Purchased four of these CO2 alarms and placed them throughout house. We have propane gas kitchen stove, gas fernis, and gas water heater. The water heater is located in the closet of my daughters bedroom (manufactured home).
Had alarms for about two months with no issues. Then suddenly one night bout 1:30 am the alarm in my daughters room began going off. Per instructions on back of alarm states 4 beeps = CO2 present. Unplugged alarm and swapped with other alarm in kitchen. About an hour later alarm in daughters room started going off again four beeps. Called fire department responded with CO2 meter. Located high levels of CO2 coming from water heater area in my daughters closet. Ended up the vent under house was plugged up with mouse nest and needed to be cleaned out. Haven't had an issue since.
With all that said I thank God I brought these alarms. Wouldn't of had no idea of presence of CO2 and who knows may have never woken up the next morning.
If it is going off (4 beeps) trust it!! You never know.
I don't normally right a lot of reviews but I definently took the time to right this one it deserves it and may have saved me and my families lives.
If you don't have any CO2 alarms in your house and are thinking about getting some, stop thinking about it and buy them now!
Not the easiest clam-shell to get into, but once in, minimal packaging. Comes with the 9v back-up battery. I was a little concerned, when I plugged it in, the red-light came on, and I thought "oh that is odd... red is an alarming color... do I have Carbon Monoxide in my house?" but No. Rest assured, the "red" light is the power light, and also blinks once per minute (and chirps) when your 9v battery gets low. Red solid light is the normal "I am on and doing my job" status indicator light. If you detector is alarming it will flash red constantly, and beep like CRAZY! can't be ignored, unless you are deaf, but then you get the visual cue. I admit, this is all in the instructions, but I didn't read the instructions until I was alarmed by the red light.
So this detector is what "could have" saved our lives today had we not of gotten out of the house when we did (thanks to mommy's gut instinct). Our brand new house was struck by lightning early early this morning and the current traveled through our electrical system and out the plug behind the oven. The spark created a fire which destroyed our kitchen but thanks to the clap
of thunder we were awake to check on the kids anyways and instantly smelled the fire and got out within minutes of the strike. The fire chief said that when they had got there, the only detector that was going off was this one. Moments later the smoke detectors (that also have the built in carbon monoxide detectors) went off about 10 min later. Carbon monoxide is a heavy gas and you need a floor level detector that will catch the gas. By the time it reaches the ceiling detectors, it's too late. According to the fire chief, this detector is what would've saved our lives. (And I have to admit, I was nervous since this is such a cheaply priced detector, but after today's experience, I'm buying these for everyone I know!)
How does one review a carbon monoxide alarm? I don't have a supply of carbon monoxide available, so I can't actually test the main job of the device. What I can say is that from what I can judge, this alarm is a good one. The small form factor means it is fairly unobtrusive in your home; you'll notice it, but after a while it fades into the background. It doesn't stick out from the wall very far, so you won't be bumping into it or tripping over it. Usage is as simple as can be, just plug it in. After doing an initial test to see that the alarm works (by pushing the button), you can basically forget about it. The constant red light lets you know that it is on and working.
This product does wear out over time, loosing its detection capabilities I believe, so it will need to be replaced after five or seven years. I did have to replace the three in my house a year or two ago when they reached the end of their lifespan. Even with this, though, the device was helpful, as it began having its power light flash to let me know if was nearing the end of its life.
For peace of mind, a reasonable price point, and a small design, this is a good carbon monoxide detector to get.
Couldn't get any easier to install than this: 1) Remove from box. 2) Plug it in.
We didn't have a CO detector in our house at all, and I decided against the combination smoke alarm/CO detectors because CO apparently collects nearer the floor first. By the time it would reach the ceiling (where our smoke/fire detectors live), it would probably be far too late.
I recognized this brand, other reviews looked decent, and the price was affordable. I bought a couple, and I intend to pick up a third to put in our basement in the same room as the furnace.
A lot of people don't even think about a CO detector--and that's a mistake. Cost should not be prohibitive for most, and set up requires no effort. Before buying (because a friend said we really ought to have one) I did a quick search on how many we’d need. About.com advised, “If you have fuel-burning appliances on more than one level of your home, you should have a carbon monoxide detector on each floor. For example, if you have a gas range on the main floor and a wood-burning fireplace on the lower level, you should have detectors on each of these floors.”
I can’t imagine it getting any easier than this to take a basic step to make our home safer.
Feature Product
- Keep your family safe from carbon monoxide in multiple rooms with this convenient plug-in carbon monoxide alarm 3-pack; the alarms work with any standard outlet
- Features an advanced electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor that accurately detects carbon monoxide levels, no matter where the detector is placed in the room
- A loud 85-decibel alarm sounds when Carbon Monoxide levels reach dangerous levels
- To ensure complete protection make sure to place one on each level of your home and in each bedroom
- 7-year limited warranty; equipped with end-of-life signal chirp, so you know when it's time to replace the unit for safety
- All First Alert CO alarms are rigorously tested to meet UL standards
Description
The 3-pack of First Alert CO600 Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detector helps protect your family in multiple rooms. The alarms feature an 85-decibel alarm and an electrochemical sensor, and easily plug into any standard outlet with no additional mounting necessary. One button silences any nuisance alarms, and also tests detector functions. And an end-of-life signal enhances your safety by letting you know when it's time to replace the unit. Keep your family safer by installing units on multiple levels and in each bedroom.
Should it “light up” with a red light inside???
Modern CO detectors are required to expire after a set amount of time. They emit a steady beeping, which their version of self-destruction on your sanity. If you have an old CO detector that predates this requirement, chances are it needs to be replaced by now anyway.
This CO alarm was a perfect, no-frills replacement for us. It covers the basic requirements, keeps us safe, and keeps the price low by not offering extra features like a lit display. Other models have those features and they work well, too, but you'll expect to pay a few dollars extra for them.
As advertised. I'll update if I die of CO poisoning to let you know it didn't work. So far no false alarms.
My old one conked out after about 14 years.. My power was out for 17 hours one time so I wheeled out the generator and cranked it up. Unfortunately I made the dumb mistake of running it in the garage so it wouldn't get wet since it was raining outside. A few hours late the Carbon Monoxide detector let out a series of beeps that were different my five smoke detectors. It was the first and last time I ran the generator in the garage. If the occasion occurs when I need to run it for a long period again. I will put it out under the patio cover...
While at my parent's house, I heard a series of screeching beeps. My parents, both in their early 70s, didn't notice it. Even when I stood right next to them and asked, "There! Did you hear that?" They both answered no. Which is concerning considering it was the carbon dioxide alarm, something meant to possibly save their lives. But only if they heard it. Turned out that the series of beeps and pauses indicated that it was time to replace the unit, not just the battery. So I immediately ordered this one to replace the old one (from the same brand) that had been in use for almost 6 yrs. It arrived the next day, I popped in the included 9-volt battery, and pushed the test button. And just about blew out my own eardrums, it was so loud! This time, when I asked my parents if they heard it, they both said yes. Whether because it was brand new or because this one has a better, louder alarm sound, I'm glad they can hear it.