CO Detector intermittent trouble

[sparky2708]

So I keep getting a trouble on my "Basement wireless CO detector" around 3am, sometimes 4am and then it restores a minute later. It seems to be completely unpredictable. Never happens during the day. I changed the battery in the detector and still it keeps happening. How can I find out what the cause of the trouble is?

[Jeff H]

Possibly dust inside. Blow it out with clean dry air.

[sparky2708]

Interesting idea. Will try tonight.

[Crikey]

So I keep getting a trouble on my "Basement wireless CO detector" around 3am, sometimes 4am and then it restores a minute later. It seems to be completely unpredictable. Never happens during the day.

First thing I'd do is buy a quality CO detector, place it right next to the system-connected one and see if it, too, fires at the same times.

The house is a lot quieter at 03:00 to 04:00 than it is most of the rest of the time. CO has nearly the same mass as air, so, in a space with little air movement it will more-or-less tend to stay where it's induced, only gradually dispersing/rising.

If the fault was with the existing CO detector, I would expect it to fault at random times. What I suspect, from the symptoms you describe, is you have a CO problem that's usually just slightly below the alarm's detection/alert level, and the air movement (or lack thereof) conditions at that time in the morning allows it to rise a bit.

[Jonathan]

The OP stated the CO detector is going into trouble at random times, not into alarm. What system do you have and what's the model number of the wireless CO detector. A trouble condition means there is a problem with the detector, the tamper switch has activated, or the CO detector is out of wireless range. It does not mean CO is present in the house.

If for whatever reason the CO detector does go into alarm, it will sound in a temporal code 4 pattern which is 4 beeps followed by a pause and 4 beeps. It will continue that pattern until the alarm condition clears. If the detector does go into alarm, DO NOT IGNORE IT, get out of the house and notify your local authorities. Do not go out and purchase a separate CO detector to try to determine if CO is present in your house, you will be wasting valuable time and potentially poisoning yourself while you waited for the new detector to activate . The local FD and gas company have special meters to determine that.

I've never heard of a CO detector activating or going into trouble because of dust, it's not a smoke detector.

When was the last time you tested the detector by pressing the test button to verify proper programming in you alarm panel?

[Crikey]

The OP stated the CO detector is going into trouble at random times, not into alarm. ... A trouble condition means there is a problem with the detector, the tamper switch has activated, or the CO detector is out of wireless range. It does not mean CO is present in the house.

Ah. Good eye. My bad.

Disregard my comments, sparky2708.

[Jonathan]

The OP stated the CO detector is going into trouble at random times, not into alarm. ... A trouble condition means there is a problem with the detector, the tamper switch has activated, or the CO detector is out of wireless range. It does not mean CO is present in the house.

Ah. Good eye. My bad.

Disregard my comments, sparky2708.

It happens.. but please don't ever suggest to anyone to go out and buy a new CO detector to verify a CO alarm, you could get someone killed!!

I'm on the local FD in my town and we had someone do exactly what you suggested last month. They had their CO alarm activate, instead of getting out of the house they put another CO detector in its place to see if it would activate. They waited over 24 hours to contact the FD! Luckily the CO levels weren't that high but they still had CO poisoning. They're lucky to be alive.

[Crikey]

It happens.. but please don't ever suggest to anyone to go out and buy a new CO detector to verify a CO alarm, you could get someone killed!!

If your CO detector appears to be arbitrarily firing, esp. at o'dark thirty in the morning, how should you go about diagnosing the problem, then?

[pvr4me]

It happens.. but please don't ever suggest to anyone to go out and buy a new CO detector to verify a CO alarm, you could get someone killed!!

If your CO detector appears to be arbitrarily firing, esp. at o'dark thirty in the morning, how should you go about diagnosing the problem, then?

"Firing arbitrarily". Since CO is colourless, odourless and tasteless, how do you know?

Craig

[Jonathan]

It happens.. but please don't ever suggest to anyone to go out and buy a new CO detector to verify a CO alarm, you could get someone killed!!

If your CO detector appears to be arbitrarily firing, esp. at o'dark thirty in the morning, how should you go about diagnosing the problem, then?

You would call your Fire Department and/or gas company. They will respond and use a gas meter to check for a CO reading in your house. If there is enough CO to cause your CO detector to activate, it will be picked up by their meters. The readings go by parts per million (ppm) and our gas meters can detect levels as low as 1 ppm. CO detectors will not activate for 1 ppm of Carbon Monoxide.

Here is an example of the activation time of a CO detector depending on the ppm of Carbon Monoxide. This info was taken from the data sheet of the Honeywell 5800CO

30 ppm +/- 5 ppm 30 days Indefinite**
70 ppm +/- 5 ppm 60 minutes 240 minutes
150 ppm+/- 5 ppm 10 minutes 50 minutes
400 ppm+/- 5 ppm 4 minutes 15 minutes


If the CO detector activates and they don't get a reading, replace the detector!