Carbon Monoxide Detector

lehighsail

lehighsail

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Feb 21, 2008
408
Hunter 33 Metedeconk River
Went to check on my boat today to see how it faired over the winter. One of my carbon monoxide detectors was beeping so I pulled out the 9V battery and it stopped. It did make me think about a few questions:
1. What kinds of detectors should a sailboat with a diesel engine have?
2. Do you replace them after 5-6 years? Was my unit beeping because the battery was weak or was the unit at the end of its useful life?
3. Any recommendations on brands. Currently, I have Costar units.
4. Will a unit with only a 9V battery be OK or should I get one that is hard wired to the battery bank like my current one that has a 9V backup.

I know how important this is, so cost is not a primary concern. Just want to be safe.
 
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Boomer54

Boomer54

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Feb 3, 2015
299
Marlow Hunter 37 Reefpoint Marina Racine, WI
CO monitors are problematic in the marine environment. From what I have seen, humidity seems to be the main culprit. I don't believe they are required. Diesel engines produce minimal CO levels, not enough to be an issue. If you have a neighbor running a gas engine and the exhaust is coming in, that can be a problem.

I disconnected all three of mine. I then added three 9v monitors. Two continually went off so I now have one functional.
 
FastOlson

FastOlson

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Apr 8, 2010
1,954
Ericson Yachts Olson 34 28400 Portland OR
Insurer required that we install one quite a few years ago. Other sailors that I know report having been told about the same requirement.
We have one wired into a circuit that's energized any time we are aboard. The one limitation I have found is that the sensors in these things have an arbitrary life span of about 5 years... (cynical observation) seems like kind of a money-maker for the alarm builders. :(
We had a pretty good discussion of the whole scenario over at the Ericson owners' site.
Link: http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/showthread.php?6713-CO-Detector-on-duty

Stay safe!

Loren
 
Johnb

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,421
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
As far as I know all CO detectors now have a pre programmed life span.
I would strongly urge anyone to protect themselves and people on their boats by having adequate CO alarms, just do some research to convince yourself of the value, there are endless stories of how they have saved lives and how many lives have been lost to CO poisoning.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,377
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Sail magazine had a story this past winter of a lady who very nearly died on her boat due to an exhaust leak. So the last time I was at Walmart I looked over the CO detectors. They are not that expensive so replacing every 4 or 5 years seems like a good deal to me.
 
shemandr

shemandr

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Jan 1, 2006
7,076
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
My experience with them is that they need to be replaced regularly. 9V or hard wired is a good question. I'd probably go with the 9V with which I can monitor the battery. Hard wired is subject to most of the same problems all the 12v systems have.
 
woodster

woodster

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Sep 15, 2009
6,243
S2 9.2a Fairhope Al
i got the kidde battery powered one at wally world....... it has a 9 vdc battery in it...... and i will just replace the battery when needed......not sure i need one but .....if i have to heat the cabin with the alcohol stove for whatever reason it may be a good thing
 
MrBill_FLL

MrBill_FLL

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May 4, 2005
4,062
Macgregor 26d Ft Lauderdale, Fl
I like the type that has a meter, or the PPM digital number, vs the basic alarm.

I tried using a genset in the cockpit, and wanted to check the increase in the cabin.
I also have one plugged in the house kitchen, since I park in the garage...
 
Johnb

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,421
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
One way or another, spring the money for a marine unit, the lives of your family are worth it, even if yours isn't.
I have a head of steam about this because I have had two personal experiences. One a piece of the mixing elbow fell out and set off both the carbon monoxide detector and smoke detector, and two we left the stern portlight on a charter boat open whilst motoring and filled the aft cabin with exhaust fumes. In either case we could have killed someone, especially a napping baby.
My other obsession is GFCI's.............
 
Ken Cross

Ken Cross

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Oct 24, 2010
2,405
Hunter 30 Everett, WA
We have one with a pre-programed 10 year life span. It has a digital display where you can see the CO count. I think it's good not for the diesel engine but more importantly the furnace, stove, and oven. Our oven set it off once which told be to vent more and get outa there.
 
lehighsail

lehighsail

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Feb 21, 2008
408
Hunter 33 Metedeconk River
Ken, can you be specific about a brand, it sounds good.
MrBill_FLL said:
I like the type that has a meter, or the PPM digital number, vs the basic alarm.

Can you be specific about a brand. As I said in the original post, cost is secondary.
Click to expand
 
seadaddler

seadaddler

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Dec 19, 2006
5,810
Hunter 36 Punta Gorda
I replace mine every few years when they get corrison on contacts from Ace and use 3 AA
batteries and do smoke and carbon and talk and test button and have 3 of them and they work good,have them in my RV also.
 
Mark Maulden

Mark Maulden

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Jan 25, 2011
2,402
S2 11.0A Anacortes, WA
I stuck a new one next to the exhaust pipe on my truck...never got it to go off......maybe newer vehicles have less......
 
M

mitiempo

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Sep 28, 2008
922
Canadian Sailcraft CS27 Victoria B.C.
Boomer54 said:
I don't believe they are required. Diesel engines produce minimal CO levels, not enough to be an issue.
Click to expand
They certainly can be an issue if exhaust gases are leaking into the boat. Many insurance companies require them as well.
 
lehighsail

lehighsail

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Feb 21, 2008
408
Hunter 33 Metedeconk River
Dumb question. I was about to choose the First Alert unit with the smoke and CO. I had a thought about my existing one. It is 'hard wired' in addition to the 9v battery backup. Is the 'hard wire' to the 12v bank or to the dock power. I assume the dock power but just would want to confirm. Thanks.
 
M

mitiempo

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Sep 28, 2008
922
Canadian Sailcraft CS27 Victoria B.C.
You will have to read the specs and see if it is 12 or 120 volts.
 
JamesG161

JamesG161

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Feb 14, 2014
7,423
Hunter 430 Waveland, MS
lehighsail said:
Dumb question. I was about to choose the First Alert unit with the smoke and CO. I had a thought about my existing one. It is 'hard wired' in addition to the 9v battery backup. Is the 'hard wire' to the 12v bank or to the dock power. I assume the dock power but just would want to confirm. Thanks.
Click to expand
The hard wire is normally to chain units together (housing code). If one goes off, they ALL go off.
This what I have in both sleeping areas. I change batteries 2 times a year.
This unit is the sensitive "ionization detector" type.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Kidde-Smo...fault&beacon_version=1.0.1&findingMethod=p13n

Damn! what a link!
This type goes off if you blow smoke near it.

All carbon fueled/burning devices produce CO and it is a POISON just like cyanide. Get one, check it like a PFD it may save your crew's life.
Jim...
 
M

mitiempo

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Sep 28, 2008
922
Canadian Sailcraft CS27 Victoria B.C.
There are hard wired 12 volt detectors available as well as the battery operated ones.
 
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