Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Carbon Monoxide Alarm

A carbon monoxide alarm is essential to prevent accidental exposure to the deadly gas as it cannot be seen, smelt or tasted.

Almost all domestic fuel burning appliances are capable of producing CO, especially if they are badly maintained.  This means that every household is at risk of CO poisoning at some point.  Carbon Monoxide Alarms are inexpensive and easy to install.

 

Even if there is a very small amount of Carbon Monoxide Gas escaping into your home you could be at risk of illness including the possibility of long term damage to the brain.

 

Common symptoms for Carbon Monoxide poisoning are similar to symptoms of an ordinary cold or to a dose of flu (without fever) and include:

 

o Headaches 

o Dizziness 

o Fatigue 

o Weakness 

o Sleeplessness 

o Confusion 

 

If you and especially other members of your family are suffering from these symptoms, you cannot be sure that you are not suffering from the effects of Carbon Monoxide poisoning unless you have installed a CO Alarm in your house.

 

Unborn babies, small children, pregnant women and senior citizens – especially with respiratory problems – may experience the symptoms sooner than others.  But everyone in a house is at risk.

 

Even tiny amounts of carbon monoxide can cause harm; and long term exposure to small amounts of CO (assuming they are not fatal) can even cause permanent brain damage.

 

The presence of Carbon Monoxide is measured in parts per million.  The following table gives an indication of the harm different amounts of the gas can cause:

 

50 PPM - The maximum safety level as defined by the Health and Safety Executive

200 PPM - Slight headache, tiredness, dizziness and nausea after 2-3 hours

400PPM - Frontal headache within 1-2 hours,life threatening after 3 hours

800 PPM - Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45 minutes.  Unconsciousness within 2 hours.  Death within 2-3 hours

1600 PPM - Headache, dizziness and nausea with 20 minutes.  Death within 1 hour

6400 PPM - Headache, dizziness and nausea within 1-2 minutes.  Death within 10-15 minutes

 

A Carbon Monoxide Alarm should give a shrill alarm within the following timetables (according to European Standard EN50291:2001), so protecting you from illness or death, even if you are asleep:

 

50   PPM - The unit must alarm within 60 – 90 minutes

100 PPM - The unit must alarm with 10 – 40 minutes

300 PPM - The unit must alarm in less than 3 minutes

 

Carbon Monoxide harms by entering the lungs as you breathe normally and displacing oxygen from the bloodstream.  This interrupts the normal supply of oxygen to the vital organs and puts your life at risk.

 

The very best way to prevent accidental death from CO poisoning is to buy an audible CO Alarm and to ensure that your appliances are serviced annually.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, yet many people don’t know they are suffering from CO poisoning until its too late. Since symptoms of CO poisoning are like the flu, you might not even know you’re in danger at first. That’s why a carbon monoxide alarm is an excellent way to protect your family. It can detect the CO you can’t see, smell or taste in the air.

The First Alert CO615 carbon monoxide alarm uses an electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor-the most accurate technology available. Installation is as simple as plugging it in to any wall outlet. Its easy-to-read backlit digital LED display gives you a clear read-out of current CO concentrations in parts per million. The alarm includes a battery back-up giving you peace of mind in a power outage. The test/silence button both silences a non-threatening alarm or low battery warning and allows you to test the unit’s functionality. The unit monitors and re-alarms if carbon monoxide levels persist sounding a loud 85-decibel horn. An audible and visual low battery signal alerts you to replace the battery and an indicator alerts you when a battery has been removed. An end-of-life alarm of three chirps alerts you to replace the unit. One 9-volt battery is included. 5-year limited warranty. UL listed. –Bree Norlander

What’s in the Box
One carbon monoxide alarm, one 9-volt battery, and user’s manual


Know about Carbon Monoxide (CO)
First Alert CO Alarm Features

  • AC/DC Plug-in with Battery Backup and Digital Display of CO Concentration
  • AC/DC Plug-in with Battery Backup
  • AC/DC Plug-in
  • Battery Powered
  • Combination Smoke and CO Alarms
  • Combination Natural Gas, Propane Gas & CO Gas Alarm


What should you do when a CO alarm sounds?

  1. Operate the Test/Silence button.
  2. Call your emergency services, fire department or 911.
  3. Immediately move to fresh air—outdoors or by an open door or window. Do a head count to check that all persons are accounted for. Do not reenter the premises, or move away from the open door or window until the emergency services responder has arrived, the premises have been aired out, and your CO Alarm remains in its normal condition.
  4. After following steps 1-3, if your CO Alarm reactivates within a 24-hour period, repeat steps 1-3 and call a qualified appliance technician to investigate for sources of CO from fuel-burning equipment and appliances, and inspect for proper operation of this equipment. If problems are identified during this inspection have the equipment serviced immediately.
  5. Note any combustion equipment not inspected by the technician, and consult the manufacturers’ instructions, or contact the manufacturers directly, for more information about CO safety and this equipment. Make sure that motor vehicles are not, and have not, been operating in an attached garage or adjacent to the residence.

*Per ANSI/UL 2034

Disaster Preparedness and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
At the onset of hurricane season, it’s important for consumers to remember the proper safety precautions to take in the event of a power outage, as several dangers – including accidental carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning – arise when electricity is lost.

During power outages, many consumers turn to various sources of alternative power and cooking as a temporary solution.  From gas-powered generators to gas grills to wood and charcoal, households look for ways to continue their daily lives during a loss of power.  Unfortunately, the incorrect use of many of these products can result in tragic consequences.  For example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that more than 28 people died from accidental CO poisoning during the 2005 hurricane season as a direct result of portable generator use. The following safety tips will help families avoid CO and other dangers associated with power outages:

  • Never run a generator indoors or in a poorly ventilated area such as a garage, basement or porch, and use the appropriate-size power cords to carry the electric load. 
  • Install a minimum of one battery-operated CO alarm (or AC-powered alarm with battery backup) outside each sleeping area, and for maximum protection install at least one CO alarm on each level of the home.
  • Ensure that CO alarms have working batteries installed.
  • Never burn charcoal or other outdoor cooking appliances indoors or in the garage.

Extra Guidelines to Help Prevent Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning
A national survey reveals nearly three quarters of Americans think carbon monoxide (CO) can be “very dangerous” in the home, and their fears are warranted. CO is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Often referred to as the silent killer because one can’t see, smell or taste it, CO is a by-product of combustion produced by anything that burns fuel, such as gas furnaces, water heaters, barbeque grills, wood-burning fireplaces, stoves, alternative power sources and autos. Exposure to CO causes many flu-like symptoms and can be fatal.
That’s why it’s so critical for consumers to identify potential dangers and take measures to help protect themselves and their families against this serious threat.  First Alert, a leading manufacturer of home safety products including CO alarms, recommends following these guidelines:

  • Have fuel-burning heating equipment and chimneys inspected by a qualified professional every year before cold weather arrives. During the heating season, clear filters and filtering systems of dust and dirt.
  • Be sure to open the flue for adequate ventilation when using a fireplace.
  • Inspect the pilot lights on natural gas appliances to ensure that the flame is blue. When a flame is mostly yellow in color, it likely is producing CO.
  • Clean out the lint and debris that may build up in the clothes dryer vent which leads to the outside of the house.
  • Only use generators in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
  • Use barbecue grills only outside and never indoors or in the garage.
  • Never leave an auto running in a garage, even for a couple of minutes and not even if the overhead garage door is open.
  • Install a CO alarm outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement, as recommended by the National Fire Protection Association. Ensure that the alarms are plugged all the way in the outlet or, if battery operated, have working batteries installed. For better protection go a step further and install CO alarms inside each sleeping area.
  • First Alert recommends replacing CO alarms no later than every 5 years.

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Pic

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Pic

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Pic

Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Carbon Monoxide Alarm Pic

Most helpful customer reviews

204 of 218 people found the following review helpful.
3Seems OK, but have several concerns…
By Paul Robinson
We bought this to supplement our Kidde Nighthawk CO detectors, the 900-0234 curved model with a 7-year warranty (we didn’t want to put all our eggs in one basket!). The First Alert looks to be a fine CO detector.

Here are some positives:

1) It has the plug on a wire, so that you can put the detector somewhere other than right in the outlet. That’s helpful as outlets can have other adapters in them making it hard to plug it in or be behind something rendering the CO detection harder.

2) It can be tested or silenced with a remote (hold down the volume or channel button for 5 seconds) (our Tivo remote worked!). (Some of their other products with the remote features have received critical reviews as regular remote operation has set them off!)

3) Operates on AC with a battery backup (2 AAs)

4) Batteries ARE included!!

Here are several negatives:

1) 5-year warranty unlike the Kidde’s 7-year.

2) A “manual” that’s a huge, cumbersome, folded sheet, with small print that’s blurry and hard to read. They should supply a magnifying glass with it! This is a major concern as one needs to refer to the text for installation, for operation, to determine what to do under certain conditions, etc.

3) Yes, one can park the detector on a bookshelf (with the cord going to the outlet), but the detector itself wobbles! The previous Kidde CO detector Nighthawk model–the COPP-3 — has the plug on a cord feature, along with a nifty slide out stand that makes it stable. (We had good luck with that model, but many did not. Plus, it’s an older model, with only a 5-year warranty which is why we went for the 900-0234).

4) The CO level only shows up if one presses a button. It’s a cool blue light, but unlike the Nighthawk’s red LED that shows you the current CO level at all times (a reassuring 0), this displays a blank screen with a recessed green light. For some, it could be a plus as it would be less intrusive especially as the Kidde’s red LED seems to be much brighter on their latest model.

5) The detector displays a battery icon when it’s plugged into AC and the battery back up is installed! That’s unnerving as it makes it seem as if it’s running on the battery! Very odd design choice!

6) The test alarm didn’t seem as loud as the Kidde’s.

7) Battery cover is the front of the device, which the manual didn’t explain or illustrate, and it doesn’t shut well–or rather, it’s awkward and you feel as if you’re about to break the lightweight plastic parts.

8) One other issue, which plagues all the CO detectors and many other products on the market, is the infuriating, hard plastic packaging. It’s hard to open and I even cut myself on it. There are alternatives that are just as secure but much friendlier to the environment and the customer!

In comparing the two (Kidde Nighthawk 900-0234 and the First Alert CO615), the advantage clearly goes to the Kidde. It just seems a more professional, better designed, and better thought out product. Part of that is because we’re used to the Kidde design and like the red LED, but it also seems more solid (the First Alert has the seemingly fragile/flimsy cover), and has a higher quality, usable manual–it’s a real booklet that’s more readable and better organized (it also has a bigger font than FA’s, but still could be larger).

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful.
5First Alert CO615 Carbon Monoxide Alarm
By G. Ewing
I ordered and received this item timely from Amazon. The product was well packaged and the directions for use were easy to follow. The product is nicely constructed, easy to use, and seems to work well. I like the fact I can push one of the buttons located on the front of the unit to see if the unit has picked up any CO levels from the area it is located. It is designed to plug into a wall electrical outlet and also has a battery backup. The unit is small and appears out of the way when it is plugged in and being used. So far, the two units I bought are working well so I give this product a rating of 5 stars.

Update: Jan. 14, 2011 – I have now owned two of these devices for over two years and each one is still working just fine. I have had to replace the back up battery on each just once a year, which is fairly standard, so the devices seem to be well built and last.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
5Great feature – battery backup
By CastletonTrader
I bought this to replace my older detector. We lost power for 4 days and that’s when I realized that without battery backup my carbon monoxide detector was useless. I needed it because we were using a kerosene heater for some heat and we got a bit ill from it. So next time we lose power and have to use emergency heaters at least we will know if the carbon monoxide levels become unsafe.

See all 93 customer reviews…

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