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Best CO detector recomendations?

Sphere | Posted in General Discussion on December 23, 2006 03:58am

I am at the point where the house is getting almost tight…well, I over did it, it’s tight.

2 adults and 5 critters. Gas stove/oven , ele water cooker( non issue) and a semi-conscience wood stove, that drafts poorly.

No other internally vented heaters.

I wanna get a CO system monitor for the woodstove’s ineffieciency, I know the stack can leak at the joints, the new dust shows all.

Is there a CO monitor that you think is better than the next one, and why?

My smoke detector (s) wail when I open the door to the wood stove w/out prechargeing by opening the ashdoor first..we are at eq. on pressurisation…I know it ain’t as good as it should be for external air=feed to stove…but….it is what happens.

BTW, Frenchy…this is a LOG house, with a hundred and a half under its skirts and rings on the stump….ummmm, vapor what?

Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    talkingdog | Dec 23, 2006 04:12am | #1

    In my limited understanding, low-level CO also has
    deleterious effects, so you want a detector that
    can give you a readout of the actual levels, rather
    than just sounding an alarm at a dangerous level.

    How about Kidde 900-0056 Nighthawk? It seems fairly well
    reviewed on Amazon

    1. User avater
      Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 04:29am | #2

      Sounds like a brand specific might fly, I have a Kidde sys. for Smoke and fire...cool, and DUH. Why didn't I thunk of that.

       Sometimes, ya get so wrapped up ( or fatigued) that ya miss the obvious...shiiiite, I need more coffee.

      Thanks.  BTW, hows Hokkiado ( sp?) looking these days?

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

      1. User avater
        talkingdog | Dec 23, 2006 05:03am | #5

        I'm in Kyoto, not Hokkaido. Now, here's an interesting and germane little snippet.
        Most Japanese houses are heated via unvented kerosene
        or LPG stoves with blowers attached, or else in Hokkaido
        they use the same thing with a forced flue.Moreover, almost all of the legacy housing uses
        on-demand for hot water, with big outdoor units for
        and little indoor units for the kitchen.Both the space heating and the hot water heaters are
        notorious for causing lots of CO deaths every year, for
        all sorts of reasons: flue blockage, faulty design,
        illegal retrofits, etc. And this is a huge scandal
        in the news at the moment, due to product defects
        by both Panasonic and Paloma.Nevertheless, in this gadget crazy country nobody even has
        a smoke detector installed, much less a CO detector. They
        finally decided to mandate heat detectors from next year,
        but nothing about CO detectors. I was talking with a
        supplier the other day and they had never even heard
        of a CO detector.

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 05:14am | #6

          I saw all that in my brothers home . BAD crazy.

          I spent time at Central Ruppongi (sp?) it was a longtime ago, I'd love to go back under very better circumstances.

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

          1. nikkiwood | Dec 23, 2006 07:52am | #7

            When the CO scare visited MN 5-10 years ago, I went out and bought detectors for each level of the house. Nothing fancy, just looked and picked from what they had at HD (which was a pretty big selection because to the "scare"). I did buy units that you could plug into an A/C outlet, just because I was freed from fiddling with battery replacement, and everytime I walked by, I would tell if it was working (cuz of the light). But I did get a digital unit for the basement, and I'm glad I did. There have been a few times when the digital said there was a slightly elevated level of CO, but not enough to trip the alarm. Gave me a chance to look around and see what was causing the problem.The digital was not cheap -- maybe $50. But they might be cheaper now.********************************************************
            "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

            John Wooden 1910-

          2. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 07:59am | #8

            But what was the basement reading, reading that made it signal? Prior to the non -digital?

            ( ahem...I sanded today, did I ever,, sore arms, wooody boogers, the whole 9, ya ougtta see my cieling, yes, cieling..overhead and joists)

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

          3. nikkiwood | Dec 23, 2006 08:12am | #9

            The digital reads "0" when all is well. Those couple times I noticed a slight problem, it was reading 2 or 3, but the alarm had not sounded. There was only one time when the alarm actually went off (long story), and I think it was reading "10".That sander was always pretty awesome, but it sure did spew the dust around.............Now I'm a Festool man........ <G>********************************************************
            "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

            John Wooden 1910-

          4. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 09:05am | #10

            Hell, I just got feeling back in my shoulders, that thing WALKS!

            Thnks..that is a sweet mach. see the pun? mach? see? see?

            Oh gawd where is my arms//LOL

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

          5. nikkiwood | Dec 23, 2006 09:42am | #11

            Overhead ?? With all that dust in your face/eyes??aarrgghh.......you reward whould be to buy youself some new tool. how about that snazzy, battery operated automatic cresent wrench HD is selling these days <G>********************************************************
            "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

            John Wooden 1910-

          6. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 10:09am | #12

            That ain't funny..that's an inside joke betwix me and Dale...now you have 3 minutes to get outta our heads , else we charge rent.

            And I mean it ain't cheap..we need cheese in mass quanities. I hear that MN is the capitol for good cheese, not Wi as previously hearlded?

            Hey,I got a deal for ya...I owe ya,  I send ya $$, you send cheese ( really good stuff if there is a really sharp chedder that you recommend, REALLY SHARP) so I figgure the shipping in 2 drafts?  The firs check to you leaves tomorrow, I got sidewayed today till after the MAilman came..I was sanding stuff..lol.

            Or I send ya a Franklin and we deal it out

            Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

          7. nikkiwood | Dec 23, 2006 10:58am | #13

            Hmmm... I think you got some wrong info about MN. If they make decent cheese around here, I've not seen it or heard of it. MN is mostly Valveeta country (in more ways than one). Everything here is pretty much bland and middle-of-the-road (except the weather).Going to a pty tomorrow with a bunch of effete snob types, and I'll ask around. I usually drag my sorry-carpenter-azz around and irritate em with my working class politics; mostly, though, I expect they will just have fancy ways of using their Valveeta for their crudites.I spent my salad days in NYC, and if I was still there, bet I could find some cheddar that would knock your sox off and make your hair stand on end. And I'd probably only have to walk 2-3 blocks to find it.Don't forget MN is home to Lake Wogegon, where "the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all the children are above average."http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/Lake+WobegonNow if you wanted a good hotdish recipe, then maybe I could help ya.........********************************************************
            "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

            John Wooden 1910-

  2. User avater
    rjw | Dec 23, 2006 04:36am | #3

    Forget the $20 ones and the combos - not very sensitive.

    The digital readouts for $40-50 are much better.

    Even better is the one at http://www.aeromedic.com

    The best is the one at http://www.nationalcomfortinstitute.com (but it's only available through select heating contractors and home inspectors - I usually have a few available for $125)

    These two low level monitors are important fopr sensitve folks: folks with heart conditions, anemia, immune system issues, elderly, infants, pregnant women, folks with prior CO exposure.

    Get a battery type and mount it on a wall at above eye-level

    Protect bedrooms first. Next combustion zones. (unless the wood heat is your only source, then put it in taht room.)


    The "War on Terrorism" has failed - in part by narrowing our options to only the option of last resort.

    I propose we start a worldwide Partnership Against Terror, in which the reasonable people of the world work together to oppose terrorism and the conditions which lead people to that desperate condition.

    "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."


    1. User avater
      Sphere | Dec 23, 2006 04:59am | #4

      Wood heat is the only, my 6'' black passes thru the 1/2 upper story, the wife is highly suscptible to ANY combustants. I too have a respiratory condition that is prone to overwhelming lack of O2..which I think is the underlying cause.

      My main concern was that we were inadvertantly starving ourselves of O2 or Co was leaking, no kidding, headaches, nausea, and wanting to sleep a LOT..  I work outside all day, but upon retirement at home, I just zonk out..I feel like my chest is caving in, grabbing air. Even with the window cracked open.

      I'll peruse the sites you linked.  I gotta do something to at least rule out that scenario.

      If this Friggin BGAD is leaking anything...Clara should know, but really, we all in the hood are exp. the same symptoms.

      I'll tell ya ina new post/thread how the Pentagon just shafted us here.

      Google BGAD and see..we just got stuck with this crap for yet another 5 yrs at least, after they made a 3 lane Hiway and a billion dollar allotment to the state to make a new interchange to 75,

      Whoops..my bad.

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      I have irriatable Vowel syndrome.

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