We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on the front.
Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO levels though? I don't see how...
I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check without the necessary equipment.
On Nov 5, 12:23 pm, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it > shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on > the front.
> Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO > levels though? I don't see how...
> I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a > test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody > suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO > levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check > without the necessary equipment.
On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:46 +0000, Lobster wrote: > We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it > shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on > the front.
How old is it? They usually have an expiry date, although at least some will warn you when that is reached. If it's near it, you might as well just get a new one!
Jonathan wrote: > On Nov 5, 12:23 pm, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >> shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on >> the front.
>> Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO >> levels though? I don't see how...
>> I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a >> test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody >> suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO >> levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check >> without the necessary equipment. > Hold a lit candle under it?
Hmm, just tried shutting in in a biscuit tin with a lit candle until the latter was suffocated (yes, I'm bored).
On 5 Nov, 12:23, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off > Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO > levels though? I don't see how...
AIUI, current production alarms attempt to detect sensor end-of-life and raise a warning then anyway. However I would follow manufacturer's lifetime guidance (usually 5 or 6 years, not long). The colour-change disks only last a year.
Easiest portable CO source I've found is a lump of barbecue charcoal in a tin. However this just checks function and doesn't give much faith in calibration.
Bob Eager wrote: > On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:46 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >> shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on >> the front.
> How old is it? They usually have an expiry date, although at least some > will warn you when that is reached. If it's near it, you might as well > just get a new one!
Ooh, so it does! Let's just say it expired, ahem, a while ago. Will certainly replace it, though am still interested in the original query!
>We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on >the front.
>Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO >levels though? I don't see how...
Unlike smoke detectors, CO sensors in the alarms have a very limited life - often no more than 2 years, newer ones can be up to 5 years. The self test does not test the sensor.
On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:50:31 +0000, Lobster wrote: > Bob Eager wrote: >> On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:46 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>>> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >>> shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button >>> on the front.
>> How old is it? They usually have an expiry date, although at least some >> will warn you when that is reached. If it's near it, you might as well >> just get a new one!
> Ooh, so it does! Let's just say it expired, ahem, a while ago. Will > certainly replace it, though am still interested in the original query!
Glad to help!
BTW, let's hope they get the postal strike called off for tomorrow, and you might then get my parcel before the weekend...
Bob Eager wrote: > On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:50:31 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>> Bob Eager wrote: >>> On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:46 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>>>> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >>>> shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button >>>> on the front. >>> How old is it? They usually have an expiry date, although at least some >>> will warn you when that is reached. If it's near it, you might as well >>> just get a new one! >> Ooh, so it does! Let's just say it expired, ahem, a while ago. Will >> certainly replace it, though am still interested in the original query!
> Glad to help!
> BTW, let's hope they get the postal strike called off for tomorrow, and > you might then get my parcel before the weekend...
Indeed, looking forward to it - and fiddling about with a laserjet fuser should be more productive use of my time than pratting about with an old CO monitor! Thanks again...
Andy Dingley wrote: > On 5 Nov, 12:23, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off
>> Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO >> levels though? I don't see how...
> AIUI, current production alarms attempt to detect sensor end-of-life > and raise a warning then anyway. However I would follow manufacturer's > lifetime guidance (usually 5 or 6 years, not long). The colour-change > disks only last a year.
> Easiest portable CO source I've found is a lump of barbecue charcoal > in a tin. However this just checks function and doesn't give much > faith in calibration.
Good idea - we'll be laying a fire tonight anyway, so will find a lump of charcoal to burn and stick it in my biscuit tin. Sounds highly likely that the sensor's gone anyway but am interested to try it!
Lobster wrote: > We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it > shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button on > the front.
> Does that necessarily mean it's working fine as regards measuring CO > levels though? I don't see how...
> I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a > test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody > suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO > levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check > without the necessary equipment.
On 5 Nov, 12:23, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I was wondering about setting up a > test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody > suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO > levels?
BES sell an aerosol for testing CO alarms (Detectagas, P/N 12556). Around £7.
In article <7PzIm.67018$k74.15...@newsfe17.ams2>, Lobster <davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hmm, just tried shutting in in a biscuit tin with a lit candle until the > latter was suffocated (yes, I'm bored). > No alarm. Should there have been?
I tried the same with the wideband O2 sensor I was about to fit to the old car - nothing. The way you do a rough check they're working is by squirting some butane into them. The reading then goes off the scale.
-- *The man who fell into an upholstery machine is fully recovered*
Dave Plowman d...@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound.
> I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a > test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody > suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO > levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check > without the necessary equipment.
This was discussed on this group a while ago. I think the suggested solution was leave it in a garage with a car engine running. But then there were a lot of retards posting on that thread.
I dare say Google Groups will unearth this gem of a thread if you look hard enough ;-)
>On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:50:31 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>> Bob Eager wrote: >>> On Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:46 +0000, Lobster wrote:
>>>> We have a fairly old CO alarm which has never gone off (well, it >>>> shouldn't, should it!?) and self-tests fine when you press the button >>>> on the front.
>>> How old is it? They usually have an expiry date, although at least some >>> will warn you when that is reached. If it's near it, you might as well >>> just get a new one!
>> Ooh, so it does! Let's just say it expired, ahem, a while ago. Will >> certainly replace it, though am still interested in the original query!
>Glad to help!
>BTW, let's hope they get the postal strike called off for tomorrow, and >you might then get my parcel before the weekend...
The Postal strike has been called off until after New Year
In article <Xns9CBAD1C6A3CFAalnews67hotmail...@130.133.1.4>, Al <alnew...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> This was discussed on this group a while ago. I think the suggested > solution was leave it in a garage with a car engine running. But then > there were a lot of retards posting on that thread.
Would have to be an old car. Modern ones have catalytic convertors - and one of their functions is to convert CO.
-- *I never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast *
Dave Plowman d...@davenoise.co.uk London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound.
>> I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a >> test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody >> suggest an easy way to see if it does actually respond to increased CO >> levels? Obviously not possible to do any sort of calibrated check >> without the necessary equipment.
> This was discussed on this group a while ago. I think the suggested > solution was leave it in a garage with a car engine running. But then there > were a lot of retards posting on that thread.
> I dare say Google Groups will unearth this gem of a thread if you look hard > enough ;-)
> Al.
> p.s. Just Buy A New One You Tightwad ;-)
The same question pertains to a new one. If yo're going to trust your life to a CO detector (even a new, shop-bought one), it would be nice to have confidence that the detector actually works. I'ts not as if you could take it back for a replacement if you're dead :-)
> In article <Xns9CBAD1C6A3CFAalnews67hotmail...@130.133.1.4>, > Al <alnew...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> This was discussed on this group a while ago. I think the suggested >> solution was leave it in a garage with a car engine running. But then >> there were a lot of retards posting on that thread.
> Would have to be an old car. Modern ones have catalytic convertors - and > one of their functions is to convert CO.
CO2 will also kill you. It just doesn't poison the blood the same way.
<davidlobsterpot...@hotmail.com> wrote: >I suppose more for interest's sake, I was wondering about setting up a >test - short of firing up the barbeque in a closed garage, can anybody >suggest an easy way
IIRC the sensor can be permanently damaged by exposure to high levels of CO. Perhaps the 'test aerosol' suggested earlier would be best.
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