Wiring for CO interlock/lockout for gas boiler?

modconwannabe

My plumber says that NYC code requires new boiler installs to have a CO detector with interlock to boiler that forces a manual reset if CO is detected. My electrician is an idiot and has never done so and isn't interested in attempting.
So I purchased a First alert combo detector with interconnect, a BRK RM4 relay, have wired them seemingly correctly (operative word seemingly) but can't seem to get things to work as hoped.

Can someone walk me through the steps to get this going?
Boiler is Triangle Tube Prestige Solo.
Detector is known good, and properly connected to boiler breaker and functions correctly and has been tested.
RM 4 directions say connect black to black, white to white orange to orange. Done.
The Relay outs are brown/common, Grey normally open, and Blue normally closed.
When I trip the relay I get no voltage across any lines which is unexpected.
I turned off boiler, connected brown and grey to Manual Reset terminals (which normally are factory jumped) in low voltage panel and all I get is a hard lockout. I switched to brown and blue and get the same.
What am I missing here?

modconwannabe

Revisiting to clarify:
Is the manual (or auto) limit reset terminal the correct interface?
If so, what should the wiring be between the relay and manual reset?
The documentation from Triangle Tube only mentions the terminals, not how to wire.

nicholas bonham-carter

Can youcall the Triangle Tube tech support, and say you are the electrician if they say they will only talk to pros.--NBC

SWEI

You need normally closed contacts. Try wiring brown and blue to the boiler terminal strip.

modconwannabe

SWEI said:

You need normally closed contacts. Try wiring brown and blue to the boiler terminal strip.

RIght though blue is listed as normally open. But I tried both ways. The only way I haven't tried is blue and grey which makes no sense.
I called BRK electronics and they say it's an undocumented use of their product. That may be so but it and many products just like it are, I thought, routinely used for this purpose. I found this product in a discussion on the Wall in fact.

modconwannabe

Just to finish this up for the curious who search in the future: I had wired it correctly, just misinterpreted the steps. If anyone decides to wire a CO detector interlockd with their boiler, using a First Alert combo smoke/co alarm along with a BRK RM-4 relay wired to the same breaker as boiler works a charm and is an easy install. Brown/Grey was the correct combination to the Manual Reset, which must be installed when boiler is off.

I'd have liked to have invested in a smart CO that gave me an alert/notification when it tripped, so will look into that going forward.

Thanks all to comments.

Martial_7erran

Quote: "I'd have liked to have invested in a smart CO that gave me an alert/notification when it tripped, so will look into that going forward."

If the CO relay has SPDT (both NC and NO), then you can use the NO (normally open) switch to activate a custom alarm or to activate/power an Arduino programmed to send you an email or TXT message alerting you to the fact that the CO-Detector has alarmed (and the boiler is OFF). Arduinos can be easily programmed for this using ChatGPT or Google Gemini (Generative AI) to tell you exactly how to wire and program them for this or a similar remote-alarm application.

Kidde has a NC/NO SPDT relay for CO-Detection alarm activation:

Carbon Monoxide Relay Module CO120X
"The Kidde CO120X can be used to activate auxiliary warning devices such as external bells and sirens, hallway or stairway lighting. This relay will only activate when it receives a CO signal from an interconnect Carbon Monoxide Alarm."

https://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/safety-accessories/auxiliary-devices/co120x/

USER GUIDEs:
https://www.shareddocs.com/hvac/docs/2001/Public/0A/1201-7209-01.pdf.pdf

https://www.shareddocs.com/hvac/docs/2001/Public/09/CO120X_UserGuide_EN.pdf

DESCRIPTION:
"This module is only activated by a Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm interconnect signal [on one or more "red interconnect wires" of specific models of Kidde 120VAC-wired CO Alarms]."

[To use this Kidde relay itself to turn-OFF a pilot or the burner, the "yellow wire" connected to the "normally closed contact" (NC) pole of the relay and the Blue Wire (Common Contact) of the relay are wired in series with the thermopile wire, or in series with any of the installed TCOs such as "rollout switch" at bottom, or "spill switch" at the flue? or in series with the thermostat 24VAC call wire.]
"ADDITIONAL INSTALLATION INFORMATION: If the desired function is to switch off a device when the alarms sound, connect the yellow wire (NC) instead of the orange wire (NO) to the supply side of the device. Be sure not to exceed the relay contact ratings of the module. This
module should not be used to control inductive loads with inrush currents that will exceed the maximum contact ratings"

[Non-Latching relay switch, will not itself keep OFF the relay-controlled appliance after detector goes out of alarm]:
"Residential alarms do not latch in the alarm condition and they are self-resetting. If an alarm connected to a module has the test button pushed or the alarm momentarily activates, it will activate the module for as long as the unit is in alarm. If more than one alarm is connected to the module and the module is tied to a control panel there will be no way of knowing which unit caused the alarm."

"ATTENTION: The wiring connecting the module with the external devices is not supervised. Be sure to test the operation of all the devices controlling the module or controlled by the module. Devices controlled by the module can be tested by pushing the test button on the alarms and verifying that the controlled device responds in the desired manner"

"The model CO120X module is for use with the following interconnectable models: Carbon Monoxide Alarms: KN-COB-IC, KN-COB-IC-CA, KN-COB-ICB-CA, KN-COP-IC and KN-COP-ICCA, and CO/ Smoke Combo Alarms: KN-COSM-I, KN-COSM-IB, KN-COSM-ICA and KN-COSM-IBCA, all with red interconnect wires.

"Outer packaging is blue, in order to distinguish from Smoke Relay Module, Model SM120X, which has black outer packaging. This device will only activate when it receives a CO interconnect signal from a compatible device. When in the activated mode (as a result of a CO signal), this device will deactivate if it receives a smoke interconnect signal from a compatible device."

"NOTE: Only the Carbon Monoxide portion of the: KN-COSM-I, KN-COSM-IB, KN-COSM-ICA and KN-COSM-IBCA combo alarms will activate this module. If activation is required from the Smoke Alarm portion of these alarms, use the SM120X module."

"Compatible with [CO or Combined Smoke-CO] alarm models: KN-COSM-I, KN-COSM-IB, KN-COSM-ICA, KN-COSMIBCA, KN-COB-IC, KN-COB-IC-CA, KN-COB-ICB-CA, KN-COP-IC, KN-COP-IC-CA"

"This relay module can be used to activate auxiliary warning devices such as external bells and sirens, hallway or stairwell lighting. It provides isolated, (no internal connection to 120 volts AC) normally open, and normally closed contacts."

READ INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY AND COMPLETELY BEFORE INSTALLING.
Electrical Rating [to power the PCB and internal relay]: 120VAC 60 HZ 0.08 AMP

Contact [Relay switch] Rating: 10 AMPS @ 120 VAC
NON INDUCTIVE 5 AMPS @ 30 VDC

"Do not exceed the temperature or humidity limits of +40°F (4.4°C) to 100°F (37.8°C) (such as garages and unfinished attics) and 85% relative humidity for either the relay module or the alarms."

Bob Harper

Can someone post the section of code? I'm curious about the language. Specifically, does it prescribe where to place the sensor? Does it specify an alarm listed to UL 2034 or 2075?

I'm curious if they're more interested in protecting the boiler from CO death vs. protecting the occupants from CO poisoning.