Carbon Monoxide (CO) often called the "Silent Killer" poisoning can be lethal, the early symptoms include headache, nausea and dizziness. Not all carbon monoxide detectors are created equal! If you read your local paper's fire run reports you'll see numerous reports of CO alarms. There's an epidemic of false alarms from some highly promoted carbon monoxide detectors which use biomimetic sensors. False alarms can cost money for replacing sensor modules and for unnecessary appliance service calls.

Picking Out the Best Detector
Things to look for in purchasing a carbon monoxide detector are: Solid State semi-conductor sensors are highly accurate, dependable and virtually free of false alarms. They take samples of the air and then clears the sensors every 2.5 minutes, thus reducing the many false alarms. These sensors can be checked or reset after an alarm with a simple push of a button and the sensors last up to ten years. Types of detectors to avoid. Biomimetic sensors store the amount of carbon monoxide until they have accumulated enough CO to set off the alarm. Resetting these sensors after a false alarm requires ventilation with fresh air for up to 48 hours. Many of these type of detectors suggest replacing the sensor every 2-3 years and after any alarm.