Do you have a carbon monoxide detector?

Richie-from-the-Boro

tuggy12 wrote: »

How is that relevant to this thread, which is about Carbon Monoxide, not smoke?

HiYa tuggy12,

Smoke & carbon monoxide for the purpose of detection are the same thing. What's different is the method of detection. The monoxide is detected via an ionisation sensor which is more effective at detecting fast, flaming fires which consume combustible materials rapidly and spread fire quickly, and the smoke [as in burning toast is less prone to nuisance alarms due to cooking fumes] is detected via an optical photoelectric type sensor which is more effective at detecting slow burning fires, which can smoulder for hours before bursting into flames.

It seems to me the hardly ever mentioned issue with all these detectors is the shonkey half life of the sensors and the battery consumption. Whilst you can get the mains wired like my own if I was to change I'd get one of each, an ionisation and an optical, I'd buy a well known brand with a guaranteed 10 year [internal lithium-ion power pack] fit and forget for £12 each from a local outlet near you. At the end of the 10 years I'd chuck out both - and buy brand new replacements. £25 per 10 years or just 4p per week is cheap money for the protection offered!

elle_may

The price of cm and sa is nothing compared to death.It is one of those things you hope you will never need but must have. And dont forget to keep the batteries in check when they start to beep around every year, as some people hear this but do not know what it is. My friend thought it was a neighbours canary she was hearing and it was driving her mad.

savemoney

I have one in hallway mainly got it as we have a log burner. Only other gas appliance in house is gas cooker, boiler is in garage. Well worth peace of mind having one

StinkerPinker

I have one in the kitchen where my sealed balanced flue boiler is, plus the very much not sealed gas cooker.

Don't forget it's not just batteries you need to check. The business end - the radioactive module - used to do the actual detection also has a limited life. My one has the useable end date visible on the underside, after which it must be replaced.

I seem to remember having another detector for unburnt fuel at one time - it had a small wire mesh cage to stop the detector causing flashover. No idea what became of it.

Catssquirrel

Better safe than sorry

nanto3girls

We have one,not worth being without.

[Deleted User]

My first CO detector said to mount it as close to the floor as possible because CO is heavier than air. The second one said mount it within a foot of the ceiling.

Mine's on the bookcase in the hall.

Ken68

Mine is in the kitchen not too far from the boiler, BUT reading these posts, thank you, will get another one for bedroom or top of stairs.

victor2

Whilst I agree totally with the principle of having one if there is even a slight risk, how do you know they work? The test button does nothing but trigger the circuit that the detector normally triggers, proving the alarm makes a noise. You do hear of people having been alerted, and possibly saved, by smoke detectors, but I can't say I've ever heard of anyone being saved by a CO detector.
No doubt somebody will put me right on that though!

ollski

victor2 wrote: »

Whilst I agree totally with the principle of having one if there is even a slight risk, how do you know they work? The test button does nothing but trigger the circuit that the detector normally triggers, proving the alarm makes a noise. You do hear of people having been alerted, and possibly saved, by smoke detectors, but I can't say I've ever heard of anyone being saved by a CO detector.
No doubt somebody will put me right on that though!

I could point you in the direction of a few definite life savers over the years where we have been brought in to check a co alarm going off and discovered a gas appliance working extremely dangerously. usually warm air units, precast flue fires and high level cooker grills.