Need recommendation for home CO detector, want ppm readout.

Leonard

Looking for your recommendation for a replacement, want a ppm display to see how bad it is if it alarms.
Was thinking of going to Home Depot unless you know of something better. Not a heating guy so not really interested in a $300 pro model.

Last night my home CO detector failed and FALSE alarmed at 4 AM !!! Kiddie Night Hawk made in 2012. (Permanent alarm even when "aired out" for hour outside, and with new good bats. Other nearby CO detector did not alarm)

NY_Rob

I've had excellent results and no false alarms with the battery operated Kiddie w/display.
I've had them (four units) for two+ yrs now...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004Y6V5CI/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=4518303533042278392&pd_rd_wg=jeOvW&pf_rd_r=E553XNR13QTME21TJH8X&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B004Y6V5CI&pd_rd_w=QiYx8&pf_rd_i=co+detector&pd_rd_r=682060ea-d239-454e-9635-e6048f79614f&ie=UTF8&qid=1527093610&sr=1

Leonard

I can live with a false alarm failure every ~ 5 years or so . More concerned with getting good readings. Would be nice to get PPM readings even while it's not alarming. I know accuracy might not be that good at home detector pricing, but I can live with that.

NY_Rob

The CO detector I mentioned above has always been very close to the readings I've seen on my professional grade CO detector (see below). It won't display or alert below 40ppm (IIRC) due to federal regulations, but it will display the actual low level ambient/peak CO amounts if you press the Peak button. My old boiler had a small CO leak... the Kiddie would indicate (by pressing the Peak button) maybe 12-16PPM in the basement if the boiler had been running for an hour or two. Sometimes I would double check it with the Sensorcon.. they were always within a few PPM of each other. It was pretty impressive for a $25 device.

For real time readings all the way down to 1ppm I use the Sensorcon Inspector.

https://sensorcon-sensing-products-by-molex.myshopify.com/products/portable-carbon-monoxide-detector-meter?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=googlepla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwbzn7Kuc2wIVzSWBCh0Q1AwJEAYYASABEgIdnPD_BwE&variant=4193480964

Quite a few of the professionals here use the same CO meter on the job because they could potentially be walking in to a toxic boiler room, etc.
I leave mine on all the time in a prominent location just outside the kitchen. I've changed the battery once in 2+ yrs of use.

rick in Alaska

Also, check the expiration date on your co and smoke detector. Most are only good for just a few years, but maybe the newer ones use different technology that gets more time out of them.
Rick

D107

https://www.trutechtools.com/installedco has the Defender LL6070 Low Level Carbon Monoxide Monitor and CO Experts models. I've had a number of the Defender models installed for 6 months with good results. Catches the low levels when oven is dirty. Also hit a button and it tells you the last CO reading, PPM level and how long it lasted. I used to use NSI but they made it available only via having to pay plumbers to install it.

hot_rod

co experts.com

WillyP

Is the X sense with a ten year battery a decent choice?

Derheatmeister

We used to install the NSI 3000 which we were purchasing from NCI. Due to a Shipping Dispute on a warranty claim by NCI we decided to switch to the Defender LL6070 Low Level Carbon Monoxide and have been very happy with them.

HomerJSmith

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

mattmia2

You have to be careful about the mass marketed detectors. Most listed detectors won't show low levels and they can't alarm at low levels and meet the ul standard.

pecmsg

HomerJSmith said:

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

UL 2034 Listed alarms are WORTHLESS. They wont alarm until 70 PPM has been reached for a minimum of 1 hour, some longer.



I have 2 Defender Low Level alarms in my house.

ChrisJ

pecmsg said:

HomerJSmith said:

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

UL 2034 Listed alarms are WORTHLESS. They wont alarm until 70 PPM has been reached for a minimum of 1 hour, some longer.



I have 2 Defender Low Level alarms in my house.

There's a reason for that and they certainly are far from worthless.
Read the chart you posted.

200 PPM physical symptoms after 2-3 hours.

70 PPM for an hour is to avoid false alarms etc. These alarms flat out save lives, calling them worthless is grossly inaccurate.

pecmsg

ChrisJ said:

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

UL 2034 Listed alarms are WORTHLESS. They wont alarm until 70 PPM has been reached for a minimum of 1 hour, some longer. I have 2 Defender Low Level alarms in my house.

There's a reason for that and they certainly are far from worthless. Read the chart you posted. 200 PPM physical symptoms after 2-3 hours. 70 PPM for an hour is to avoid false alarms etc. These alarms flat out save lives, calling them worthless is grossly inaccurate.

Yet
ASHRAE standard is 9 PPM over 8 Hours. 

UL 2034 detectors are “Vecrtuchally” worthless

ChrisJ

pecmsg said:

ChrisJ said:

pecmsg said:

HomerJSmith said:

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

UL 2034 Listed alarms are WORTHLESS. They wont alarm until 70 PPM has been reached for a minimum of 1 hour, some longer.



I have 2 Defender Low Level alarms in my house.

There's a reason for that and they certainly are far from worthless.
Read the chart you posted.

200 PPM physical symptoms after 2-3 hours.

70 PPM for an hour is to avoid false alarms etc. These alarms flat out save lives, calling them worthless is grossly inaccurate.

Yet
ASHRAE standard is 9 PPM over 8 Hours. 

UL 2034 detectors are “Vecrtuchally” worthless

8 hours isn't the same as 1 hour of exposure.
You're talking two entirely different things.

pecmsg

ChrisJ said:

ChrisJ said:

Try Costco for low cost, digital readout, CO detectors for the home. They are battery operated and last for 10 yrs.

UL 2034 Listed alarms are WORTHLESS. They wont alarm until 70 PPM has been reached for a minimum of 1 hour, some longer. I have 2 Defender Low Level alarms in my house.

There's a reason for that and they certainly are far from worthless. Read the chart you posted. 200 PPM physical symptoms after 2-3 hours. 70 PPM for an hour is to avoid false alarms etc. These alarms flat out save lives, calling them worthless is grossly inaccurate.

Yet
ASHRAE standard is 9 PPM over 8 Hours. 

UL 2034 detectors are “Vecrtuchally” worthless

8 hours isn't the same as 1 hour of exposure. You're talking two entirely different things.

That 1 hour is minimum. It could delay for up to 3 hours.
 It could drop to 69 and reset the clock.
It could stay at 69 all day and not alarm. 

HomerJSmith

Come on guys. Worthless is a value judgment. Choose the detector that suits your needs.

Detectors that spec differently are better than no detector regardless of the make. Detectors that don't perform to the UL specs puts the manufacturer at great liability. There are product liability lawyers all over the tv , dying to sue manufacturers over a faulty product.

D107

All I can say as HO is that over more than a decade with first NSI, then Defender units, most of our readings when we had them were 6-10ppm due to dirty oven. Without those units, we likely would never have known we had a problem. And even low numbers over time is a problem, not only for us and guests, but our pets. The Defenders have no battery replacement, some of ours have lasted about four years so far.

captainco

Most of the medical info on those charts was made up in 1930 by a doctor using a blood gas formula, No real human or animal study. I have met dozens of persons that have beeb exposed to levels below 70 ppm that now have permanent disabilities. But they are alive and miserable.
Most UL alarms today state if you are sensitive to CO you should seek out an alarm that goes off at 30 ppm or lower or consult your doctor. Doctors are number 3 on my CO ignorant list.