Quick CO monitor query

[David.WE.Roberts]

A friend has a failed CO monitor - it chirps and display 'err'. It is not supposed to display this as an 'end of life' warning.

It is a Kidde 900-0146.

I have checked the batteries and they are O.K. (at least it shows the same error with brand new batteries).

Now the destructions say to vacuum once a year and I'm pretty sure this will not have happened.

I will be replacing it anyway but I wondered out of interest if anyone has observed this kind of thing and been able to clear the error.

Cheers

Dave R

[David.WE.Roberts]

"Move the CO alarm and place in another location prior to performing any of the following:

staining or stripping wood floors or furniture

painting

wall papering

using adhesives

Storing the unit in a plastic bag during the above projects will protect the sensor from permanent damage."

So it is possible to just bork the sensor.

I wonder how many people read and remember this.

Cheers

Dave R

[Andrew Gabriel]

The original CO detectors were extremely prone to damage and rarely lasted longer than a year in house with typical usage of household chemicals. They have got a lot better, but are still very prone to being killed by solvent vapours, airosol contents, etc.

[Jethro_uk]

They don't half give you a start when they go off ...

[Andrew Gabriel]

I guess that although the alarm might only have sensed 40ppm (or whatever trigger level they use), it's possible that a different room may be at a higher concentration and the occupants already somewhere around crossing the boundary between sleeping and coma.

[Brian Gaff]

Certainly not foreign decorators who painted a friend of mines smoke alarm the same colour as the ceiling. Brian

[David.WE.Roberts]

On reflection this also begs the question - what do you do with a mains CO alarm when you are decorating?

Cheers

Dave R

[Vir Campestris]

If it's like our mains smoke-and-heat alarm set - you press the button on the side and slide it out of its mount.

I also hung on to one of the shower hat things they supplied as new to keep them clean in new houses. We had a total rewire, and it was messy.

Andy