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$15 CO Detector

Ed_Wischmeyer

Well Known Member
Having heard one too many tales of CO poisoning (anemic hypoxia), I broke down and bought a CO detector. It's a $15 Kidde unit and it has a digital readout. Expected battery life is 10 years. Batteries included.

I put it on top of the panel and count on it being loud enough to be heard if it goes off. Better, with the digital readout, I should be able to spot a CO leak before it gets significant.

But it gets better. I can take it home, too, and check for CO there.

For $15...

I hope that FBOs start selling these.
 
https://blog.aopa.org/aopa/2014/10/20/carbon-monoxide-silent-killer/

CO detectors for home use are not really advised for aviation use...lots of articles on why not.

Residential electronic detectors:Although battery-powered residential electronic detectors are vastly superior to those worthless chemical spots, most are designed to be compliant with Underwriter’s Laboratory specification UL-2034 (revised 1998). This spec requires that

(1) The digital readout must not display any CO concentration less than 30 ppm.

(2) The alarm will not sound until CO reaches 70 ppm and remains at or above that level for four hours.

(3) Even at a concentration of 400 ppm, it may take as much as 15 minutes before the alarm sounds.

For aircraft use, you really want something much more sensitive and fast-acting.
 
No they are not. They are “area under the curve” alarm limits. Less ppm = more time to trigger.
 
$95 not $15, but I have one of these in my RV-6 and another in the champ:

https://www.forensicsdetectors.com/products/car-vehicle-aircraft?variant=30700794216492&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAiA-_L9BRBQEiwA-bm5fsksqiNNlr__6A87cbV6j7Uc3J_Fy2JB0EkwkXm8wMoqMoQwXtL73xoCxLsQAvD_BwE

Seems to work well. Don’t see anything in the RV really but in champ interesting to watch readout. Goes up a little during climb out then back to barely anything in cruise (if a champ has a cruise). Has flashy lights and audible alarm. Definitely gives me a little piece of mind.
 
ordered!

Thanks for the prompt, I've been meaning to get one. Ordered Australian Quell PD04 for $35.99, it is the model suited also to campers and RV's.

The AOPA article is interesting. It seems the main shortcoming of non-aircraft detectors is that the alarm may not sound early enough. But it appears that non-aircraft detectors will still be able to measure and record peak CO level, even if it is below 30 PPM.

Otherwise it means upgrading to a $199 detector, which would be AUD $400 by the time it gets here. So I am going to try the cheapie first.
 
Less ppm = more time to trigger.

Part of what I like about what I bought is that it has a digital readout of ppm. The hope is that this will give advance warning way before any alarm is required, so that arguments about area under the curve, etc, are moot.

It's been reading zero so far, and I take that as a good sign.
 
$95 not $15, but I have one of these in my RV-6 and another in the champ:

https://www.forensicsdetectors.com/products/car-vehicle-aircraft?variant=30700794216492&currency=USD&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&gclid=CjwKCAiA-_L9BRBQEiwA-bm5fsksqiNNlr__6A87cbV6j7Uc3J_Fy2JB0EkwkXm8wMoqMoQwXtL73xoCxLsQAvD_BwE

Seems to work well. Don’t see anything in the RV really but in champ interesting to watch readout. Goes up a little during climb out then back to barely anything in cruise (if a champ has a cruise). Has flashy lights and audible alarm. Definitely gives me a little piece of mind.

Thanks for the link. I just got mine.:)
 
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