False Alarms

• Follow the manufacturer's instructions for placement. Don't install a detector near a furnace or stove. Many well-maintained appliances can produce a small amount of CO on startup, which then disperses safely. Your detector may give false alarms, leading you to ignore or remove it, warns the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
  
  

Recommended Locations

• Place detectors outside bedrooms.Reflexs image by Gon?¡ìalo Carreira from Fotolia.com
  
  Install CO detectors in the hallway outside each sleeping area in your home. If you are awake, you will hear a distant alarm. When asleep, the closer the sound is to your bedroom the better. In addition, install a detector on each story. CO accumulates on the same level as the appliance before drifting to other floors.
  
  

Considerations

• Don't place a detector near windows or drafts.sofa image by Dmitry Nikolaev from Fotolia.com
  
  Install the detector as high as possible. Although CO does not rise, it is usually associated warm air, which does. Avoid drafts, windows and vents, which can cause air to move rapidly past the detector, reducing the concentration of CO, according to Consumers Union.
  
  

Routine Maintenance

• Have your appliances serviced regularly.tool bag and tools 1 image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
  
  Never expect a CO detector to replace regular servicing of your heating appliances and cleaning of chimneys and flues.
  
  

Regular Checks

• Check and change detector batteries.nine volt battery image by JoLin from Fotolia.com
  
  Check that a hard-wired detector has battery backup for power outages, and change the battery annually.