carbon monoxide alarm suggestions

wallofbeans

I'm looking to get a carbon monoxide alarm / detector, and there are so many I don't know where to start or what is a good brand etc.

Does anyone have advice?

molerat

Just go for one of the big names - FireAngel, Dicon, Kidde, FirstAlert. Loads of no name Chinese junk on Ebay to steer clear of. Whether the fancy ones with LCD displays are worth paying extra for is up for debate, does anyone actually look at them ?

Risteard

wallofbeans wrote: »

I'm looking to get a carbon monoxide alarm / detector, and there are so many I don't know where to start or what is a good brand etc.

Does anyone have advice?

Aico (Ei Electronics).

stator

Just buy it from B&Q or any of the big supermarkets.

The only difference is the battery. Some come with a long life battery that will last as long as the alarm does (About 7 years). These cost about £20 each.
Some take AA batteries. You can get these cheaper , eg B&Q sell two for £28. But you have to replace the batteries every now and then. The alarm still lasts 7 years.

dj1471

I buy Kidde ones, usually decent value and never had any issues with them.

Risteard

stator wrote: »

Just buy it from B&Q or any of the big supermarkets.

The only difference is the battery. Some come with a long life battery that will last as long as the alarm does (About 7 years). These cost about £20 each.
Some take AA batteries. You can get these cheaper , eg B&Q sell two for £28. But you have to replace the batteries every now and then. The alarm still lasts 7 years.

It's not the only difference. Good quality brands such as Aico/Ei Electronics are inherently more reliable, not value engineered and will provide good cover for the lifetime of the unit. This is reflected in their cost.

bris

Buy one with the built in battery that you can't replace, they are good for 7 years.


The ones that take AA batteries are not approved in rental properties for good reason, people steal the batteries for the remote or just don't replace them.


Put one in every room where you have a gas appliance, (except hobs) so if you have a boiler in one room and a gas fire in another that's 2 you should really buy, you can get twin packs slightly cheaper.

TheCyclingProgrammer

I have a Nest Protect which I!!!8217;m happy with. I have the wired version. I have it on the upstairs landing not too far from the boiler which is in the bathroom airing cupboard. It!!!8217;s also a smoke alarm.

I have a normal smoke alarm downstairs in the hall. Unfortunately the Nest isn!!!8217;t really suitable for a kitchen, it doesn!!!8217;t do heat detection alone, only smoke.

boliston

i got a fireangel co-9d about a year ago and it has a useful display showing actual level of CO rather than just a basic alarm - i tested it using smoke from a cigar (it has a test mode where it samples much more frequently than usual) and this was enough to register on the LCD even though not enough to activate the alarm

FreeBear

bris wrote: »

Put one in every room where you have a gas appliance, (except hobs) so if you have a boiler in one room and a gas fire in another that's 2 you should really buy, you can get twin packs slightly cheaper.

And if you have a flue running through a sleeping area, put one in that room too.

I have a multifuel stove in the lounge, and the flue runs up though the bedroom above - So that is two alarms spoken for. CO alarms are not just for gas appliances.

Risteard

FreeBear wrote: »

CO alarms are not just for gas appliances.

Indeed. They are for all solid fuel burning appliances. Also they should be in close proximity to bedrooms (not just inside one with a flue). Also, not sure where the claim that hobs are excepted comes from. If they are solid fuel burning then they should also have a CO detector sited correctly near them.