Smoke detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors
- Thread starter Captain W
- Start date
A CO alarm should be located in the main cabin plus one in each sleeping area and smoke alarm in the galley. Then there is the question of battery operated and hard wired. Consider 10-year life battery operated monitors for a reasonable cost.
You might find these articles helpful guidance:
www.passagemaker.com
www.boatus.com
You might find these articles helpful guidance:
Smoke Detectors
Why are smoke detectors so rarely found aboard cruising vessels? Reliable smoke detector technology has been around for decades. Much like their subsequently
www.passagemaker.com
CO And Fume Detectors
Having one or more sources of fuel on board presents a potential danger, especially if you are unaware of leaks or vapor accumulation.
www.boatus.com
The engine compartment will melt them so best located in the cabin area, out in the open, about 60" off the floor.
There will be a lot opinions on what is certified to marine environment.
If you want a stand alone CO alarm like the 10-year battery-operated First Alert C0710 that costs $20 each on Amazon conforms to UL2034 (link below) is suitable for recreational boats. If you want a combination smoke and Co alarm like 10-year battery-operated First Alert PRC710 PC1210 that costs $50 from Amazon certified to UL2034 and UL217. Although UL217 is intended for rv vehicles the NFPA 302 for motorcraft requires adherence to UL217.
CO standard: UL Standard | UL 2034
Excerpt below from Passgemaker: Smoke Detectors
If the Coast Guard inspected vessel guideline is followed, then a smoke detector that meets Underwriters Laboratories standard UL217RV is suitable for use aboard your vessel. The National Fire Protection Association document NFPA 302 "Fire Protection Standard for Pleasure and Motorcraft" calls for adherence to the same UL standard, #217, in vessels over 26 feet. I'd say any vessel with a cabin that you could sleep in regardless of size should be equipped with a smoke detector. Interestingly, this standard is designed for recreational vehicles, or RVs, not boats. However, its testing criteria are surprisingly stringent. They include high humidity, temperature extremes, and salt spray for extended duration, etc.
If you want a stand alone CO alarm like the 10-year battery-operated First Alert C0710 that costs $20 each on Amazon conforms to UL2034 (link below) is suitable for recreational boats. If you want a combination smoke and Co alarm like 10-year battery-operated First Alert PRC710 PC1210 that costs $50 from Amazon certified to UL2034 and UL217. Although UL217 is intended for rv vehicles the NFPA 302 for motorcraft requires adherence to UL217.
CO standard: UL Standard | UL 2034
Excerpt below from Passgemaker: Smoke Detectors
If the Coast Guard inspected vessel guideline is followed, then a smoke detector that meets Underwriters Laboratories standard UL217RV is suitable for use aboard your vessel. The National Fire Protection Association document NFPA 302 "Fire Protection Standard for Pleasure and Motorcraft" calls for adherence to the same UL standard, #217, in vessels over 26 feet. I'd say any vessel with a cabin that you could sleep in regardless of size should be equipped with a smoke detector. Interestingly, this standard is designed for recreational vehicles, or RVs, not boats. However, its testing criteria are surprisingly stringent. They include high humidity, temperature extremes, and salt spray for extended duration, etc.
If you believe the detectors in your house are good enough there's no reason not to use the same in the cabin of your cruising sailboat. The environments are not significantly different. If you want to put a smoke detector in a hot engine room - that's a different matter. And a boat cabin is so much smaller area than a house that one of each is plenty of coverage. I just put the smoke detector in the my sleeping cabin and the CO detector in the main cabin near the genset and diesel heater. With the money you save, get a propane detector and mount it in the galley near the floor.
I've been bad about this. Our smoke/CO detector failed on us a while back and we pulled it off the boat. But we left the mounting plate there. And It reminds us that we haven't replaced the detector yet. We don't have a generator or heater onboard here in the Florida panhandle. And the Admiral uses the stove cover to dry dishes on after dinner so she KNOWS the stove is off.
I think the detector failed due to too many bacon and sausage breakfasts. Both of which put a lot of aroma in the cabin air. The detector is mounted on the opposite end of the main salon from the galley and near the doorway into the forward berth where we sleep.
Much better than the detector in the travel trailer we had. It was mounted at the peak of the roof at the galley. I had to remove it every time the Admiral would turn on the stove. No smoke but it would detect the traces of burnt propane and go off. How F*(king stupid is that placement? After a while, anybody would remove the detector and throw it away for the false alarms.
Food for thought: That nice environmentally friendly R-134A gas? If it burns, it creates phosgene gas. A chemical banned by the Geneva Convention. OSHA TWA (8 hour average) is 0.1 ppm. So fire onboard is scary but if you have refrigeration onboard during a fire, maybe you should think about jumping overboard and worry about sharks later. Your odds might be better with the sharks.
Oh, the fun and scary things I learned as a volunteer fire fighter. Like the powdered sugar donut technique for police officers. Hold a powdered sugar donut about 12 inches from your face. If you can see the entire hazmat scene through the hole, you might be safe. Tap the donut briskly. If the powdered sugar goes towards the scene, you might be safe. Finally, drop the donut. It should roll towards the scene. You are safe. Remember to retest your position periodically. If you are out of donuts, LEAVE THE VICINITY until you refresh your supply of donuts. Please don't laugh. These instructions could save your life.
I think the detector failed due to too many bacon and sausage breakfasts. Both of which put a lot of aroma in the cabin air. The detector is mounted on the opposite end of the main salon from the galley and near the doorway into the forward berth where we sleep.
Much better than the detector in the travel trailer we had. It was mounted at the peak of the roof at the galley. I had to remove it every time the Admiral would turn on the stove. No smoke but it would detect the traces of burnt propane and go off. How F*(king stupid is that placement? After a while, anybody would remove the detector and throw it away for the false alarms.
Food for thought: That nice environmentally friendly R-134A gas? If it burns, it creates phosgene gas. A chemical banned by the Geneva Convention. OSHA TWA (8 hour average) is 0.1 ppm. So fire onboard is scary but if you have refrigeration onboard during a fire, maybe you should think about jumping overboard and worry about sharks later. Your odds might be better with the sharks.
Oh, the fun and scary things I learned as a volunteer fire fighter. Like the powdered sugar donut technique for police officers. Hold a powdered sugar donut about 12 inches from your face. If you can see the entire hazmat scene through the hole, you might be safe. Tap the donut briskly. If the powdered sugar goes towards the scene, you might be safe. Finally, drop the donut. It should roll towards the scene. You are safe. Remember to retest your position periodically. If you are out of donuts, LEAVE THE VICINITY until you refresh your supply of donuts. Please don't laugh. These instructions could save your life.
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As a side note, Minnesota passed "Sophia's Law" a couple of years ago requiring CO detectors on all motorized boats with cabins. MN law requires that the detectors specifically list "Marine use" on the packaging, eliminating most any units you can buy off the shelf at a typical home improvement store.
www.dnr.state.mn.us
According to their documentation "Marine Use" CO detectors must meet ABYC standard A-24.
Based on what I've found online there are less than a handful of manufacturers that make "Marine use" certified detectors, so there aren't many options available if you need to meet that standard.
Sophia's Law - Carbon Monoxide Law for Boaters
According to their documentation "Marine Use" CO detectors must meet ABYC standard A-24.
Based on what I've found online there are less than a handful of manufacturers that make "Marine use" certified detectors, so there aren't many options available if you need to meet that standard.
I purchased a home CO alarm for the boat in 2013 - too many false alarms, so I took it down.
After getting dinged again on my C&V survey this year, I installed a Fireboy-Xintex Carbon Monoxide Alarm - Battery Operated. Got it from Defender. We'll see how this one does.
After getting dinged again on my C&V survey this year, I installed a Fireboy-Xintex Carbon Monoxide Alarm - Battery Operated. Got it from Defender. We'll see how this one does.
American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) A-24 requires CO detectors to be certified to meet UL 2034 as noted above.
West Marine is having a sale on Fireboy CO monitors right now but I see it for less elsewhere. I'm tempted to try one as my "home" unit still goes off occasionally.
The last time I looked CO detectors had an expiration date. So, if you buy them on sale check those dates as you would for flares on sale.
www.fireboy-xintex.com
Marine Carbon Monoxide Detector End Of Life | Fireboy-Xintex
Fireboy's Marine Carbon Monoxide Detector should be replaced every 5 years to avoid dealing with Carbon Monoxide. CO is odorless, colorless, and tasteless.
CO is a gas that is slightly lighter than air, so it rises.. Smoke rises because of the heat that produced it and depending on particulate density will settle. But in the incipient phase will always rise. CO detectors are time weighted. So it is possible to get false alarms even when there are less that 35ppm. (35ppm is the allowable work place exposure over an 8 hr day.) So, since a home is different than a boat, let's explore. NFPA requires smoke detectors OUTSIDE bedrooms. Why? So that it goes into alarm mode while you are safely behind a closed door. Smokes in your house are best mounted on the ceiling. Same on a boat. Smoke should be on the overhead. Because most overheads are curved, the smokes need to be mounted centerline. Now, where? I would argue as close to the main companion way as possible. Why? Well, if you are sleeping in the v-berth with the hatch opened for air, and your boat is into the wind, the incoming air would drive smoke out the main companion way and trip the detector. and because you have a combo gas detector, you've covered the other base.
BUT, don't stop here. I used to teach EDITH.... exit drill in the home.. Same on your boat. Have a PLAN ! If you are awakened by an alarm and either a haze or smoke condition exists... GET OUT ! When you go to bed, keeps PFDs and a hand held in an readily available place.
BUT, don't stop here. I used to teach EDITH.... exit drill in the home.. Same on your boat. Have a PLAN ! If you are awakened by an alarm and either a haze or smoke condition exists... GET OUT ! When you go to bed, keeps PFDs and a hand held in an readily available place.