devices, and what to do if an alarm sounds.

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Wikimedia Commons / Donald Trung Quoc Don · Donald Trung Quoc Don, 'FA370 Carbon monoxide detector, The Hague (2019) 01.jpg', Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, image unchanged. · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

This guide uses U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advice as general safety guidance. Actual mounting positions, battery arrangements and replacement life depend on local regulations and your specific model. The photo shows a household alarm in the Netherlands in 2019, not a universal installation standard or a product endorsement.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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1. Distinguish CO alarms from smoke alarms. Carbon monoxide is invisible and odorless; fuel-burning heaters, engines and generators can produce it, so confirm that you have a device designed to detect CO.
2. CPSC recommends CO alarms on every home level and outside sleeping areas. Follow your local rules and the manufacturer's instructions for the exact height, spacing and power type. A CO alarm does not replace a smoke alarm.
3. Use the model's test button once a month and tell others in the home before testing. A button test checks the alarm function but does not itself prove that the sensor will detect every real CO exposure.
4. Watch for low-battery, fault or end-of-life signals. Replace removable batteries exactly as directed; never open a sealed battery unit. Replace the whole alarm at the manufacturer's stated service life rather than assuming all models last the same number of years.
5. Arrange qualified servicing of fuel-burning heating and water-heating appliances. Never run portable generators, charcoal grills or camping stoves inside a house or garage, even with windows or doors open.
6. If a CO alarm sounds or poisoning is suspected, do not stay indoors to search for a cause. Evacuate everyone immediately to fresh outdoor air, call your local emergency service from safety and do not re-enter until responders say it is safe.

US Consumer Product Safety CommissionCO Alarms ↗Primary placement and testing reference: install CO alarms on each level and outside sleeping areas; test monthly and maintain batteries according to device instructions.US Consumer Product Safety CommissionCPSC Warns of Generator, Carbon Monoxide and Fire Hazards Ahead of Hurricane Season ↗May 27, 2026 safety release: CO is invisible and odorless, never operate combustion generators indoors, evacuate outside immediately when alarm sounds and call emergency responders; monthly tests advised.Wikimedia CommonsFile:FA370 Carbon monoxide detector, The Hague (2019) 01.jpg ↗Exact file page states the photographer Donald Trung Quoc Don, household CO alarm scene in The Hague (2019), CC BY-SA 4.0 and required credit/attribution.Wikimedia CommonsCommons:Reusing content outside Wikimedia/technical ↗Independent source-level hotlink guidance; separate from file-level license/credit conditions.

Your try-it-at-home checklist

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