A carbon monoxide detector is just as important as a smoke detector to keep you and your family safe in your home, but a carbon monoxide detector can’t detect natural gas or other non-smoke gas leaks.

Carbon monoxide and natural gas are both colorless and flammable gasses that can leak into your house and become a danger to anyone inside. Because carbon monoxide is also odorless, it’s much harder to detect as it builds up. It’s more dangerous, even though it’s less volatile than natural gas.

To help protect you from carbon monoxide and natural gas leaks, home and

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What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide—or CO—is an odorless and colorless gas created as a byproduct when fuel is burned incompletely. When CO builds up in a home, it can be very dangerous and even fatal.

CO can enter a home in many ways, including:

A faulty furnace

A faulty gas-powered fireplace

A faulty clothes drier

A generator running inside or close to a house or garage

A car running inside a garage

Not only can CO combust and cause a fire if it is accidentally ignited in your house, but it can also cause suffocation if it is inhaled in large enough quantities. Symptoms of CO poisoning include sudden drowsiness, forgetfulness, and confusion.

What is natural gas?

Natural gas is used in many homes as a fuel for stoves, fireplaces, clothes dryers, and furnaces. It is also colorless and odorless in its natural state, but gas companies are required by law to add a strong odor to make it easier to detect if there is a leak.

Though natural gas is more flammable than CO and has the potential to cause explosions if a large amount of it is ignited by a flame or spark, it is considered less dangerous than CO because it is easier to detect.

Does a carbon monoxide detector detect natural gas?

Most CO detectors will not detect natural gas leaks in your house, even if they are near the source of the leak. Only a detector that explicitly states that it detects natural gas will help you confirm the location of a natural gas leak in your home.

Having a carbon monoxide detector is still important to keep you and your family safe from CO poisoning. According to the

CDC

, around 50,000 people in the United States end up in the emergency room each year due to CO poisoning, and at least 430 people experience fatal CO poisoning annually.

If your detector alerts you to high CO levels in your house, it is important to quickly leave your house and call 911 to prevent CO poisoning.

How to detect natural gas leaks

Though natural gas has a strong unpleasant scent that alerts you to a leak or buildup of gas in your house, it can sometimes be hard to notice a small leak.

There are three options available to homeowners to help detect a natural gas leak. No matter which you choose, keeping your nose out for the smell of natural gas in your house and using a natural gas leak detector can help you avoid gas leak catastrophes.

If you detect a dangerous natural gas leak, you should immediately leave your house and call 911 from a safe distance.

Battery-powered leak detectors

Designed to be carried from room to room, battery-powered leak detectors are an easy way to tell if—and where—you have a natural gas leak in your home. These detectors are handheld devices that commonly have lights to show where the concentration of gas is highest.

Spray leak detectors

Spray leak detectors—which sometimes are designed to be applied with a small brush resembling a paintbrush rather than sprayed on—detect natural gas leaks when they are applied to a gas pipe.

If the pipe or joint fitting is damaged or loose, the leak detector solution will create bubbles when there is a leak in that area. The larger and more numerous the bubbles are, the faster the natural gas is leaking from that spot in the pipe.

Plug-in leak detectors

Plug-in leak detectors are great for long-term natural gas leak detection in your house. All you have to do is plug the device into an outlet, and it will continue to monitor for the accumulation of natural gas in the area it’s placed.

If you have old appliances or are concerned about the potential of a gas leak in a particular part of your home, it is a good idea to install a plug-in leak detector to alert you if a leak develops nearby.

Does home insurance cover carbon monoxide?

Your homeowners insurance probably won’t include carbon monoxide in the list of named perils covered by your policy, but CO-related fires or medical expenses may still be covered by your home insurance.

Contact your insurance company to clarify if you are unsure of what is covered.

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FAQs

When does a carbon monoxide detector detect natural gas?

Though the vast majority of carbon monoxide detectors don’t detect other gasses (including natural gas), you can purchase a combined gas detector to alert you to natural gas leaks.

Unless the packaging for your carbon monoxide detector specifically states that it also detects natural gas, it’s best to assume you need a stand-alone detector to monitor for natural gas leaks.

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