Kidde Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Product Information

Furnaces, gas ranges or stoves, gas clothes dryers, water heaters, portable fuel-burning space heaters, fireplaces, generators, and wood burning stoves

Yes. You need multiple CO alarms, in fact. One on every level (including the basement) and outside sleeping areas. CO is odorless and invisible, and the only way to detect it is with carbon monoxide alarms. Anytime someone is experiencing the symptoms of CO poisoning, it should be treated as an emergency.

Install carbon monoxide alarms at least 15 feet away from fuel-burning appliances and make sure nothing is covering or obstructing the unit. Do not place the unit in dead air spaces or next to a window or door.

CO enters the body through breathing. CO poisoning can be confused with flu symptoms, food poisoning and other illnesses. Some symptoms include shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness, light headedness or headaches. High levels of CO can be fatal, causing death within minutes.*ppm: Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 45 minutes; collapse and unconsciousness after 1 hour of exposure. 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.

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? 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. The best carbon monoxide alarms you can buy in 2023 1. Nest Protect: Best smart CO and smoke detector 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. 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.Hint: If you installed CO alarms 5-7 years ago, it's time to install new carbon monoxide detectors. 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.

Don’t think that CO alarms are just for your home, either. They’re essential for caravans and motorhomes, and you might even want to take one on holiday if you’re staying in a cottage or self-catering accommodation. Are there any features worth looking out for? Do not reenter the premises until emergency services responders have given you permission to do so. 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. For a person to begin feeling the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, they would need to be exposed to a carbon monoxide level of 50 parts per million (ppm) for eight hours. An alarm’s response time will vary depending on the level of carbon monoxide in the air. For example, an alarm will sound after three and a half hours of continuous exposure at a level of 50ppm, yet will sound after eight minutes of continuous exposure at a level of 400ppm.”

The best carbon monoxide alarms you can buy in 2023

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. Several things may be causing your Kidde carbon monoxide alarm to sound or chirp. Understanding what the beep pattern indicates is essential to keeping your home and family safe, especially if a CO beep is notifying end-of-life mode, since then it can no longer detect carbon monoxide. 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.