Kidde KN-COPP-3-RC - Manual (Page 6)

This Carrier carbon monoxide (CO) alarm is an important part of your
family’s home safety plan. As a new owner of a CO alarm, there are
some basic facts you should know for your protection and convenience.
Many people think that CO alarms operate like smoke alarms. Like
smoke alarms, CO alarms monitor the air in your home and sound a loud
alarm to warn you of trouble.
The way you respond to a CO alarm is quite different than a smoke
alarm. That’s because a house fire and a carbon monoxide problem are
two distinctly different situations. If your smoke alarm were to alarm, you
would quickly be able to judge the level of danger you were in with your
senses. You can see and smell the smoke, feel the heat, see, and pos-
sibly hear the fire burning. You can also readily see if your smoke alarm
is alarming in a non-emergency situation, for example someone smoked
up the kitchen with some burnt toast. Because your sense of sight, smell,
hearing and touch give you information, you can almost instantly judge
what action to take if you hear your smoke alarm.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is invisible, odorless, tasteless, nonirritating, poi-
sonous gas that is completely undetectable to your senses. It is created
when any fuel is burned – gasoline, propane, natural gas, oil, wood, coal,
and even tobacco. When oxygen is limited during combustion, more CO is
produced. Serious problems can develop when combustion by-products
are not properly vented outside the house. That’s why it’s so important to
your safety that you have a carbon monoxide alarm.
Please take the time to completely read this guide to familiarize yourself
with the facts about carbon monoxide, how your new unit works, and
what to do if it alarms. Find a handy place to keep this manual so that it
will be readily available when you have a question.
Thank you for making Carrier a part of your complete home safety pro-
gram. With proper installation and use, your new Carrier CO alarm will
provide you with years of dependable service.
Introduction
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