Carbon Monoxide Detector

[ncdmtb]

Who uses a carbon monoxide detector?

What do you use?

I currently don't have one and have not used one in the past (aside from the little cardboard stickies that are sometimes afixed in rental planes which I used to rent before I got myself a real airlane ;-). During the winter months I use the cabin heat in my 64' M20E and thought it might not be a bad idea to use one.

Advice and thoughts on this would be much appreciated.

-Nick

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Jeff_S]

I picked up one of those small, battery powered ones that looks like a key fob. I leave it clipped to my flight bag, so when I'm doing a winter flight it is easy for me to remember to turn it on. It stays on for 12 hours and there is a loud audible alarm, so if it ever goes off I will still hear it through my headset. So far, nary a peep.  You can get them at Aircraft Spruce or Sporty's, among other places.

[bnicolette]

Hi Nick,

 

I too use the Pocket CO and would definitely purchase it again.

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/co300.php

[aviatoreb]

I also use the Pocket CO unit and consider it to be an extremely important piece of engine and physiological environment monitoring equipment.  We all know the dangers of carbon monoxide poising, and even a little bit lowers your tolerance to altitude and so faster onset of hypoxia.

 

I think that pocket unit is quite excellent and sufficient and I do not see the necessity of a certified installed unit at ten+ times the cost.

 

About 2.5 years ago my Pocket CO detected an exhaust system crack at early onset.  On one flight I noticed that the CO levels were quite a bit higher but not at a level that made any kind of physiological change I ever would have detected.  I went from like 0 to 2ppm in cruise to like 30-40ppm in cruise over the matter of a flight or two.  So in response I brought it to the mechanic and we took off the cowl and found a tiny crack in the exhaust pipes that had not been there previously.  So we had it repaired.

 

I consider those chemical ones that change color almost useless.  They will never catch your attention in time as compared to a unit that beeps at you.  And they do not tell you degree of change - for example it would have never told me my exhaust was cracked in early stage.

[takair]

Have not seen the Pocket CO until now. Thanks for the advice, will be purchasing one. I currently have a battery operated one (forgot name), but it does not display a value, only beeps when you exceed it. I don't really trust it because I can't sense trends as indicated above. I have to say, I had the chemical detector potentially save me and a friend. We were moving a plane to do maintenance and it turned dark within minutes. We vented the cockpit and landed. Upon pulling the cowl we found an exhaust leak and a leak in the firewall. They do work if replaced at least once a year....basically better than nothing.

[MARZ]

Plus one on the pocket CO - I dangle it in my peripheral sight off the sun shades. 

[Mooney65E]

I have a small carbon monoxide detector which uses a 9v battery. It clips to the interior trim just fwd of the door and just below the panel. I positioned it there to monitor the area first serviced by the heat ducting. It's loud enough to hear in flight as hear it chirp  during flight when its battery is going dead. I also keep a pulse oximeter on board and use it regularly during my higher altitude mountain flights.

[bnicolette]

I keep mine on the ceiling close to my head.

[Bennett]

As usual I tend to overkill, but having nearly lost two dear friends to carbon monoxide poisoning in an aircraft, I am very wary. I had talked a female friend into taking flying lessons with a great instructor friend of many years. He had a beautiful Cessna 150 he kept for instruction, and it had just come out of annual. They were practicing maneuvers over the ocean when the student stated she felt sick, and could they return to San Carlos airport. They did, and by the time they reached the airport, she was unconsious, and while the instructor made it to the runway, the SQL Fire/Rescue truck had to pull them both out of the airplane. Both were were hospitalized, and while they both recovered, the student cancelled her lessons and dropped out of aviation. Turned out to be a crack in the heater box that leaked carbon monoxide into the cockpit. We sometimes have a similar situation in slow moving trawlers and sailboats under power downwind in following seas. The exhaust fumes can blow into the cockpit, and soon everyone in the cockpit is feeling lousy. The headaches can last for hours, and this is in an area in free air flow. Anyway I have a certified detector (Guardian) in the pedestal under the panel, and a separate bright enunciator light in the panel. It runs a self test every time I fire up the engine, and stays active until shutdown. Not all that expensive in light of potential consequences.

[chrisk]

I have a ProTech 7035 that I keep in the back seat (and plan to clip it to the back of the front seat pocket).  It was about $75. Its the same as the CO experts detector in this AVWEB article. 

 

I used to have the cardboard versions, but decided they were just about worthless.  And when the weather started getting colder and I thought of turning on the heat, I sprung for an electronic CO detector.

[larryb]

I use the CO experts unit. In flight it shows 0 but on the ground it often beeps at me. I have it attached to the lower part of the center console, where the heater controls are. It's pretty loud, easy to hear with noise cancelling headsets on. 

 

 

 

http://www.aeromedix.com/Ultra-Low-Level-CO-Detector-CO-Experts-2014.html?gclid=COCTmNyKrrwCFZJxOgodR0wAUw

[DonMuncy]

How long have you guys had your detectors. Many years ago I got  the one that plugs into the cigarette lighter. After about 3 years, it started giving false signals. The manufacturer said they had a limited life and that solvents, etc. shortened the life. They gave me a small discount on a new one. A few years later; same thing. I think if I pay $125 to $150, I want it to last 5 to 10 years.

[bnicolette]

Don I'm on year 3 with mine and I replace the battery annually.

[TTaylor]

I bought a 9 volt First Alert unit for about $20 and put it in the pocket on the back of the front seats. 

[chrisk]

This is why I went with the pro-tech 7035-sl.    It has a 5 year sensor life and is cheap enough to toss at the end.  About $12 per year.  And it has value outside of the plane.  It can come home (or to a hotel room) and monitor as well.  --Its not just planes where people die from CO.

 

I've tried the chemical spot co detectors too, but always wondered if they really worked.  And of course I've found old expired ones in planes where I never really knew what they indicated. 

[Critter]

I carry a CO Guardian http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/coguardian2.php

I used to rely on the card style detectors on the dash, however a friend was coming down from flying his Pitts after 45 minutes and always had a headache.  When he turned on his smoke system the cockpit filled with smoke.  Taking a proper detector flying with him, he discovered that the alarm was going off and in the danger areas.  The card on his dash did not register!!!!

I now keep the CO Guardian plugged into my cigarette lighter all of the time in my "J". 

A nice Peace of mind

[triple8s]

I think there is a fella on here that uses exotic birds in place of the traditional CO detector.

[aviatoreb]

I keep mine on the ceiling close to my head.

 

That is EXACTLY where I keep mine.  I can even hear it beep through my noise canceling headset.  (It beeps on start up).

[chrisk]

Guys,

Would you have any interest in a group buy on CO experts detectors?  http://www.coexperts.com/  This is the same thing sold for $189 at AeroMEDIX.com  http://www.aeromedix.com/Ultra-Low-Level-CO-Detector-CO-Experts-2014.html.    To give you an idea on pricing, http://ppmca.net/co_-_expert_monitor_model_2014 has a member price of $119.  I'm thinking we could meet or beat that price.

 

For this to happen, we would need to order around 40.  If you have any interest, PM me and I can share the details.  And if your still interested after I share the details (some place other than an open forum), we can start a list.

 

Chris

[fantom]

 

Parrots work just as well, undeterred by noxious odors from stinky pants 

[Marauder]

Guys,

Would you have any interest in a group buy on CO experts detectors?  http://www.coexperts.com/  This is the same thing sold for $189 at AeroMEDIX.com  http://www.aeromedix.com/Ultra-Low-Level-CO-Detector-CO-Experts-2014.html.    To give you an idea on pricing, http://ppmca.net/co_-_expert_monitor_model_2014 has a member price of $119.  I'm thinking we could meet or beat that price.

 

For this to happen, we would need to order around 40.  If you have any interest, PM me and I can share the details.  And if your still interested after I share the details (some place other than an open forum), we can start a list.

 

Chris

 

 

Chris -- I think we will be hard pressed to get 40 people to sign up. We never got the 10 we needed for the other life saving device -- the AOA indicator -- though Rip let us keep the lower pricing for those who did buy.

[Buster1]

I have the Pocket CO Detector...the little yellow thing.  I mounted it with a small square of velcro to my panel in the Bo (not obscuring the sensor holes in the rear) and love it.  I added it as part of my 'flow' checklist and turn it on before engine start.  It has a great beep (that can be adjusted to a two-tone "BEEP beep" if you want), a backlight for reading the numbers in the dark, and a flashy red light that can be seen in the daytime if it alerts.

 

Pretty nice and simple device for ~$120.

 

Lastly, we had this debate over on BeechTalk about the use of home CO detectors.  I'm of the belief (like a lot of other guys) that the home detectors just don't work 'right' at altitude.  They are not designed to function the same at 10,000' MSL.  They also don't 'alert' until above 50 ppm...which combined with altitude and less O2, might not cut it.  But it's your life, do what you want.  YMMV.

[PTK]

Guys,

Would you have any interest in a group buy on CO experts detectors?  http://www.coexperts.com/  This is the same thing sold for $189 at AeroMEDIX.com  http://www.aeromedix.com/Ultra-Low-Level-CO-Detector-CO-Experts-2014.html.    To give you an idea on pricing, http://ppmca.net/co_-_expert_monitor_model_2014 has a member price of $119.  I'm thinking we could meet or beat that price.

 

For this to happen, we would need to order around 40.  If you have any interest, PM me and I can share the details.  And if your still interested after I share the details (some place other than an open forum), we can start a list.

 

Chris

Count me in for one, Chris.

[kmyfm20s]

 

Lastly, we had this debate over on BeechTalk about the use of home CO detectors.  I'm of the belief (like a lot of other guys) that the home detectors just don't work 'right' at altitude.  They are not designed to function the same at 10,000' MSL.  They also don't 'alert' until above 50 ppm...which combined with altitude and less O2, might not cut it.  But it's your life, do what you want.  YMMV.

But the home CO detectors look so appropriate with the drapes in the back windows!

[Buster1]

Drapes!