Carbon monoxide detectors

W

Will-C

New member
The other night I was changing the engine oil, fuel filters, and replacing the oil in our lower unit. We are preparing for about a two week run up the Hudson from NYC and Champlain canal/ Lake and on up thru Canada to the St Lawrence river. After a while we noticed / heard a beeping sound. The slant cover was over the cockpit and the boat was closed up. My wife cracked the case and said it's coming from inside the boat. It turned out to be our six year old carbon monoxide sensor going off. No motors were running and I had just switched the batteries on so I could use the power tilt while changing the oil in our lower unit. The boat has been closed up with the batteries off but charging as we always have shore power connected. I ordered a new carbon monoxide sensor from Defender about 110 dollars. I guess what they say is true about replacing them every five years. I'm glad to have a functioning carbon Monoxide sensor for our up coming trip. I'll write the date on the new one to remind me in the future about when to replace it. Checked on yours lately?
D.D.
 
our boat did not come with one. and now that we have the heater we want to add one. I am assuming you got the fireboy? Where is the best place to mount these? good reminder as well
 
Jake B":3vmgqui0 said:
our boat did not come with one. and now that we have the heater we want to add one. I am assuming you got the fireboy? Where is the best place to mount these? good reminder as well
Click to expand...
Our carbon monoxide detector is mounted just under the helm on the bulkhead between it and the berth. They are fairly low profile so almost anywhere will work. You don't want it to be too close to the stove or heater and you want it to be close to the berth.
 
There are loads of models available at hardware stores and many of them are combos as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/First-Alert- ... 433891-_-N

If you are set on replacing a unit every few years, they even have sealed Lithium battery powered 10 year models. They are not marketed for marine use but I don't see the interior of a C-dory as being very different from the interior of a garage for this purpose.

Greg
 
There was a previous thread where these were discussed, and folks who are knowledgeable mentioned some specific things to look for. At that time I looked at a bunch and decided on a specific one. I no longer remember exactly why, but I do remember that this one fit the criteria to be a good one, and that the next step up was about six times more expensive.

Even on big fancy/yard boats that originally had hard wired CO detectors, folks are going to the battery ones because of needing to replace them regularly -- so it's not "just" a small boat shortcut. The other thing is that some of them came with combo detectors, and that's not really such a great idea as the detectors for the various hazards need to be at different heights (some things sink, others rise, etc.)

This is2 the CO detector I bought (from Amazon in my case). They are around $20-$25

Kidde KN-COPP-B-LS 900-0230 Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Battery Operated with Digital Display
 
I got the new Fireboy Carbon monoxide sensor today from Defender. It has an expiration date right on it along with the date of manufacture. I read that there are materials used inside the detector that degrade over time which is why they recommend replacing them. For me I like the idea of a hard wired unit. But to each there own. From what I read they also recommended ones rated for marine use. So I'll try and save money somewhere else.
D.D.
 
I have the FireBoy CO detector. The only issue I have with it is that it will sound an alarm if the input voltage drops too low. I have had issues with it going off in the middle of the night when the house battery voltage drops off.

The FireBoy CO detector is also a lot smaller than the detectors for home use (no displays, large buttons, or internal main battery).

This CO detector has an end of life alarm that starts sounding after 4 yrs 11 mos. powered by an internal battery.
 
Will-C":9gki04cx said:
For me I like the idea of a hard wired unit. ... So I'll try and save money somewhere else.
D.D.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify: I didn't buy a battery powered one to save money. I bought it because it's what I wanted, and because it "checked the boxes" to be a good, effective unit. I was just pointing out that many big boats (wherein the owners have huge checkbooks and money is *really* no object) are also going to the battery powered units for ease of exchanging them (which they often do each year as a part of the layup/commissioning process). Also sometimes the hard wired ones weren't installed in the best location (although that can be changed). I don't know that the hard-wired ones do the job any better (they may; I just don't know that for a fact).

For me, I have the battery powered one I linked to, and I use it either in the RV or the boat, depending on where I am at the time. And I make sure to keep them "fresh" and have them at the correct height for CO detection.
 
Thanks our heater output is right under the helm seat. with a directional head on it to somewhat point where it goes.
That makes since about the Home depo ones as the inside doesn’t get wet or really exposed to the elements. I kind of like the fact it is battery and does not have to be wired in as well.
 
The Kidde KN-COPP-B-LS 900-0230 is an excellent buy---and good to have two aboard. We have one by the helm seat and one by our heads in the bunks.

Often it is other boats, not your boat which is the cause of high CO levels--especially at fault are gas generators--often boats raft next to a sea wall or dock, and the fumes build up and may drift along the dock/sea wall Diesel generators and engines are not immune from CO build up either.
 
Of course it should be mounted in the vicinity of where you are inhaling. Consumers Reports gave the nod to the the First Alert CO615 (rated 87) over the Kidde (rated 66, and which I also have 2 of on the back porch when using the Big Buddy propane heater).
CO detectors rated for marine use measure Time Weighted Average CO
levels...a lot more expensive circuit board detector; and we can dicker over the cost/benefit of that. Also, the board is protected by epoxy coating so less
susceptible to the ravages of moist salt air etc. Of course it's going to
warn me of low voltage; otherwise, if I woke up dead from CO poisoning, I
would immediately hire a lawyer to sue Fireboy for not having such a
warning. The unapproved Home Depot models also must be replaced at
specified interval too, but the Fireboy's internal battery and End of Life
Alarm that Will-C heard makes it more boater-proof. At only 1/10 of a
Boat Unit$, I think the pro-rated Fireboy price of $22.40 a year is pretty
good for what you get. I take it and everything else off the boat in the
off season and they seem to last longer. I also have a RV-marine rated
smoke detector, weigh the 3 fire extinguishers every season and move them
off the boat at 3 years from manufacture (stamped on the bottom of every
extinguisher) or if they lose over 3 oz/year regardless of needle reading. You should do whatever You Think is Best.

Fireboy used to have a re-calibration program where you could return the
unit and for $50 get a replacement every year. I wonder if the CEO saw the movie Blade Runner (the replicants had a 4 year lifespan) and decided
that would be Even More Cool in his product. Great for early Harrison Ford fans.
http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Runner-Fina ... sr_1_1?ie=
UTF8&qid=1409259006&sr=8-1&keywords=blade+runner
We'll bring our ABBA and Air Supply 8-track tapes to the Appalachicola Gathering, so you can play them on your players.
I deeply respect Dr Bob's expert opinion here, and do not want to be interpreted as disagreeing, which I ain't. There is always a lot of room for maneuvering in on THE BEST COMPROMISE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BOAT, and that is all I'm trying to aim for, for the BEST SOLUTION FOR YOUR PARTICULAR BOAT AND NEEDS.
HAPPY BOATING!
John
 
P1010820_001.jpg

Our boat came with a Fireboy hard wired detector. It's located fairly low just above my feet vertically under the helm area. It worked once as we were in Florida with the back door open traveling at hull speed with wind at our backs. That sum bitch really got my attention. Our boat is a 2008 and the end of life is a beep is what we just heard and was the warning that replacement was advised. It beeped every thirty seconds I believe. I think it has a number of different warning beep intervals that mean different things so the directions tout. The nice part is as you can see from the picture you remove the front cover unplug the power plug and install the new board on the existing backplate plug it back into power install the outside cover and your done. I was not calling out anyone from being cheap but having already spent the 110 dollars it was too late to head to Home Depot for the one mentioned by others. My own personal choice has to do with me being forgetful and not wanting to travel with anymore batteries than I already have aboard. As for marine standards I believe in them. I use tinned stranded wire and shore power cords designed for marine use. Yes, things cost more but I figure there must be a reason. But that's just me. I would not think to have one alarm and move it from RV to boat because I am forgetful. I bought tools for the boat because I always needed something for the boat that happened to be in the garage. I fixed it my way and just keep tools in both places. Do I care about the reasons others do things differently than I; obviously not :mrgreen:
D.D.
 
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