“Should a CO detector be mounted close to the floor at a wall outlet or higher up on the wall?”
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Since CO is slightly less dense than air the higher the detector is placed is better. "If you use plug-in CO detectors, find the highest outlet to place them. A detector near the floor may not sound an alarm quickly enough to keep you safe. If you use detectors that provide periodic readouts of CO levels, place them high enough to read to monitor CO levels."
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.Hi TomID, a CO alarm should be centrally located outside of each separate sleeping area in the inmediate vecinity of the bedrooms. For added protection you can install additional CO alarms in each separate bedroom, and on every lever of your home. Install it where you can hear it from all sleeping areas, in or near bedrooms and living areas or wherever you suspect a CO exposure is likely and on each level or a multi-level home. Make sure no door or other obstruction could keep CO from reaching the alarm Avoid dusty, dirty, or greasy areas (garages, furnace rooms, crawl spaces, unfinished attics) Avoid combustion particles (kitchens, garages, and furnace rooms). Keep units at least 20 feet (6 meters) away from common sources of combustion particles. In small homes, where 20-foot distance is not possible, place the alarm as far away from fuel-burning sources as possible. Keep the area ventilated to prevent unwanted alarms. Install at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) away from any cooking appliance. Air currents can draw cooking smoke into the smoke sensor and cause unwanted alarms. Avoid humid areas. Install your alarm at least 10 feet (3 meters) from common sources of humidity (shower, bath, sauna, humidifier, vaporizer or diffuser, dishwasher, laundry room, utility room) Keep alarms out of direct sunlight. Avoid turbulent air near ceiling fans or open windows. Blowing air may prevent CO or smoke from reaching the sensors. If there is a ceiling fan in the same room where we want to install our detector, make sure the distance starting at the tip of the Ceiling fan Blade is at least 36 Inches (3 feet) to the detector. Avoid areas where the temperature is colder than 40˚ F (4.4˚ C) or hotter than 100˚ F (37.8˚C) (crawl spaces, unfinished attics, uninsulated ceilings, porches, garages) Avoid insect-infested areas. Insects can clog the openings to the sensing chamber. Install at least 12 inches (300 mm) away from fluorescent lights. The lights can interfere with the sensor. Avoid dead air spaces with no air circulation. Dead air spaces may prevent smoke from reaching your alarm. When installing an alarm on the wall, the top edge of alarms should be placed between 4 inches (100 mm) and 12 inches (300 mm) from the wall/ceiling line. When installing an alarm on the ceiling, place the alarm as close to the center as possible. In either case, install the alarm at least 4 inches (100 mm) from where the wall and ceiling meet. - Maria
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