CO detectors

[76nemo]

Hmmmm,.....I just bought a Fluke CO-210 as a supplement to my gear. I had a family member complain of all of a suddenly feel overwhelmingly tired over the past two weeks. We had a tradegy a couple of years ago where two young men died from cooking inside their tent and falling asleep,...(drunk) They never woke up. I was thinking I could use the tester as an addition to doing any furnace work for the HO's piece of mine. Just a couple of years ago, our local started demanding the placement of CO detectors in all houses before being sold, although MANY houses here don't have them. I figured I would get one to go along side any inspections I do in the future. My 87V reads zip even with conditions I would think would raise the bar a little.

So, with this being said, can anyone tell me of even one story where they found a sound alert that something wasn't right exhaust wise in any building, dwelling, or not? I have had a couple of calls to detectors chirping, but they were low battery calls. Even with that alone, I am going to keep the tester. I heard you'll almost ALWAYS read zippo, but I'd like to know from you all,...have you ever found something in need of repair? I am just curious of any numbers from inadequate duct work. I know our fire department carries one, along with the gas company, and I have yet to ask them if it ever came of good use. This forum is worldwide, and I thought I would get more response here. I don't advertise as immediate inspection work, but I'll still get it. I advertise as repair. Again, I am going to keep the tester to add to any initial reports, but after using the tester, I am floored that even after pushing the limits in a closed room, I still saw 0.0 or 0.1PPM. No, I didn't do the coffee cup test, that seems pretty extreme. I have read that CO detectors have saved many o' lives, and this is sure to be true, but man, o' man, this thing sure is very sensitive. Can anyone of you guys add to this????

Thanks in advance to everyone, with replies or not. Always wanting to hear new opinions.

Thanks again,

~nemo

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

Last year I was making inspections at a house where an older woman lived. By the time I made my last inspection, she had passed away, without the coroner finding the reason for her death.

While in the basement, I saw the flue pipe for the boiler had been opened. So we called the fire department to come check the house for CO.
When the fire marshal saw the flue, he asked us to leave the house until after he finished his testing. Well the testing showed no results. He went to the tail pipe of the vehicle to show us what a bad reading would be.
I actually took pictures of the whole process. :wink:

 

[quogueelectric]

Southampton town by me requires all co dets to have a digital readout of the levels. I dont know what the average homeowner is going to do with that information. Quiet=good Alarm=bad

 

[frenchelectrican]

Quogueelectric.,,

IIRC i think there is two manufacter do have digtail display on it but a catch someone told me but i did not dig up the correct info that the CO dectector hardwired wth smoke alarm.

That part I am not sure if the customer will understand the diffrence of CO and plain jane smoke alarm and they will find a way to hush it but with the CO alarm they will read cetern level before it will actave the alarm.

I pretty sure I know Kidde company do have this but other I am not sure if they have this feature on it.

Merci,Marc

 

[don_resqcapt19]

Illinois requires residential CO detectors. The local fire department gets a lot of CO investigation calls...maybe 25% are for a problem that still exists when the FD gets there and checks with their portable instruments. In a number of cases they have transported the occupants to the hospital for treatment. If the FD finds a problem they notify the gas utility and the utility sends a service tech out to find out what is causing the problem.

 

[iwire]

Illinois requires residential CO detectors. The local fire department gets a lot of CO investigation calls...maybe 25% are for a problem that still exists when the FD gets there and checks with their portable instruments. In a number of cases they have transported the occupants to the hospital for treatment. If the FD finds a problem they notify the gas utility and the utility sends a service tech out to find out what is causing the problem.

MA does as well, and from my informal listening to the scanner my local FD does often find real reasons for the CO trips. They generally report that they shut down the appliance and told the residents to call for service.