SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (IRN) – If you haven’t checked your carbon monoxide alarm in a while now’s the time.

The Office of the State Fire Marshal is urging Illinois residents to have working CO alarms in their homes as a key safety element. Depending upon the manufacturer, CO alarms have an average life of three years. “People may believe that a beep coming out of their CO alarm means it’s time for a battery change when in fact it means that the device needs to be replaced,” said State Fire Marshal Larry Matkaitis.

If alarms were manufactured before August 2009 they may not have an end of life feature so it is likely the alarm must be replaced. You should also test the CO alarm every month, just like a smoke alarm, by holding down the test button while waiting for the alarm to sound.

Since 2007 Illinois law requires citizens to have properly placed and functioning CO alarms in all dwelling units that have an attached garage and/or fossil fuel burning capabilities.

Carbon monoxide is the number one cause of poisoning deaths in the nation claiming approximately 300 lives a year. Because CO is an odorless, tasteless gas, it can kill people before they realize its presence.

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