Carbon Monoxide Detector & Smoke Alarm Installation in Lenexa, KS & Kansas City, MO
Maintaining a comfortable temperature year-round is important to Kansas City homeowners. With hot summers and frigid winters, a broken HVAC unit is an unwanted hassle and expense. However uncomfortable you might be when your HVAC system is down, it pales in comparison to what could happen if you don’t have working smoke and carbon dioxide detectors expertly installed and regularly maintained in your home.
Do you have working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your Kansas City area home?
Contact the experts of Top Notch Heating, Cooling & Plumbing to install these vital devices in your home today.
Smoke Detectors
The U.S. death rate from fire is one of the highest per capita for First World countries. According the United States Fire Administration under the direction of FEMA, house fires kill almost 3,000 people each year and injure another 20,000. The saddest part of these grim statistics is that the majority of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented by having a working smoke alarm in the home.
Kansas has adopted the following laws for smoke detectors:
- Smoke detectors must use ionization or photoelectric detection technology
- Smoke detectors must be installed on every level of a home including basements
- A detector must be placed outside of every bedroom
- New homes must place smoke detectors in every bedroom
- All alarms must be interconnected
Missouri doesn’t have statewide smoke detector laws. Laws regarding smoke detectors are made at the local level, but are usually similar to Kansas laws.
At Top Notch, we can answer your questions about what kind of smoke detectors you need in your Kansas or Missouri home and install them quickly and efficiently. We’ll also advise you of how to maintain your smoke alarm by regularly changing the batteries and performing periodic testing.
Do you need smoke alarms for your Kansas City area home? Contact us today!
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Do you have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your house? Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is in many ways more dangerous than fire, mainly because it can’t be detected by any of your senses. As gas furnaces and heating implements get more efficient (and therefore more common in homes), the risk of possible carbon monoxide exposure increases significantly.
Simply put, if you have a gas burning furnace or heating system, you need to pair it with a carbon monoxide detector.
To find out about how to install a carbon monoxide detector in your Kansas City home, contact Top Notch today!
What Kind of Carbon Monoxide Detectors Should I Install?
There are three main types of carbon monoxide detectors available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages:
- Electrolytic sensor carbon monoxide detectors – Electrolytic sensor carbon monoxide detectors use electrochemical sensors to detect levels of carbon monoxide in your home. These extremely sensitive carbon monoxide alarms can detect even low levels of carbon monoxide and provide the most effective protection against CO. They have the highest upfront costs, but the protection they provide is incomparable.
- Colorimetric sensor carbon monoxide detectors – Colorimetric sensor carbon monoxide detectors use a strip of special color changing paper to detect levels of carbon monoxide in your home. When a colorimetric carbon monoxide detector alarms, it won’t turn off until the colored strip returns to normal, sometimes up to 48 hours later.
- Metal oxide carbon monoxide detectors – Metal oxide carbon monoxide detectors actually heat up in the presence of many poisonous gasses, including carbon monoxide. They are a popular choice for many people because they can detect a variety of poisonous gasses present in the air, such as bleach, in addition to carbon monoxide.
Unsure what kind of detector is best for you? Contact the experts at Top Notch today.
Types of Carbon Monoxide Detectors
When you install your carbon monoxide monitor, think about how you want to power it:
- Battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors are very easy to install and will provide protection even during a power outage. As long as you keep up with battery replacements, you will not have a problem.
- Hard-wired carbon monoxide detectors are connected to your home’s electrical system and run constantly. These will need to be installed professionally, but once they’re in, you won’t have to think about them again.
Where Should You Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
If you have a gas furnace or heating system, it is highly recommended that you install at least one carbon monoxide detector in your home. If you want even more protection, install one near every sleeping area and one above the garage (carbon monoxide can leak out of your car’s exhaust). For best results, make sure your carbon monoxide detectors are at least 15 ft. away from any fuel burning appliances to reduce the risk of false alarms.
Special Features of Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Many carbon monoxide detectors come with a variety of special features that make them even more useful. When choosing a carbon monoxide detector, you can choose from:
- Power indicator lights – These lights that blink under normal conditions (when the alarm is not going off) show that the system is on and working properly.
- Low-battery signal – Many carbon monoxide detectors will emit an alarm or a chirping noise that will alert you when it’s time to replace the batteries. Usually, it’s annoying enough that you’ll want to change them right away!
- Battery drawer – Many battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors include a battery drawer that makes battery replacement much easier.
- Test/silence button – This useful feature allows you to test your carbon monoxide detector at the touch of a button. It also allows you to silence the device in the event of a false alarm.
- Visual alarms – While most carbon monoxide detectors use audible signals, there are carbon monoxide detectors for the hearing impaired that include flashing lights in their alarm.
- Combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detector – Combination smoke alarm/carbon monoxide detectors save space by combining the two main alarms you need in your house. This also means that you only need to change one set of batteries.
Installing a carbon monoxide detector in your Kansas City home is the only way to protect your family from the danger of carbon monoxide.
If you want to install a carbon monoxide detector, contact Top Notch today!
Choose Top Notch for Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detector Installation in Kansas City, MO & Lenexa, KS
At Top Notch, we want to keep you and family comfortable and safe. In addition to installing and servicing top-of-the-line heating and cooling systems throughout the Kansas City area, we install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to help you avoid a tragedy. Our experts will install your detectors quickly and efficiently and explain how to maintain them for years to come.
Ready to install smoke and carbon dioxide detectors in your Kansas City area home? Contact Top Notch Heating, Cooling & Plumbing today!