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Carbon Monoxide Detector

GaryP1007

By GaryP1007
in General Mooney Talk

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GaryP1007 Proficient

GaryP1007

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So thankful I have a modern working CO detector in my Mooney.  The alarm alerted me to a riser slip joint issue on the #3 cylinder.  

If I am honest I have to tell you that at first I thought the detector was malfunctioning - and I wanted to dismiss the alarm (stupid I know).  Once I accepted the alarm was alerting me to a real issue the finding of the problem was simple.

Main purpose for posting is to suggest everyone upgrade to a modern detector with an alarm.  I am quite certain that the CO detector that changes color would not have gotten my attention the way a persistent alarm did. Probably the best $100+ I've spent.

Gary

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Mooney in Oz Mentor

Mooney in Oz

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31 minutes ago, GaryP1007 said:

So thankful I have a modern working CO detector in my Mooney.  The alarm alerted me to a riser slip joint issue on the #3 cylinder.  

If I am honest I have to tell you that at first I thought the detector was malfunctioning - and I wanted to dismiss the alarm (stupid I know).  Once I accepted the alarm was alerting me to a real issue the finding of the problem was simple.

Main purpose for posting is to suggest everyone upgrade to a modern detector with an alarm.  I am quite certain that the CO detector that changes color would not have gotten my attention the way a persistent alarm did. Probably the best $100+ I've spent.

Gary

Thanks for sharing Gary and glad it was a good outcome.

Which CO detector do you have?

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GaryP1007 Proficient

GaryP1007

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11 minutes ago, Mooney in Oz said:

Thanks for sharing Gary and glad it was a good outcome.

Which CO detector do you have?

I bought it at Sportys last year but I dont see it on the website now.  It provides a digital readout of CO levels and also an audible alarm with a flashing red light.  It cost me somewhere around $150 USD.

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GaryP1007 Proficient

GaryP1007

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Just now, N201MKTurbo said:

What reading was it showing?

 

Well it bounced around.  The initial alarm got me to shut off the vents and I turned on the AC.  This resulted in a zero reading.  After a bit I opened the vent and turned off the AC and it took a few minutes but the alarm came back.  It went on wild swings from 30ppm to about 100ppm and back and forth.  I also put oxygen on as a precaution and headed to my home airport (along with the AC back on).

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N201MKTurbo Grand Master

N201MKTurbo

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1 minute ago, GaryP1007 said:

Well it bounced around.  The initial alarm got me to shut off the vents and I turned on the AC.  This resulted in a zero reading.  After a bit I opened the vent and turned off the AC and it took a few minutes but the alarm came back.  It went on wild swings from 30ppm to about 100ppm and back and forth.  I also put oxygen on as a precaution and headed to my home airport (along with the AC back on).

Are you out there with the cowl off? I would like to see what happened.

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Ragsf15e Grand Master

Ragsf15e

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Interesting that it went higher in cruise.  Maybe check your firewall for leaks that can be better sealed.  I had an exhaust riser come off (well the nuts fell off and it was just kind of hanging there on the bolts).  Airborne readings were barely above 20 (0 is my norm). But on the ground it was like 50-75ppm and that’s well above the normal 10ppm.  My feeling was that airflow through the engine compartment was taking the co out the cowl flaps but some was leaking through the firewall where there are openings.  I’ve sealed everything i can.

If you get a co monitor, make sure it alerts and gives an accurate reading at a low level (like sensorcon).  Many home digital ones don’t display 50ppm until like 8 hours later and don’t show less than 30ppm ever.  You want to know immediately if it goes up in your cockpit.

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Tx_Aggie Rising Star

Tx_Aggie

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On 3/29/2023 at 11:30 PM, Ragsf15e said:

Interesting that it went higher in cruise.  Maybe check your firewall for leaks that can be better sealed.  I had an exhaust riser come off (well the nuts fell off and it was just kind of hanging there on the bolts).  Airborne readings were barely above 20 (0 is my norm). But on the ground it was like 50-75ppm and that’s well above the normal 10ppm.  My feeling was that airflow through the engine compartment was taking the co out the cowl flaps but some was leaking through the firewall where there are openings.  I’ve sealed everything i can.

If you get a co monitor, make sure it alerts and gives an accurate reading at a low level (like sensorcon).  Many home digital ones don’t display 50ppm until like 8 hours later and don’t show less than 30ppm ever.  You want to know immediately if it goes up in your cockpit.

Can you elaborate on sealing everything you could? Where did you deal and with what did you seal?

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Ragsf15e Grand Master

Ragsf15e

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1 hour ago, Tx_Aggie said:

Can you elaborate on sealing everything you could? Where did you deal and with what did you seal?

Essentially holes in the firewall from wire pass-throughs no longer used, bolt holes from equipment removed (like my sos), etc.  we just patched them or used rtv to seal if they were small.  After 50 years, there were a few old holes in there that were no longer used.

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Tx_Aggie Rising Star

Tx_Aggie

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9 minutes ago, Ragsf15e said:

Essentially holes in the firewall from wire pass-throughs no longer used, bolt holes from equipment removed (like my sos), etc.  we just patched them or used rtv to seal if they were small.  After 50 years, there were a few old holes in there that were no longer used.

Did you find them after decowling and just looking or did your crawl into the foot wells with a flashlight? I think I need to do the same thing. 

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Ragsf15e Grand Master

Ragsf15e

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1 minute ago, Tx_Aggie said:

Did you find them after decowling and just looking or did your crawl into the foot wells with a flashlight? I think I need to do the same thing. 

Mine were pretty easy to find just decowling, but i did have some of the scat tubing out which helped.  Yeah it’s surprisingly hard to see in the middle behind the mags…

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EricJ Grand Master

EricJ

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4 hours ago, Ragsf15e said:

Rtv sealant.  If you find a bigger one, aluminum might be appropriate… or at least aluminum tape?  I’m not sure.

A bolt/nut with steel washers is better.   Red (high-temp) RTV is okay to keep CO and smoke out, but isn't going to hold up well to an actual fire.   

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