Carbon Monoxide — the Silent Danger in Your Home

Carbon monoxide (CO) is colorless, odorless, and tasteless — you cannot detect it without a detector. It comes from malfunctioning furnaces, blocked chimneys, running cars in closed garages, and portable generators used indoors. Symptoms mimic the flu: headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion. If everyone in the household feels sick at the same time but improves when they leave the house, suspect CO immediately.

If your CO detector goes off: get everyone out of the house immediately, call emergency services from outside, and do not go back in until professionals say it is safe. Install a CO detector on every floor of your home, especially near bedrooms. Never run a generator, grill, or car engine in an enclosed space. CO poisoning kills hundreds of people every year — and every death is preventable with a detector that costs less than a dinner out.