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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 9:26:42 GMT
If the life of a CO monitoring unit / alarm is 7 years - where can you buy ones that still have 7 years left, ie. just manufactured? What is the point of buying one that was made 4 years ago? You've already lost 4 years and have only 3 remaining before it's time to send it to Malaysia for 'recycling'*. *chucking it in the ocean. How about buying a parrot. When it keels over you know you have a CO problem. It's a green solution (other colours available) and lasts a lot longer than a PP3. Just don't try taking the dead one back to the shop... A Canary would also work Sean CO nnery
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:00:01 GMT
We have four CO alarms on board ... not because I'm particularly worried, but rather when I buy a new one (as I just have, a Fire Angel £18 at Tesco) I don't throw old ones away. The Fire Angel has a 7 year warranty (it says - not life) and takes two AA batteries. Every four years or so I buy a new one anyway, but have never dumped one as they still show working and test correctly. At this time of year, when we have all the windows closed for warmth, it's good to know any problems should be brought to our attention before we wake up dead Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:06:31 GMT
I wonder how people managed before the advent of CO monitors.
Were there huge death rates or did people just instinctively know what to do?
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Post by ianali on Jan 28, 2020 10:08:53 GMT
I wonder how people managed before the advent of CO monitors. Were there huge death rates or did people just instinctively know what to do? Just a few died I guess.
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Post by Jim on Jan 28, 2020 10:12:51 GMT
For the benefit of our younger members, who missed it first time round
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:12:57 GMT
We have four CO alarms on board ... not because I'm particularly worried, but rather when I buy a new one (as I just have, a Fire Angel £18 at Tesco) I don't throw old ones away. The Fire Angel has a 7 year warranty (it says - not life) and takes two AA batteries. Every four years or so I buy a new one anyway, but have never dumped one as they still show working and test correctly. At this time of year, when we have all the windows closed for warmth, it's good to know any problems should be brought to our attention before we wake up dead Rog Good idea Rog. Perhaps its not a good idea to rely on a single CO monitor anyway. We always leave a window open even when it's freezing as I trust common sense more than a sensor. I think our low level ventilation is Ok but it's good to sort out any cracks in the stove/flue ASAP and sweep the chimney regularly (especially if you burn a lot of wood). No CO alarm can do that...
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:31:56 GMT
We have four CO alarms on board ... not because I'm particularly worried, but rather when I buy a new one (as I just have, a Fire Angel £18 at Tesco) I don't throw old ones away. The Fire Angel has a 7 year warranty (it says - not life) and takes two AA batteries. Every four years or so I buy a new one anyway, but have never dumped one as they still show working and test correctly.At this time of year, when we have all the windows closed for warmth, it's good to know any problems should be brought to our attention before we wake up dead Rog How do you expose it to CO to test it? Or do you just mean you press the button and test the alarm works?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:42:46 GMT
We have four CO alarms on board ... not because I'm particularly worried, but rather when I buy a new one (as I just have, a Fire Angel £18 at Tesco) I don't throw old ones away. The Fire Angel has a 7 year warranty (it says - not life) and takes two AA batteries. Every four years or so I buy a new one anyway, but have never dumped one as they still show working and test correctly.At this time of year, when we have all the windows closed for warmth, it's good to know any problems should be brought to our attention before we wake up dead Rog How do you expose it to CO to test it? Or do you just mean you press the button and test the alarm works? It went off when Chris was bent over making our bed...just saying... Edit to say, I think it goes off when you rub up against it sometimes, I don't think fart has any CO content.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:44:40 GMT
We have four CO alarms on board ... not because I'm particularly worried, but rather when I buy a new one (as I just have, a Fire Angel £18 at Tesco) I don't throw old ones away. The Fire Angel has a 7 year warranty (it says - not life) and takes two AA batteries. Every four years or so I buy a new one anyway, but have never dumped one as they still show working and test correctly. At this time of year, when we have all the windows closed for warmth, it's good to know any problems should be brought to our attention before we wake up dead Rog Good idea Rog. Perhaps its not a good idea to rely on a single CO monitor anyway. We always leave a window open even when it's freezing as I trust common sense more than a sensor. I think our low level ventilation is Ok but it's good to sort out any cracks in the stove/flue ASAP and sweep the chimney regularly (especially if you burn a lot of wood). No CO alarm can do that... In the distant past when I lived on a boat, there was no such thing as the bss or compulsory insurance. Nobody I knew had a CO2 monitor. I did clean the chimney flue regularly, at least once month in winter, especially if I was burning dirty coal. I don't recall any incidence of people dying but then again there was no internet back then either (in the late stone age). But remember the incident in York a little while back? There was no solid fuel burner on that boat so I presume the issue was with some kind of gas appliance.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 10:51:35 GMT
As an aside. My mother in law was quite ill for a few weeks (she's 92). Eventually that was found to be due to CO. When they came out to sweep the chimney they found cracks in the flue and said that it looked like it had never been sweeped!
They replaced everything, new flue and gas fire. She's much better now. Yes, CO is a serious business.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 11:01:40 GMT
The smoke alarm gets tested every time we make toast I press the test buttons on the CO alarms pretty regularly. On a couple of occasions we've set the alarm off ... once surprisingly when the fire was choked up with ash and not drawing as well as it should ... something we're now more aware of because of the alarm ... and once when a very smokey boat passed by our open side hatch and windows. I think you have to keep a close eye on appliances, not JUST trust to CO monitors, but it really is a 'no brainer' to have one. Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 11:22:34 GMT
The smoke alarm gets tested every time we make toast I press the test buttons on the CO alarms pretty regularly. On a couple of occasions we've set the alarm off ... once surprisingly when the fire was choked up with ash and not drawing as well as it should ... something we're now more aware of because of the alarm ... and once when a very smokey boat passed by our open side hatch and windows. I think you have to keep a close eye on appliances, not JUST trust to CO monitors, but it really is a 'no brainer' to have one. Rog You are of course right, they are not expensive. But how do you 'keep an eye' on a gas water heater? Also back in those days I would let the fire go out every third day or so just to be able to properly sweep it out.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 12:32:53 GMT
I don't have a gas water heater, but the condition (size, colour etc. ) of the pilot light on the gas central heating boiler can tell a story, and I would have thought the same applies.
Rog
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 15:19:21 GMT
My CO alarms are quite sensibly designed because the usual display shows temperature, which is handy, then if you press the button it will show recent highest CO level then current CO. It's selectable. So I leave them on temperature and regularly press the button to check for any recent activity then back to temperature. pressing the button also tests the alarm itself. What would be really handy would be a data logging CO monitor. These are the ones I use www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-Year-Digital-Display-Carbon-Monoxide-CO-Detector-Alarm-FireAngel-CO-9D-/302511816100
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2020 15:28:50 GMT
My CO alarms are quite sensibly designed because the usual display shows temperature, which is handy, then if you press the button it will show recent highest CO level then current CO. It's selectable. So I leave them on temperature and regularly press the button to check for any recent activity then back to temperature. pressing the button also tests the alarm itself. What would be really handy would be a data logging CO monitor. These are the ones I use www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7-Year-Digital-Display-Carbon-Monoxide-CO-Detector-Alarm-FireAngel-CO-9D-/302511816100What, the one not suitable for boats?
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