Meg Watt lost her brother Michael and three of his friends to carbon monoxide poisoning.
Meg says, "I have never known that you should have a detector. And Michael didn't either and unfortunately, paid the ultimate price for that."
A carbon monoxide alarm can help make sure you stay safe. Consumer Reports tested 10 to see how quickly they'll alert you to low-level and high-level leaks.
Dan DiClerico with Consumer Reports tested them. He found, "Some took nearly twice as long as others to sound."
Most of the alarms tested are just for carbon monoxide, but a couple are combined with a smoke alarm.
DiClerico adds, "Keep in mind that while smoke alarms should be replaced after 10 years, but carbon monoxide alarms should be replaced after five."
That means you need to replace a combination alarm every five years. That's five years from the date on the back of the alarm.
It's also important to have a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your house... the basement, ground floor, and the upper level.
DiClerico says, "It's a good idea to get interconnecting alarms that signal each other. That way you'll be warned about a leak in the basement even if ou're asleep upstairs."
Among interconnected detectors, this First Alert OneLink earned top ratings. It's battery operated and costs $70.
DiClerico says, "A stand-alone alarm is probably fine if you live in a small, one-story home or an apartment."
A good choice is this $40 First Alert. It plugs into the wall and also has a battery back up.
Consumer Reports says be aware interconnected carbon monoxide alarms usually only communicate with alarms made by the same company.
So if you're installing several C.O. alarms, check to be sure they all are compatible with each other.