CO Monitors

[Bob_Belville]

This CO detector looks pretty interesting @ $149.. It plugs into a 12/24V socket which seems perfect for my panel. Does anyone here have a pirep?

 

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/pspages/coguardian2.php

[DonMuncy]

Bob,

These work great and the price is right. The only problem is they have what I consider to be a short life expectancy. I had one, and after a few years (3 or4 if I remember right), it started giving false alerts. It took me a while and some money to figure out it wasn't a CO problem. The company told me they had a finite life and sold me another one at a discount (don't remember how much). Again after about the same time, it went out again.

Hope this helps.

[Bob_Belville]

Bob,

These work great and the price is right. The only problem is they have what I consider to be a short life expectancy. I had one, and after a few years (3 or4 if I remember right), it started giving false alerts. It took me a while and some money to figure out it wasn't a CO problem. The company told me they had a finite life and sold me another one at a discount (don't remember how much). Again after about the same time, it went out again.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Don. In studying several models of CO models it seems to me they might all have chemistry involved that has a limited life. Some even have batteries that cannot be replaced. Someone may chime in. 

[Mooneymite]

......, it started giving false alerts. It took me a while and some money to figure out it wasn't a CO problem......

 

There's a good lesson!

[rainman]

I have the one that has no battery changing capability. It's good for two years, and was about $130. Works well, and adds some measure of safety.

[kmyfm20s]

$39 (Costco), no battery for 10 years, test button for preflight, light flashes when it goes off, and you can hear it with the headset on while in flight. Attached with double sided tape.

[Bob_Belville]

Hum, when I Googled First Alert CO Detectors this video of a test came up. Not reassuring.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

All of the CO monitors have an electro chemical cell that changes it's electrical properties when exposed to CO. This cell is exposed to the air, so the chemicals will eventually evaporate, react with stuff in the air like moisture or otherwise become ineffective.

If you would keep it in a cool dry place when not in use it would probably last a lot longer.

[Marauder]

Another big difference between home use detectors and those specific for aviation is the detection limit. Most of the home use units are able only to get down to 50 ppm levels before triggering. Aviation specific units routinely are in the single digit detection levels.

[Danb]

Chris and Bob based on the above research what do you recommend, I just use the cheap stick on but would like to use what's is most effective...

[kmyfm20s]

I not necessarily saying that the First Alert is the solution but Im not convinced the portable aviation plug ins or keychain are any better. All companies says their products work. The video above is a model made in 2009 and is the only one being tested in the video. No telling what it's sensor was subjected to before the test shown. What I proposed looks ridiculous but is still an improvement on which the factory provides, which is nothing and at least give me an in cabin temperature gauge. Next time I'm out I'll light a match underneath it a see what happens. It is surprising that CO monitors are not standard equipment with aircraft since it is such a general concern. The CO cards never help me because I'm color blind and it was really hard for me tell the colors apart.

[Marauder]

Chris and Bob based on the above research what do you recommend, I just use the cheap stick on but would like to use what's is most effective...

Dan -- since you fly the flight levels, I would check out the Guardian stuff. You can add the pulse oxygen function to the CO detector and have it all panel mounted.

[Bob_Belville]

I have the First Alert CO monitors in my home and it is possible one saved my life a few years ago when a fellow working on my furnace went home for the day and had left the pipe from the furnace to the flue off! The CO alert in the basement sounded the alarm.

 

I flew for years w/o a thought re the CO hazard. I have been using the "passive" sensors that are good for 18 months and change colors. See pic.

 

But I intend to get something "better" now. As soon as I figure out what that is. 

[N601RX]

I have been looking at the guardian units. Mike Bush wrote quite a bit about different detectors a couple of months ago. Guardian basically has a recalibration program where they replace the sensor and verify the unit is working correctly every few years. It saves some money over the cost of a new one. It looks like it would cost $75-100 yr average to keep their units operational. Their units also interface with the newer JPI engine monitors.

http://www.guardianavionics.com/recalibration.html

[N201MKTurbo]

I was once flying from Denver to Rapid city in the winter. I was IFR and on top. Along the way the clouds looked very bright and kept getting brighter until they hurt my eyes. I finally got a splitting headache which I was attributing to the bright clouds (considering the topic you know where this is going).

When I got to Rapid City I went to visit my customer and do my work. The headache never subsided. I got some Tylenol, sun glasses and a Spot Check CO card. When I went to leave I got in the plane, fired it up, turned on the heater and put the Spot Check by the outlet. It turned Black Black it about ten seconds.

I flew home with the heater off and all the vents opened. OAT -20F. The cold kept me alert (it was freaking freezing).

The next day I pulled the muffler and found a three inch crack 1/8 inch wide.

It felt like the worst hangover for three days.

This was in 1986 so let's not start telling me what I shouldn't have done....

[carusoam]

thanks for sharing the experience.

i bought a portable aviation unit with limited battery life.

i went nose blind to exhaust fumes a few years ago.

now sensors are the way to go...

know sensors don't last forever either...

not being a fan of portable devices, i see an installed one in the future...

best regards,

-a-

[N601RX]

Anther good reason to run LOP. Very little CO.

[RobertGary1]

I used a uk battery unit. The U.S. Units are legally required to not be sensitive enough. This one has a digit display. Saved me one night ITr when the heat exchanger cracked. It's amazing how much co you still get even after turning off the heater.

Unfortunately these are life limited units and mine is now beyond its expected life.

[aviatoreb]

Anther good reason to run LOP. Very little CO.

 

Hardly - if you have an exhaust leak - even LOP you have a big problem.

[kmyfm20s]

Well after being intrigued with CO monitors and detectors for a few hours. I believe this is one of the better portable units on the market and probably better than the Guardian panel mount units. Review and decide on your own.

 

http://www.aeromedix.com/ultra-low-level-carbon-monoxide-detector-c-o-experts-2015-low-level-c-o-health/

 

 It is better than the Guardian 152 according to specs on the user manual and some reviews that I saw.

 

http://www.guardianavionics.com/files/COGuardianManual152A-WD.pdf

 

The home unit I showed above is actually not useless but will not go off with chronic low levels of CO and some level of impairment have occurred. It does allow you to check the peak CO reading from the last check and will go off when levels are acutely serious. The home units alarm levels have been changed to prevent nuisance 911 calls while still saving your life.

[N601RX]

Attached is a graph of CO content vs mixture ratio. There is a hugh difference in CO content for full rich and lop. About 450 ppm vs somewhere around 10ppm

[DaV8or]

Well after being intrigued with CO monitors and detectors for a few hours. I believe this is one of the better portable units on the market and probably better than the Guardian panel mount units. Review and decide on your own.

 

http://www.aeromedix.com/ultra-low-level-carbon-monoxide-detector-c-o-experts-2015-low-level-c-o-health/

 

 It is better than the Guardian 152 according to specs on the user manual and some reviews that I saw.

 

http://www.guardianavionics.com/files/COGuardianManual152A-WD.pdf

 

The home unit I showed above is actually not useless but will not go off with chronic low levels of CO and some level of impairment have occurred. It does allow you to check the peak CO reading from the last check and will go off when levels are acutely serious. The home units alarm levels have been changed to prevent nuisance 911 calls while still saving your life.

 

I like what I see about the Aeromedix unit, but I wonder, where do people put these things and do people remember to turn them on and off? I almost put the panel mounted unit in my plane, but the servicing requirements made me quit on that idea.

[aviatoreb]

Attached is a graph of CO content vs mixture ratio. There is a hugh difference in CO content for full rich and lop. About 450 ppm vs somewhere around 10ppm

 

LOP will not save you from the major problem that causes dangerous CO to build up.  A failure - such as a cracked exhaust can cause CO build up to cause dangerous and possibly deadly CO in your cabin LOP or ROP.  Don't fool yourself into thinking that a CO monitor is unnecessary if you run LOP.

[N601RX]

LOP will not save you from the major problem that causes dangerous CO to build up.  A failure - such as a cracked exhaust can cause CO build up to cause dangerous and possibly deadly CO in your cabin LOP or ROP.  Don't fool yourself into thinking that a CO monitor is unnecessary if you run LOP.

I not suggesting not having a CO level detector, I certainly have one. What I am saying is that with an exhaust content around 400ppm you will be overcome very quickly. With an exhaust content of 10ppm you will not and have plenty of time to react. Perhaps you can perform some math and explain to us how that although the CO exhaust content is only 10 ppm the content in the cabin will ever be higher than that? OSHA considers 50 ppm average per 8 hr day to be acceptable.

[kmyfm20s]

I like what I see about the Aeromedix unit, but I wonder, where do people put these things and do people remember to turn them on and off? I almost put the panel mounted unit in my plane, but the servicing requirements made me quit on that idea.

Most don't require to be turned on/off the Aeromedix has an end of life warning. Press to test as part of the pre-flight. CO has only slightly lower specific gravitity than O2. From my research placement is slightly above the potential source of CO and no blowing air on the sensor.