Does Carbon Monoxide rise or fall?

[norminn]

In my neighborhood, that's called a "date". :o)

[Steve Barker]

yes, actually.

[Steve Barker]

I like the three dog night. Many good songs out of them.

steve

[Crash Gordon]

yes

[Chip C]

I have a combination CO-plus-flammable-gas (not smoke) detector. Its instructions were to mount high in rooms where natural gas is being used, low if propane is being used (which should be news to nobody in this group). It says that CO mixes uniformly in air and that CO detection is equal no matter the mounting height.

Chip C Toronto

[me]

Agree with the placement of the unit

But was told NOT to buy the combo units

[SteveB]

And do not buy anything but a digital readout. If threshold level is 500, I want to know if it is at 450. Screamer units only go off if there is a lot of CO. I want to know if there is, say, a level that is 30% of safe, and I want to find out why that lower level is even present.

imo, ymmv, and all that crap

Steve

[HeyBub]

Certainly gases mix. Some mathematician once computed that with every breath we take, there's at least one molecule of Nitrogen that was in the last breath exhaled by Julius Caeser.

On a similar note, you can create water by burning Hydrogen in an Oxygen environment. This reaction yields "fresh" water.

All other water is "used" water.

[Frank Olson]

Combo units are a compromise. They're better than nothing at all, but fall short of the standards I've set in protecting my own family. If I won't use them in my own home, it stands to reason I wouldn't use them in someone elses.

[Hustlin' Hank]

CO is measured in PPM (parts per million) in comparison to air. What kills is not necessarily the PPM's. Exposure time is also a factor. For example: You may tolerate 100 PPM forever, but you may die withing a few minutes if exposed to 50,000 PPM.

Hank

[me]

I bought the totally battery operated LCD readout model

I wanted a unit that I COULD use in a van or RV if wanting to...hence the totally batt operated unit

What you think?

[Robert L Bass]

Agreed. I don't know if anyone else already explained the drawbacks of combined smoke and CO detectors but I'll put in my $0.02 on the subject. There is a different response protocol for smoke from CO detection. If a smoke detector goes off in a private residence the usual response is to make sure the family is safe, then check for an actual fire. If no fire is detected it's probably safe to go back inside. If a CO detector goes off the family needs to exit the premises immediately and **stay out** until the fire department clears the premises. Unlike fire, CO cannot be detected by human senses. It's colorless and odorless, yet can be lethal even at low doses if exposure continues over time.

There is (or at least there should be) a different protocol for a monitored system as well. When we received fire alarm signals on private residences we called the premises to notify the residents of the alarm. If no one answered we would send the fire department. For CO we called the department first. Then we would call the premises. We would not cancel the FD even if the resident assured us they were OK. Twice this resulted in lived being saved when clients didn't realize there was a problem.