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Check your CO monitor

Posted: Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 8:49 am
by ddahlgren
Woke up at 5 am with mine going off. 30 MPH wind out of the south blowing right down the chimney and the stove on idle as it was going to be 45 in the morning. Opened 2 windows and a door to balance the pressure inside to outside along with some burning kindling to crank the draft up.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 10:20 am
by rberq
:!:
Yes, you have to wonder when the monitor sits silent for years, whether it will come to life when needed. Glad yours did.
I wonder the same thing about all those circuit breakers in my electrical boxes, nothing to do for 50 years, will they still work if called upon?

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 11:13 am
by coalkirk
Well that's one way to test your CO alarm. At least you know it works which beats "waking up dead." CO alarms have a manufacture date on the back. Most of them use a sensor that's reliable for 5-7 years depending on brand. I replace mine at 5 years. Cheap insurance. I also have one in the room with the boiler, one in the room adjacent to the boiler both of which are standalone type. I also have at least one on every level that are hardwired with battery backup and interconnected.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:14 pm
by Spaceexplorer
Excellent advice.
I’ve got 1 in basement, 2 on first floor where stove is located and 1 in second floor.
I sleep good at night.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:39 pm
by Lightning
ddahlgren wrote:
Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 8:49 am
stove on idle as it was going to be 45 in the morning.
Perfect scenario for extra secondary air to keep the draft moving. I haven't had a draft failure in years...

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sun. Jan. 27, 2019 3:24 pm
by Hambden Bob
Any given day,Breadman,any given day!! Nice Job knocking the issue down!

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sun. Jan. 27, 2019 4:14 pm
by charlesosborne2002
The CO monitor I bought (and the others I saw) said to not place within 15 feet of the stove, and my stove is in the middle of a 24 ft room. It also says not in the bathroom. My kitchen has gas stove, so that is out too. I put it in the bedroom. I think the problem was that it can go off from the normal minimal amounts of CO when loading coal or dumping ashes, or in the kitchen when baking, etc. The bathroom bit is probably about humidity.
coalkirk wrote:
Thu. Jan. 24, 2019 11:13 am
Well that's one way to test your CO alarm. At least you know it works which beats "waking up dead." CO alarms have a manufacture date on the back. Most of them use a sensor that's reliable for 5-7 years depending on brand. I replace mine at 5 years. Cheap insurance. I also have one in the room with the boiler, one in the room adjacent to the boiler both of which are standalone type. I also have at least one on every level that are hardwired with battery backup and interconnected.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sun. Jan. 27, 2019 4:40 pm
by lsayre
Some of the latest CO monitors come with 10 year lithium batteries installed. Does that mean the latest model sensors are good for 10 years now?

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Sun. Jan. 27, 2019 5:44 pm
by 2001Sierra
That is why I like the units that have a digital level indicators before it freaks out and blows the alarm.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Mon. Jan. 28, 2019 3:03 pm
by archangel_cpj
Being in the emergency Services industry I will say the kidde nighthawk style monitor is the best... It also disables itself after 7 years so your forced to buy a fresh one... they are 35 bucks...

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 4:15 am
by fig
How do you know it has disabled itself? I've had one for over 7 years and it still beaps when I test it. Guess I better get a new one.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 8:17 am
by rberq
fig wrote:
Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 4:15 am
How do you know it has disabled itself? I've had one for over 7 years and it still beaps when I test it. Guess I better get a new one.
Depending on brand, you may be able to find a user manual online, and download it. One of mine says replace after five years. Another, as I recall, says it will flash a code when it gets too old.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 1:11 pm
by fig
Well it's a kidde nighthawk. Must be 10 or 12 years old. It hasn't disabled itself. I'm still getting a new one. I was just pointing out it hadn't disabled itself.

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 1:22 pm
by rberq
fig wrote:
Mon. Feb. 11, 2019 1:11 pm
Well it's a kidde nighthawk. Must be 10 or 12 years old. It hasn't disabled itself. I'm still getting a new one. I was just pointing out it hadn't disabled itself.
Right. My original ones did not disable themselves, either, or flash me any beeps or codes. So I did just what you are doing, got new ones. I think the newer models are more assertive about when they want to leave us. :)

Re: Check your CO monitor

Posted: Tue. Feb. 12, 2019 6:29 pm
by ddahlgren
Lightning wrote:
Sat. Jan. 26, 2019 10:39 pm
Perfect scenario for extra secondary air to keep the draft moving. I haven't had a draft failure in years...
I did have secondary air open. The Crane 404 is not made with it but I added it ages ago and posted pics here.