By the time you see or smell the smoke, it can often be too late to escape a home fire. In fact, the majority of deaths in home fires are reported in homes without working smoke alarms. We often think of fires as slow moving things but in the right conditions a fire can consume a house in a matter of minutes. The fire itself isn’t the only killer either, as the thick smoke and poisonous gases that accompany a house fire are actually the leading cause of death.
Every second counts in a home fire and your smoke alarm could mean the difference between escaping with your life or becoming another statistic, so be sure to check your smoke alarms!
Carbon Monoxide Is A Silent Killer
Carbon monoxide detectors are just as important as smoke detectors. Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that kills more than 400 Americans a year according to reports by the CDC. The real danger of carbon monoxide is that it’s mostly undetectable aside from a slight smell.
Symptoms of mild carbon monoxide exposure are similar to those of the flu, and often won’t raise any major red flags. You could be breathing in CO for weeks before you realize it, and by then it may be too late to avoid permanent damage to your health. Extremely high levels of carbon monoxide can cause death within minutes.
The only reliable way to detect carbon monoxide in the home is with a functioning carbon monoxide detector, which is why you should be checking yours at the beginning of every year at least.
How A Home Inspection Can Keep Your Family Safe
In order to know whether your home is truly safe or not, you need to perform a home inspection. A home inspection will not only verify the integrity of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, it will also reduce the chance that you’ll need to rely on them in the first place. Many fires are caused by faulty electrical wiring that could be identified and fixed with a thorough home inspection.
Carbon monoxide in the home is often caused by faulty appliances like stoves and gas ovens, or by heating equipment like boilers and water heaters. An experienced home inspector can spot issues with improperly installed appliances or heating equipment that you may not see.
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are a vital safety feature in any home, but with routine home inspections you can hopefully avoid having to rely on them. Still, if you want your home to be as safe as possible make sure you always check your detectors at the beginning of every year.
You can’t put a price on the safety of your family, that’s why it’s so important to perform routine home inspections. Please contact us at Super Inspection Pros. today to learn more about the home inspection process or to schedule an inspection for your home.
