Have heard of instances where persons sitting at the transom of a powerboat have collapsed and later been diagnosed with CO poisoning. I guess it may depend which way the wind is blowing.
Carbon Monoxide
- Thread starter All U Get
- Start date
Oh I'm quite aware of that and wasn't suggesting that going without was a wise course of action (or inaction). Just pointing out that the law has no teeth and if one were trying to get by with the minimum, that minimum is really zero.
I put smoke detectors, CO detectors, and fire extinguishers (more than the minimum) in our boat last year. I do in fact have several smoke detectors in our home along with 6 fire extinguishers. I also have AAA, several insurance policies and a carry permit. I'm all for personal protection!
Are conventional "home" CO detectors acceptable for marine use? I ask because the "FIREBOY-XINTEX Battery Operated Marine Carbon Monoxide Detector" at West Marine is $120. The "First Alert Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Detector" at Lowes is $18. Might pick up 3 of the latter today, and try them out.
- oh, wait, I think I need four: Catalina 36, forward cabin, head, galley area, and aft cabin. Is that right?
- oh, wait, I think I need four: Catalina 36, forward cabin, head, galley area, and aft cabin. Is that right?
The hardwired versions are only $99 at Defender. Not sure if the home CO detectors are suitable for marine use. They'll probably detect CO, but the salt air may shorten their life.
Absent legal requirements to put one every where, logic may prevail. What are the likely sources of CO on your boat? Put the CO detectors near the source. If the only sources are the diesel and the propane stove, it doesn't make much sense to put a CO detector in the V-berth, but does make sense to put one near the engine compartment and near the stove.
On a related note, I recently installed a combination CO / smoke detector in the main cabin of my C36. No, it was not 'marine certified', but it was better than nothing, which is what it replaced. I was feeling good about my improvement until I came to the boat one hot day and heard the CO alert going off. Nothing was on in the boat except the battery charger. The engine and stove had not been on for several days and the LPG was off at the tank. I was docked at least 40 feet away from any boats. I reset and thought is was a fluke, until it happened several more times during that hot month. A little Google search revealed that while not common, false alarms are possible for higher concentrations of hydrogen, other gases, and even moisture, and way below the sickness or explosive levels for those gases. Perhaps the charging batteries gave off enough hydrogen to trigger the alarm level, or the heat / humidity build-up on the hot days. It's been cooler (70's) this month, and there have been no false alarms. I'm all for protection, but do I need to invest $100 for marine certified CO detector?
I've added the First Alert CO/Smoke in the engine room, worked well when we had a little problem with the old AC unit. We keep a digital CO in the sleeping area that allows me to monitor real numbers. That too saved us when we had a leaking gasket on the mixing elbow of our generator. They do work. We spent many days on friends power boats sitting topside while motoring slow without thinking of CO. Even fishing from the transom would probably explain why some days we would just come home early because everyone was tired. Something to consider.
All U Get
All U Get
This is a good discussion with MaineSail chiming in on ABYC standards.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/carbon-monoxide-detector.177533/
______
Also much High Compression ratio burn.
Gasoline engines run reduced compression ratios for emission controls
Jim...
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 22,787
The Port of Everett is on an old pulp mill site. Every summer the Propane alarm goes intermittent a few times. The marina bottom is off gassing methane. It bubbles up around the boats and is a bit unnerving. Wonder how the other alarms might react.
As all the exhaust lines run under my aft cabin and the engine room is forward of it, I purchased a CO2 detector and mounted it on the forward bulkhead of the cabin, between the cabin and engine room. It has never gone off, but better safe than sorry, for the small changed the detector cost.
Residential CO detectors are not the same. Perhaps better than nothing, but not as good as marine CO detectors for two reasons.
First, marine detectors are built to withstand the marine environment... Temperature swings, humidity, vibration, etc.
Second, residential detectors have a different profile programmed. Marine detectors are programmed to allow brief spikes in carbon monoxide levels without alarming whereas residential units are more sensitive to lower levels.
Do it right. Get the proper tool for the task at hand.
First, marine detectors are built to withstand the marine environment... Temperature swings, humidity, vibration, etc.
Second, residential detectors have a different profile programmed. Marine detectors are programmed to allow brief spikes in carbon monoxide levels without alarming whereas residential units are more sensitive to lower levels.
Do it right. Get the proper tool for the task at hand.
Well, I simply got a home combined fire/smoke/CO detector. It did go off when a battery out-gassed, so I know it works. I have had one on for 11 years. The first one chirped a warning to replace it and I did with another Kiddie. I don't think the CG or anyone else is going to cite me but it's true; it isn't marine. Still, you have to figure that they are installed in all kinds of climates and conditions except perhaps the vibration.
Twice this has happened to me. Both times in the same marina, Chicks in Kennebunkport. We are forced to stay at a slip in Kennebunkport as there are no other options. Twice we were tied up next to 100 foot plus mega yachts. In both cases the mega yachts ran their generators 24-7. I complained the first time as I was near the generator exhaust. I was supplied with a CO detector for the night by the marina which they apparently keep for this purpose. The second time I was able to move out of the generator exhaust stream further down the dock. I attribute this problem to these ridiculous mega yachts.
sad to say, neighbor boat generator exhaust can kill you. an $18 home depot CO detector can prevent that from happening. we had 'neighbor CO ' once from a big RV at a bluegrass festival; our little camper's cheap battery power $12 CO detector warned us to move in the middle of the night to clean air.
Certainly, but a Google search would find the same info. I googled "residential vs. marine carbon monoxide detectors" and here are excerpts from three of the top five results.
http://www.boatingmag.com/gear/carbon-monoxide-alarms
"First, avoid residential alarms. While marine units may be more expensive, they are built to withstand the rigors of a marine environment. "
http://sailingmagazine.net/article-899-can-i-use-any-carbon-monoxide-detector-.html
"There is a difference between the behavior of marine and residential carbon monoxide detectors because the presence of carbon monoxide means different things in either environment. Typically, the carbon monoxide level in a house is very low, and should never get any higher. If the level rises, it means there is a faulty combustion device (stove, furnace, dryer, etc) in the house and the occupants need to be alerted immediately. In a boat, it is acceptable for the carbon monoxide level to spike but only for short periods of time."
https://southernboating.com/engine-upkeep/systems/carbon-monoxide-detectors/
"The first impulse for many boat owners is to purchase residential-type units, but be aware that some may not meet construction requirements for marine-grade units (such as Underwriters Laboratories standard 1524)."
In the end, the choice, and the risk, are yours.
I have 2 in my Catalina 250 which has no thwartship bulkheads. One on the internal sole and one near overhead. Definitely because I have a propane galley one burner. The CO dangers of powerboat stern swimming are well known on California lakes. Chief
Last edited:
We recently had a death and near death sickness because of CO poisoning and in my many, many years of boating, I have seen similar situations where boaters almost died and so there is a reason for this law, which exists in MN, but not any other State that I know of. Insurance companies, I understand, don't insist on detectors, but if you have them in your boat, they like it. Use marine detectors and not those purchased at Home Depot, Menards, etc. because there is a difference in temperature tolerances, etc. The MN law states specific types to use. And there is only ONE battery operated one allowed (pictured). They can be purchased many places and I am sure at SBO as well.
