Search the forum,

Discuss Carbon Monoxide Alarms in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Rob Foster

Esteemed
Messages
2,083
I have been told that all CO alarms are unsafe after 2 years. The chemicals in the sensor degrade and are unreliable after two years. The scary bit is when the test button is pressed it only indicates battery status not the ablity of the unit to detect CO. There is no reliable way to test as cans of CO are not available. Is this right and if so all CO alarms should be stamped with a dispose of date. Rob Foster aka centralheatking
 
I have been told that all CO alarms are unsafe after 2 years. The chemicals in the sensor degrade and are unreliable after two years. The scary bit is when the test button is pressed it only indicates battery status not the ablity of the unit to detect CO. There is no reliable way to test as cans of CO are not available. Is this right and if so all CO alarms should be stamped with a dispose of date. Rob Foster aka centralheatking

Hmm. Think of things this way Rob. If you sold your top up system and it simply stopped working after 12 months, just how quiet would you be able to keep that news? Upscale that to a safety critical device and how long would that be kept quiet?

Bear in mind local fire brigades across the UK have been fitting these for many years now too and I feel sure they'd have noticed and kicked off big style.
 
I agree but whilst I wouldn’t want to play devils advocate with somebody’s life I struggle to understand how these manufacturers can offer a 10 year guarantee if the product is not suitable for public consumption
 
I agree but whilst I wouldn’t want to play devils advocate with somebody’s life I struggle to understand how these manufacturers can offer a 10 year guarantee if the product is not suitable for public consumption
I agree and this is why I asked
I have been brought up to challenge and not blindly accept, hence my intrest. I have an imminent appointment at my local fire station to discuss these very points....I have also rental properties and want my guests to be safe, and my understanding of gas regs is that if younarevaware of a problem you obliged to report it
regardless of where
Rob Foster aka centralheatking
 
I agree but whilst I wouldn’t want to play devils advocate with somebody’s life I struggle to understand how these manufacturers can offer a 10 year guarantee if the product is not suitable for public consumption
Grenfell Tower ......springs to mind. centralheatking
I hope I am wrong
 
So CO Alarm test button doesn't test the sensor and that makes it unsafe for continued use?
Does a Smoke alarm button test the sensor?
Does a Heat alarm button test the sensor?

Surely the test button is more about whether the unit is powered.
Manufacturers spend millions on development of safety items to a point that they can guarantee with reasonable certainty that they will work for that guaranteed time.

What tests that a Car airbag is actually going to go off?
What tests that a car inertia seat belt will lock up?

The list is endless.
 
hey I dont know all the answers but if I was pressing the test button on a CO monitor and think all is ok for my family or guests to go sleep and have a inkling it is not, then I posted it on here ...thats why, prove me wrong please do lets all be safe
Rob Foster ....centralheatking
 
hey I dont know all the answers but if I was pressing the test button on a CO monitor and think all is ok for my family or guests to go sleep and have a inkling it is not, then I posted it on here ...thats why, prove me wrong please do lets all be safe
Rob Foster ..centralheatking

Now now children... ;)
Truth is Rob, if you have a record of 'testing' and that 'test' is fine then in law you have discharged your responsibility as all law is about being 'practicable'.
Even if you tested with a 'kit' with smoke or whatever, are you then supposed to test the test kit? Who checks the calibraTOR?
Snowy is correct, for parts to be CE or kite marked we can reasonably and safely assume they do the job they are designed to do - we have to assume that.
If your devices are labelled Dec 2018 and you leave 'em installed then it's a different ball game and the responsibility sits very squarely upon your shoulders. :)
 
As much as those of us with some experience are aware that the test button is just testing the battery&circuits, I'm not sure most of the general public ares. I can see most of them just happily pressing the test button once a year and changing the batteries and assuming all is good and not realising that they need replacing every 5-6 years.
 
As much as those of us with some experience are aware that the test button is just testing the battery&circuits, I'm not sure most of the general public ares. I can see most of them just happily pressing the test button once a year and changing the batteries and assuming all is good and not realising that they need replacing every 5-6 years.
exactly where I was coming from....centralheatking
 
I have been told that all CO alarms are unsafe after 2 years. The chemicals in the sensor degrade and are unreliable after two years. The scary bit is when the test button is pressed it only indicates battery status not the ablity of the unit to detect CO. There is no reliable way to test as cans of CO are not available. Is this right and if so all CO alarms should be stamped with a dispose of date. Rob Foster aka centralheatking
I have read something a while ago about that.
There was a big question over how they can offer a 5/7/10 year life span.
The recommendation for testing is to buy a can of carbon monoxide and spray it into the sensor
 
I have read something a while ago about that.
There was a big question over how they can offer a 5/7/10 year life span.
The recommendation for testing is to buy a can of carbon monoxide and spray it into the sensor
That sounds a bit overkill, when they are supposed to react to xPPM, not flooded by the stuff?
 
That sounds a bit overkill, when they are supposed to react to xPPM, not flooded by the stuff?

'Back in the day', when we used to do FA checks, we'd use a special can & cup on a long pole.
The cup covered the sensor and the can dispensed a 'solution' of gas and air at the correct concentration. Unf no idea about now!
 
Fairly sure one that I have installed says something in the MIs about the fact that you could resonably test with a lit stick of incense or lighted *** that would smoulder and produce CO as a result. Although it isn't the recommended method due to danger involved with using a burning object to carry out the test bla bla bla.
 
Truth is both smoke and CO detectors have a shelf life - around 10 years and 5 years respectively.
And (very) good practice is to renew the batteries, where fitted, every 12 months.
Next time you buy, make sure you are not buying old stock!
You can get good branded but cheap units on eBay that are 2, 3, 4 years old...
God help Average Joe and his old mum...
 

Reply to Carbon Monoxide Alarms in the Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board area at PlumbersForums.net

Creating content since 2001. Untold Media.

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock