CO detectors

mustangcoupe

Senior Member
So my furnace guy was here today, and during the cleaning he asked if I had a CO sensor... No he did not try to sell me one, he actually said to get one from HD or Lowes it could save my life some day....

So this got me thinking AO sells 2 which can be connected to my M1 But what are peoples opinions and what models are preferred?

Also where is it recommended to install these? Near any CO source is my opinion but is that correct to code?
 
Great question, I am wondering this myself as well. I don't have any hardware to interface smoke detectors right now, but would love to start with CO detectors.
 
Just some FYI's I found concerning CO.

What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas. Each carbon monoxide molecule is composed of a single carbon atom bonded to a single oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas, and oil.​
Where is Carbon Monoxide Found?
Carbon monoxide is present in low levels in the air. In the home, it is formed from incomplete combustion from any flame-fueled (i.e., not electric) device, including ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, furnaces, fireplaces, grills, space heaters, vehicles, and water heaters. Furnaces and water heaters may be sources of carbon monoxide, but if they are vented properly the carbon monoxide will escape to the outside. Open flames, such as from ovens and ranges, are the most common source of carbon monoxide. Vehicles are the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning.​
Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.

According to the 2005 edition of the carbon monoxide guidelines, NFPA 720, published by the National Fire Protection Association, sections 5.1.1.1 and 5.1.1.2, all CO detectors 'shall be centrally located outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms,' and each detector 'shall be located on the wall, ceiling or other location as specified in the installation instructions that accompany the unit.'​
Legislation
House builders in Colorado will be required to install carbon monoxide detectors in new homes in a bill signed into law in March 2009 by the state legislature.

House Bill 1091 requires installation of the detectors in new and resold homes near bedrooms as well as rented apartments and homes. It takes effect from July 1, 2009. The legislation was introduced after the death of Denver investment banker Parker Lofgren and his family. Lofgren, 39; his wife Caroline, 42; and their children, Owen, 10, and Sophie, 8, were found dead in a multimillion-dollar home near Aspen, colorado on Nov. 27, 2008, victims of carbon-monoxide poisoning.
 
Are there any that have a PPM display on them? The ones I'm using (that don't integrate with the M1) have a PPM display on them. Most detectors will alert at 30PPM, which won't really do anything to you unless you breath it for about 8 hours. But 300PPM can kill you in a few minutes. I like having the PPM display. Very useful in the garage when you fire up the propane heater because they all produce some CO.

It allows you to detect air starvation to your heaters also, because starved flames produce more CO. I'll work in the garage if it's under 30ppm. But I once let the heater run out there for an hour on a -30F day to get it warm, and when I went back out I took one breath and almost passed out. I hooked the detector to an extension cord and slid it into the garage.... 380ppm. I forgot to crack the outside door near the heater and it became starved of O2.
 
I just purchased CO detectors and installed them connecting them to my OmniPro II. I did put one in the basement about 30-40 feet from the furnace.

I purchased the GE ESL 240-COe models. In order to function with my Omni Pro II correctly also purchased Supervisory modules and polarity reversal modules.

I was aware of the supervisory modules but not of the polarity reversal modules as my OmniPro II installation manual made no mention of these and learned this from reading this forum.

The house already had wired smokes (contractor) but I had purchased additional smokes and CO detectors and was waiting to install them connecting them to the Omni Pro II. I should not have waited 5 years though.

I had an issue about 20 years ago in my old home (which I lived in around 30 years) relating to CO detectors. This home had been built in the late 70's.

One day I decided to install an attic fan to cool the attic a bit. The attic was vented with about 6 vents. I noticed an odd smell in the home soon after I powered up the attic fan. I thought it might be gas and called the local gas company to check. The gas man told me it was not gas. he told me I was smelling CO from the exhaust of the water heater. I had created a negative pressure in the house and air was being sucked into the home from the Hot water heater and by default it was coming from both the stack and the source.

I then had about 4 more air vents added to the roof and that solved my negative pressure problems. CO lesson learned.
 
My dad passed out in his office at work, crawled to the door and dialed 911. They picked him up and found nothing wrong with him except low O2 levels. The next day, he took a CO detector to work and it alarmed immediately. About a month later and several hundred miles away, my brother almost passed out at work. He had been coming home at 5pm for months and sleeping like 16 hours. He brought in a CO detector and it alarmed right away. In both cases, the furnace had a crack in the flue that allowed CO into the building.

I've had exhaust leaks in cars that leaked CO into the cabin and made me sleepy. There are keyfob size CO detectors out there, I'm planning on getting one.
 
I have the System Sensor CO1224. It isn't installed yet. When I was researching CODs, most use the ESL or System Sensor detectors. I chose the CO1224 due to the looks and features over the ESL.

Something to consider is where you purchase your CO detector from due to the end of life of the sensor inside the unit. Inside my CO1224 it has a month and date that the sensor was created. Six years from that date, the sensor is deemed end of life and should be replaced. The CO1224 will actually send a trouble signal to the panel to tell you that it is time to replace it. You don't want to purchase a sensor that has been sitting on the shelf for 2 or 3 years at $60+.
 
There are keyfob size CO detectors out there, I'm planning on getting one.

That is a good idea. I didn't know they made those. I had a boss at one time who lost her husband due to asphyxiation from CO inhalation because of a faulty heater.
 
I have the System Sensor CO1224. It isn't installed yet. When I was researching CODs, most use the ESL or System Sensor detectors. I chose the CO1224 due to the looks and features over the ESL.

Something to consider is where you purchase your CO detector from due to the end of life of the sensor inside the unit. Inside my CO1224 it has a month and date that the sensor was created. Six years from that date, the sensor is deemed end of life and should be replaced. The CO1224 will actually send a trouble signal to the panel to tell you that it is time to replace it. You don't want to purchase a sensor that has been sitting on the shelf for 2 or 3 years at $60+.
That's some really interesting and useful information, I was not aware that these sensors 'expire'. Does the box have any indication of when it will expire (so I can ask the vendor to check)?
 
What is the normal life of most of them?

Depends on the size of the little acid filled detection device. 2 years for cheap First Alert units, up to 6 years for some of the better ones.

Here's the problem with ALL UL listed CO detectors.... They suck. They will not alert below 35 or 50ppm, and over that, they are now required to have a delay before they sound. Too many false alarms for police departments. Back in 1996 or so, the air temp changed in Chicago and it pushed all smog down to the ground. There were over 3600 E911 calls for CO detectors going off. Since then, fire depts and PD's have lobbied to make them less sensitive.

If you have 60ppm in your house, most detectors will not alert for several hours. I don't know about you, but if I have any CO in my house, I want to know about it IMMEDIATELY. I have a toddler running around, and 4 hours at 60ppm cannot be good for him. CO can also cause brain damage at low chronic exposure levels. I'll make the determination as to whether or not it poses a threat. If you want instant notification, you have to buy a non-UL listed detector. And the only one I know of that's not some $500+ industrial thing is one made by a company called CO Experts. Their website sucks and looks like a 5 year old designed it, but they make a good product. I'm trying to find out if there's a way to hook it up to an alarm panel, I have an email in to them.
 
Does the box have any indication of when it will expire (so I can ask the vendor to check)?

Okay, I lied. It isn't six years from that date on the label. It has the date it should be replaced on a label on the inside of the CO1224. Someone who has a GE ESL will have to post a picture of the label and location, if the GE ESL has one?

The label is circled in red (mine expires Nov 2012). The cover to the unit is to the left:

co1224replacementdatewc.jpg
 
Someone who has a GE ESL will have to post a picture of the label and location, if the GE ESL has one?
Hmmm. I looked long and hard at my ESL 240-COe and did not find anything anywhere that looks like an expiration date.

The manual says, "This product is designed to work reliably for 5 years after the installation date. The End of Sensor Life indicator will activate after approximately 5 years. . ." [my emphasis]

Maybe it is counting the powered hours to expiration?

. . . the polarity reversal modules. . .
Does the ESL 240-COe support polarity reversal (I assume for sounding in an alarm)? I do not see this feature in the manual. Besides, I thought you would want to know which CO detector was triggered, to know where the CO problem was.
 
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