Cut back any tree limbs and shrubbery touching the home's exterior. Check all doors and windows for proper caulking and weather-stripping. Schedule annual service for the heating system. Energy providers like Ohio Edison have also started to require CO detectors in homes with fireplaces or combustion appliances built under certain construction programs. These moves are the start of a trend.
Carbon monoxide is a potentially deadly gas that's odorless, tasteless, and invisible.
It is produced wherever there is incomplete combustion. Woodstoves, fireplaces, gas ranges, and even cars in an attached garage can produce dangerous CO concentrations. The risk posed by CO is minimal. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that between 200 and 300 people per year die of CO poisoning in their own homes. It is likely that more codes will begin requiring the installation of CO detectors, which look like smoke detectors and sound piercing alarms when CO concentrations reach dangerous levels.