My current purchase (Kidde battery operated yadda yadda model KN-COPP-B-LS-UK) has a replace by date 8 years from manufacture date and is classed as a 7 year life, 7 year warranty. Yup right ... :-)
The catch with all of them is that OK the sensor goes bad ... but we can never tell if the sensor actually works. There are some comments of 20% of the gadgets not working.
Further up the thread I was given the basic idea of what I was looking for, i.e.
I have a fireangel CO-9X which has a test mode where you can use either a cigarette or an incense stick to test the sensor
The few CO detectors I've used said DO NOT test with car exhaust or similar as it will destroy the sensor. Dunno if thats due to CO overload or other gases.
Test spray cans are available but iirc they're not cheap.
Choke!!!! I haven't seen a choke for twenty years :-) Are you driving a Minor 1000?
His missus needs somewhere to hang her handbag ;-)
CO from a modern car with a cat. is near non existent. Cars from the '80s without a cat were down at perhaps 1-1.5% CO.
Car Lambda sensors work at a high temperature - they have heaters to get then up to this quickly before the exhaust gasses take over. I dunno just quite how the domestic ones work - they must be very different.
We have one of those gas fires with a cat in to consume its own fumes. The local firemen came and stuck a detector on the ceiling - nearby: not sure if it detects CO though. What I know it does not detect is the fact that you can't use the fire without opening the windows and doors to let some air in. Do they do oxygen detectors?
S
Last MOT mine was too low to be measured and that's a diesel.
I used to have a mains powered one that was hot. However the current one runs on batteries so must work differently.
I must admit to not understanding the chemistry involved. Car Lambda sensors measure IIRC O2 in the exhaust, but the electronics can calculate CO from that, and accurately. But need to be very hot to do so.
No way to stop? Are you serious?
You consider stopping your petrol car using the choke? And this method failed with the advent of electronic fuel injection?
Most people simply turn the key off, thus killing the spark ( and the electronic fuel injection ).
Now, running a diesel engine in a zoned hazardous area environment with an atmosphere rich in unexpexted hydrocarbon gas: yes, that can throw up issues. Extreme overspeed, as the governors throttle back the diesel supply to no effect. Engine overspeed sensors then trigger flapper-valves in the air intake for emergency shutdown, since shutting off the fuel is not enough. But for a regular domestic car?....
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.