Carbon Monoxide

Alter_ego

Hope someone can help. Is CO heavier than air?
I've had conflicting advice whether to fit a CO detector at high or low level.
Please don't advise where to fit it. I just want to know if it's heavier than air. Thanks. AE

dunroving

Alter_ego wrote: »

Hope someone can help. Is CO heavier than air?
I've had conflicting advice whether to fit a CO detector at high or low level.
Please don't advise where to fit it. I just want to know if it's heavier than air. Thanks. AE

CO is less dense than air. So for the same volume, CO is "lighter", air is "heavier", if you want to put it that way.

dunroving

dunroving wrote: »

CO is less dense than air. So for the same volume, CO is "lighter", air is "heavier", if you want to put it that way.

(Specifically, density of air at standard temperature and pressure is 1.293 kg per meter cubed, and density of CO at standard temperature and pressure is 1.250 kg per meter cubed)

Ant555

<My post originally mixed up Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide so text deleted as it adds nothing to this thread>

jefaz07

Alter_ego wrote: »

Hope someone can help. Is CO heavier than air?
I've had conflicting advice whether to fit a CO detector at high or low level.
Please don't advise where to fit it. I just want to know if it's heavier than air. Thanks. AE

Read the manufactures instructions about where to site the alarm.
They make it, they know their product best.
Part of one of the tests Gas Engineers sit is to look at alarms and accompanying instructions to ascertain whether they are fitted correctly.

jefaz07

Alter_ego wrote: »

Hope someone can help. Is CO heavier than air?
I've had conflicting advice whether to fit a CO detector at high or low level.
Please don't advise where to fit it. I just want to know if it's heavier than air. Thanks. AE

One thing I can tell you for certain is that it will rise, I have seen it travel up 3 storey flats to the top floor and activate their alarm.

TELLIT01

Ant555 wrote: »

Ive got one low as I believe the carbon dioxide is more dense so will typically go down rather than up.

My thinking is based on a documentary I watched a few years ago about the Lake Nyos disaster where many hundreds in a low-lying village were poisoned by the gas in their sleep as carbon dioxide rolled down from a higher point into their village killing them in their sleep.

The OP is asking about Carbon Monoxide, not Carbon Dioxide. The two gases have very different properties. Mixing them up could have fatal results.

Cornucopia

Just to be clear, this thread is about Carbon Monoxide (a dangerous, colourless, odourless gas that can be emitted in toxic quantities from faulty fuel-burning appliances). Carbon Monoxide is lighter than air, as above.

Carbon Dioxide is a different gas entirely - present in smallish quantities in normal air. In industrial quantities it is dangerous, but not in the home under normal circumstances. Carbon Dioxide is heavier than air, as we'll have all seen on-stage when CO2 is used in its "dry ice" solid form.

JuzaMum

I have two CO monitors/alarms. Both ceiling mounted, one by the boiler and the other near the gas fire

Alter_ego

Thanks to all those who understand CO is different to CO2.

Alter_ego

jefaz07 wrote: »

Read the manufactures instructions about where to site the alarm. .

That was where I got the contradictory advice.