Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Product Information

Never leave your car idling in a closed garage or use fuel-powered appliances or tools in enclosed, attached areas such as garages or porches. Carbon monoxide can seep into your home through vents and doors. Beat the beep and keep your home safe from the harmful and potentially fatal effects of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Here are the different ways and patterns in which a carbon monoxide alarm can beep to signal a message. Thankfully, there’s an early-warning solution in the form of a carbon monoxide alarm that costs only a few pounds more than a smoke alarm. Be aware, though, that not all CO detectors are sensitive enough and some no-name brands are downright useless – and, therefore, dangerous. Ensure you opt for a reputable brand such as FireAngel, First Alert, Kidde, Nest or Lifesaver. Digital display models show levels of CO, displayed in ppm (parts per million). Anytime the alarm sounds, whether it is an alarm with a digital display or not, it should be treated as a potentially serious situation.

Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer because you can’t smell it, taste it or see it. Once it enters your bloodstream, it invades the red blood cells (haemoglobin), preventing them from carrying oxygen around the body. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include a flu-like headache, dizziness and nausea followed by tiredness, confusion, breathlessness, weakness, loss of muscular coordination and – dare I mention it – death. CO is so odourless that even dogs can’t detect it. How do CO alarms work? Anytime someone is experiencing the symptoms of CO poisoning, it should be treated as an emergency. The 7DCO comes with a ten-year lifespan and is BS EN 50291-2 certified for camping, caravanning and travel, or even use on a boat. As with all CO detectors, the Kidde provides end-of-life and battery warnings, along with the obligatory test/reset button for peace of mind. The only thing to watch out for is that it’s powered by a pair of AA batteries which need replacing roughly every two years We had no issues whatsoever during tests, but it means this alarm won’t be compliant with the new Scottish regulations.FireAngel is a major player in the field of CO, fire and smoke detection and this unique system is clearly a clever, albeit pricey, way to protect the entire household in one fell swoop. Carbon monoxide sensors have a finite lifespan of between five and seven years, although a few manufacturers now claim that their sensors will last a full ten years. Generally speaking, it’s worth playing it safe and replacing your alarm a year or two before its life is supposed to run out. Tests in the US have shown that alarms over eight years old can fail to detect CO at levels of above 400ppm. The one downside with this model is that it runs off a pair of AA batteries, which need to be switched out roughly every three years, making three changes during its lifespan. This isn’t a huge issue, but it means this model isn’t suitable for use in Scottish homes. It is, however, suitable for use in a boat or caravan, making it a good option if you need an alarm on your next boating or caravanning trip. Get everyone outside of the home and call 911 from outside or from a neighbor’s home. If you are unable to leave the home to call for help, open the doors and windows, turn off all possible sources of CO while you are waiting for assistance to arrive, and stand by an open door or window. Under no circumstance should an alarm be ignored. Learning to identify why a carbon monoxide alarm is beeping is vital to help keep your family and your home safe. Alarm Malfunction – The alarm chirping every 30 seconds could indicate a unit malfunction. Call our Product Support when this occurs at 1-800-880-6788.

If the alarm reactivates within a 24-hour period, repeat the above steps and call a qualified appliance technician to investigate sources of CO from fuel-burning equipment and appliances, and to inspect for proper operation of equipment. It’s also worth noting that the test button on these devices doesn’t actually test the sensor – it only makes sure that the circuit’s working. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) comes from our breath (humans and animals breathe it out) and the burning of fossil fuels. Do not reenter the premises until emergency services responders have given you permission to do so. If you hear a long, continuous squeal, this may indicate that your alarm is signaling one of the following:

Combination Smoke/CO Alarms

The Peak Level reading is a memory of the highest reading taken by your carbon monoxide alarm since its last reset or power-up. The Peak Level display feature will display levels between 11-999 PPM. Although the Peak Level feature will display levels below 30 PPM, these levels will not result in an alarm no matter how long the device is exposed to these levels.

All of these concentrations are bad enough when you’re awake and realise that something isn’t quite right – especially if others are feeling a similar effect – but if you’re asleep, you may wake up with a severe headache and nausea and be incapable of even crawling for fresh air. Worse, you might not even wake up at all. Why should I be concerned? Unlike other CO detectors, the Nest notifies you (and anyone else who has registered) with a notification on your mobile device, even if you’re in another country. It also does the same for smoke. The main unit also speaks a warning in a calm English female voice when it detects smoke or CO in a room. If the CO levels are slowly increasing, the voice will warn you before setting off the alarm. But if CO levels become dangerously high, the centre lamp glows red and a very loud, high-pitched beep is emitted along with a spoken warning letting you know which room is affected. You can temporarily cancel any alarms by holding the “Stop” button on the app or by pressing the unit’s central button. Most manufacturers suggest locating your alarm next to or near a gas appliance, and it’s worth having one in the same room as any fire or wood-burning stove. It should be around 1.5m from the ground and at least 30cm away from any ceiling, and most can be mounted on a worktop, shelf or table – or simply mounted on the wall. Consult the alarm’s User Guide for exact instructions on resetting the Peak Level memory. But generally, you can reset it by pushing the Peak Level button and holding it down while you press and hold the Test/Reset button for 2 seconds, then releasing them at the same time. The Nest Protect passed our sealed incense test with flying colours: the smoke alarm went off first, followed by the CO alarm five minutes later; according to the app, the CO level was 414ppm and increasing. We can’t think of a better CO currently alarm on the market, particularly as it also detects smoke.

Buying Guide: Choose the Right Safety Products for Your Home

ppm: Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 5-10 minutes; collapse and unconsciousness after 30 minutes of exposure. ppm: Immediate physiological effects, unconsciousness and danger of death after 1-3 minutes of exposure. The health effects of CO depend on the concentration and length of exposure (carbon monoxide concentration is measured in parts per million). According to respected CO alarm manufacturer Kidde, “a carbon monoxide detector is a time-weighted alarm that measures the buildup of carbon monoxide in a house. ppm: Headache and dizziness after 1-2 minutes; unconsciousness and danger of death after 10-15 minutes of exposure. The best carbon monoxide alarms you can buy in 2023 1. Nest Protect: Best smart CO and smoke detector