Close Alert Banner
Skip to Content
  • myStratford

City of Stratford Logo

Contact Us
  • Visit Us
    • Parking
    • Public Restrooms
    • Destination Stratford
  • Live Here
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
    • Britannia Street Housing Project
    • Cemetery
    • Children's Resources
    • Climate Change
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • EarlyON Perth County
    • Education
    • Emergency Services
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Garbage Collection
    • Heritage Stratford
    • Library
    • Maps
    • Parking
    • Pet Ownership
    • Property Taxes
    • Public Health
    • Social Services
    • Stratford Naturally
    • Stratford Police Services
    • Transportation
    • Utilities
    • Wastewater
    • Water
    • Wildlife
    • Senior's Resources
  • Play Here
    • Community Organizations
    • COVID-19 Return to Activity
    • Digital Advertising
    • Facilities
    • Parks & Forestry
    • Recreation Programs
    • Register for Programs
    • Sports Wall of Fame
    • Upcoming Events
  • Do Business
    • investStratford
    • Available Properties
    • Bids and Tenders
    • Business Licensing
    • Community Profile
    • Our Industries
    • Stratford Perth Centre for Business
  • Inside City Hall
    • A to Z Services
    • Accountability and Transparency
    • Accessibility
    • Advisory Committees
    • Animal Control
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
    • Awards
    • Bid Opportunities
    • Budget
    • By-laws
    • City Council
    • Contact Us
    • Cooper Block
    • Departments
    • Employment
    • Market Square
    • Mayor
    • Municipal Accommodation Tax
    • Municipal Elections
    • News & Public Notices
    • Other Reports & Publications
    • Privacy Statement
    • Proposed Municipal Boundary Adjustment
    • Strategic Priorities
    • Terms of Use
    • Tom Patterson Theatre
    • Website Feedback
Home...FireFire PreventionCarbon Monoxide Detectors

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

  • Open new window to share this page via Facebook Facebook
  • Open new window to share this page via Twitter Twitter
  • Open new window to share this page via Pinterest Pinterest
  • Open new window to share this page via LinkedIn LinkedIn
  • Email this page Email

Live Here

Carbon monoxide detectors are now law. As of October 15, 2014 all residential homes in Ontario must have a detector adjacent to every sleeping area regardless of where it's located.

To prevent carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, you should have furnaces and other fuel-burning appliances in your home inspected regularly by authorized service personnel.

See below to learn more about carbon monoxide poisoning and detectors:

 

What is carbon monoxide poisoning?

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and toxic gas often referred to as the "silent killer". When inhaled, it inhibits your blood's capacity to transport oxygen throughout your body. Carbon monoxide can poison you quickly if highly concentrated or slowly over long periods of time.
How is carbon monoxide generated?

Carbon monoxide is a by-product of incomplete fuel combustion such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal, gasoline or wood. Incomplete combustion can occur in any device that depends on burning for energy or heat, such as furnaces, room heaters, fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves or grills and any gas powered vehicle or engine. The following can create unsafe levels of carbon monoxide (CO):

  • Automobiles left running in attached garages;
  • Gas barbecues operated inside your home;
  • Grills or kerosene heaters that are not properly vented; or
  • Chimneys or vents that are dirty or plugged.

When properly installed, maintained and vented, any CO produced by these devices will not stay inside the home.

What are some symptoms?
Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, burning eyes, confusion, drowsiness and even loss of consciousness. In severe cases, CO poisoning causes brain damage and death. The elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory conditions may be particularly sensitive to CO.
What are some danger signs?
  • You or other members of your family have symptoms of CO exposure (see above).
  • You notice a sharp, penetrating odour or smell of gas when your furnace or other fuel-burning equipment is turned on.
  • The air is stale or stuffy.
  • The pilot light in your furnace or other fuel-burning equipment goes out.
  • Chalky white powder forms on the chimney/exhaust vent pipe or soot build-up occurs around the exhaust vent.
How can unsafe levels of carbon monoxide be detected?
Carbon monoxide detectors monitor airborne concentration levels (parts per million) of carbon monoxide and sound an audible alarm when harmful CO levels are present. Be sure that your detector has been certified to the Canadian Standards Association CAN/CGA 6.19 standard or the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 2034 standard.
What should I do if I suspect carbon monoxide in my home?
  1. If you or anyone else in your home is experiencing the symptoms of CO poisoning, ensure that everyone leaves the home immediately and leave the door open.
  2. Call your local fire department or 911 from a neighbour's telephone.
  3. If your CO detector sounds, do not assume it is a false alarm. Open all doors and windows to ventilate your home. If you cannot find the problem and the alarm continues, contact the fire department.
  4. If there is a strong smell of natural gas in your home, leave immediately, leave the door open, and contact your local gas utility.
  5. If you have no symptoms, reset the detector and check if the alarm activates. If the detector sounds a second time, call the fire department for their assistance.
  6. If the detector does not sound a second time, check for conditions that may have caused a CO build-up (see the illustration below) or contact a qualified heating contractor to check your fuel-burning equipment.

Potential carbon monoxide sources in the home

Where should I place a carbon monoxide detector in my home?
  • Your CO detector should be located as near as possible to your bedrooms, where it can wake you if you are asleep. Where sleeping areas are located in separate parts of the home, a detector should be provided for each area.
  • Additional CO detectors should be placed on each level of your home.
  • Detectors should also be in rooms where combustion devices are located such as: solid fuel-fired appliances; a gas clothes dryer or natural gas furnace; or adjacent to potential sources of CO such as in a teenager's room or granny suite located adjacent to an attached garage.
  • Unlike smoke, which rises to the ceiling, CO mixes with air. A CO detector should be placed at knee-height which is about the same as prone sleeping height or chest height to prevent tampering by pets, children and vacuum cleaners.
  • To work properly, a detector should not be blocked by furniture, draperies or other obstructions to normal air flow.
  • If you install a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector, install it on the ceiling to ensure that it will detect smoke effectively.
  • Please refer to the manufacturer's instructions for additional information regarding proper use and maintenance.
What are some additional safety tips? 

Your knowledge and actions can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and save lives. CO detectors are a good second line of defense, but regular inspections, maintenance and safe use of fuel-burning equipment is equally important.

The Office of the Fire Marshal is part of a Carbon Monoxide Awareness Committee (comprised of representatives from industry, government, fire services, public utilities, standards and certification agencies and appliance manufacturers) dedicated to protecting the public against CO hazards through greater awareness and understanding.

Additional home heating safety information is available on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority website.

 

 

  • Emergency Services
    Toggle Section Emergency Services Menu
    • Ambulance
    • Fire
      Toggle Section Fire Menu
      • Community Reports
      • Communications
      • History
      • LODD Memorial
      • Stations and Apparatus
      • Suppression
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Fire Prevention
        Toggle Section Fire Prevention Menu
        • Apartment Fire Safety
        • Carbon Monoxide Detectors
        • Fire By-Laws
        • Fire Tips for Older Adults
        • Heating Safety
        • Home Smoke Alarms
        • Kitchen Safety
        • Student Accommodation
      • Public Education
        Toggle Section Public Education Menu
        • Fire Extinguisher Training
        • Home Fire Safety Program
    • Health Care
      Toggle Section Health Care Menu
      • Huron Perth Public Health
      • Stratford General Hospital
      • Stratford Family Health Team
    • Police
  • View Full Live Here Menu
    Toggle Section
    • Applications, Licenses & Permits
      Toggle Section Applications, Licenses & Permits Menu
      • Bicycle Licensing
      • Birth, Death, Marriage Certificates and Change of Name
      • Business Licence
      • Encroachments
      • Lottery Licensing
      • Marriage and Civil Ceremonies
      • Pet Ownership
      • Special Events and Municipal Alcohol Policy
      • Outdoor Special Events
    • Britannia Street Housing Project
    • Cemetery
    • Children's Resources
    • Climate Change
      Toggle Section Climate Change Menu
      • Green Recognition Program
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19)
    • EarlyON Perth County
    • Education
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
    • Garbage Collection
      Toggle Section Garbage Collection Menu
      • Green Bin
      • Hazardous Waste
      • Landfill Site
        Toggle Section Landfill Site Menu
        • Landfill FAQ
      • Leaf and Yard Waste
      • Recycling Collection
      • Textiles
    • Heritage Stratford
      Toggle Section Heritage Stratford Menu
      • Award Programs
        Toggle Section Award Programs Menu
        • Blue Plaque Program
        • James Anderson Award
      • Heritage Permits
      • Heritage Conservation Loan and Grant Programs
        Toggle Section Heritage Conservation Loan and Grant Programs Menu
        • Building Code Upgrade Loan
        • Facade Improvement Loan
      • How to Designate Your Property
      • Designated Properties
      • Non-Designated Properties
      • Heritage Conservation District
    • Library
    • Maps
    • Parking
    • Pet Ownership
    • Property Taxes
      Toggle Section Property Taxes Menu
      • Property Assessment
      • Property Sales
      • Property Tax Rates
      • Tax Bill Information
      • Tax Bill Payment Options
    • Public Health
      Toggle Section Public Health Menu
      • Extreme Heat
      • Public Access Defibrillators (AED)
    • Social Services
      Toggle Section Social Services Menu
      • Anne Hathaway Daycare
      • Children's Services
      • Homelessness
      • Housing
        Toggle Section Housing Menu
        • Housing Access Centre
        • Perth and Stratford Housing Corporation
      • Ontario Works
    • Stratford Naturally
      Toggle Section Stratford Naturally Menu
      • Top 10 Lawn Tips
      • Garden FAQ
      • Garden Fact Sheets
    • Stratford Police Services
      Toggle Section Stratford Police Services Menu
      • About Stratford Police
      • Services and Reporting
        Toggle Section Services and Reporting Menu
        • Background Checks
        • Police Fee Schedule
        • Freedom of Information Requests
        • Community Equity Action Team
      • Crime Prevention
      • Careers
    • Transportation
      Toggle Section Transportation Menu
      • Stratford Municipal Airport
      • Parking
      • Rail
      • Roads
      • Transit
      • Parallel Transit
      • Stratford & Perth County Community Transportation
      • Pedestrian Crossovers
      • School Travel Planning
      • School Travel Safety
    • Utilities
      Toggle Section Utilities Menu
      • Electrical
      • Gas
      • Locate Information
      • WiFi
    • Wastewater
      Toggle Section Wastewater Menu
      • Fats, Oils and Grease
      • Sanitary Service Ownership
      • Sewer Subsidy Programs
      • Draining Your Pool or Hot Tub
    • Water
      Toggle Section Water Menu
      • Water Annual Reports
      • Water and Sewer Rates
      • Water Service Ownership
      • Drinking Water Source Protection
      • Driveway Replacement Planning – Locating Water Boxes
      • Frozen Water Services
      • Discoloured Water
      • Service Line Warranties of Canada
    • Wildlife
    • Senior's Resources

Contact Us

Subscribe to page updates

Stratford logo

  • Accessibility
  • Terms of Use
  • Sitemap
  • Contact Us
  • Employment
  • Website Feedback
  • Privacy Statement

© 2019 The Corporation of the City of Stratford, P.O. Box 818, Stratford, Ontario, N5A 6W1, 519-271-0250

View our Facebook Page View our Twitter Page View our LinkedIn Page
Designed by eSolutionsGroup
Close Old Browser Notification
Browser Compatibility Notification
It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser. As a result, parts of the site may not function properly for you. We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience.