The testing procedure is quite similar:
- Press and hold down the test button on the face of the device. ...
- If you are unable to hear any sound or if the alarm is too weak, replace the battery and retest.
- If after battery replacement the device still doesn’t beep, replace the whole detector as soon as possible.
How to install First Alert Carbon Monoxide alarm?
- When installing an alarm on the wall, the top edge of alarms should be placed between 4 inches (100 mm) and 12 inches (300 mm) from the wall/ceiling line.
- When installing an alarm on the ceiling, place the alarm as close to the center as possible.
- In either case, install the alarm at least 4 inches (100 mm) from where the wall and ceiling meet.
Will your detector protect you from carbon monoxide?
While most security systems have detectors that monitor worrisome events, including carbon monoxide flare ups, many of these systems aren’t equipped to notify you if your propane levels are too high. If you want to keep an eye on these propane levels, you’ll need a specialized detector.
Does first alert make a RV Carbon Monoxide alarm?
First Alert also offers combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, which provide 2-in-1 protection against both smoke and carbon monoxide. Equipped with features like voice and location technology, which tells you the type and location of danger in the event of an emergency, wireless interconnect, and a slim profile design, combination ...
Should a carbon monoxide detector be high or low?
The short answer is that the placement height of carbon monoxide detectors does not matter because carbon monoxide spreads evenly (ceiling, middle, floor) throughout the air in a home. Some say detectors are more effective closer to the ground because they believe carbon monoxide is heavier than air; therefore, it concentrates low to the floor.
How do you test a First Alert CO detector?
You can test this CO Alarm by pressing the Test button on the Alarm cover until alarm chirps. The alarm horn will sound: 4 beeps, a pause, then 4 beeps. The alarm sequence should last 5-6 seconds. If the unit does not alarm, make sure it has been activated correctly, and test again.
How can I test my carbon monoxide detector at home?
To test a carbon monoxide detector, hold down the “test” button until you hear two beeps sound off. Once you hear these beeps, release your finger off the test button.
What does green light mean on First Alert carbon monoxide detector?
With all First Alert plug-in carbon monoxide alarms, any time there is a power outage, brownout, surge or other problem with the power, the alarm goes through a power up cycle. The flashing on your plug-in carbon monoxide alarm should stop after 5 minutes, then the light will stay a steady green.
What color should the light be on First Alert carbon monoxide detector?
red lightOn First Alert® carbon monoxide alarms, the red light flashes to show the Carbon Monoxide Alarm is properly receiving battery power. If you do not see the red light flashing, change the batteries in the alarm immediately.
How can I tell if my carbon monoxide detector is working?
It is important to test your detectors monthly to ensure they are working properly. To test your CO alarms, press and hold the test button on the alarm. The detector will sound 4 beeps, a pause, then 4 beeps for 5-6 seconds. Refer to the user manual for your specific model.
How do I know if my carbon monoxide detector is malfunctioning?
4 beeps and a pause: This means that there is carbon monoxide in the air and you should seek fresh air immediately and call 911. 1 beep every minute: This means that the alarm has low batteries and you should replace them. 3 beeps every minute: This means the alarm has encountered a malfunction and needs replacement.
What color should a carbon monoxide detector be?
InformationColorVoice notificationWhat it meansRed“Highest carbon monoxide level was [Number] PPM.”Emergency warningsYellow“Detector error.”Possible malfunction or low battery“Alarm has reached its End of Life. Replace Alarm in [Location].”WhiteN/APower indicator and nightlight11 more rows
What does a red light mean on a carbon monoxide alarm?
- Red light is Off – No CO detected since reset or power up. - Red light flashes 2 times (in 2 seconds) every 40 seconds, 50 ppm CO detected for least about 90 minutes. - Red light flashes 4 times (in 2 seconds) every 40 seconds, 100 ppm CO detected for least about 40 minutes.
What does a carbon monoxide detector sound like when it detects carbon monoxide?
Here's a simple guide: Smoke alarms alert you with three beeps in a row. Carbon monoxide alarms alert you with four beeps. A single chirp means the battery is low or the detector should be replaced.
Should my carbon monoxide detector flash green?
A flashing green light can simply mean that the unit is installed and working properly.
Why is my First Alert smoke and carbon monoxide detector blinking red?
If your smoke detector is blinking red, it means that the batteries are low. While this can happen with all smoke detectors, it's more often the case with First Alert smoke detectors, since they are known for their exceptionally long battery life.
Why is my First Alert carbon monoxide chirping?
Chirping is typically caused by improper mounting, a low battery, or alarm end-of-life. Note: This article applies to the Onelink Smart Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarm (models 1042135, 1042136, AC-500, and DC-500).
What are two warning signs of carbon monoxide poisoning?
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you.
Can you test yourself for carbon monoxide poisoning?
There isn't a self-diagnosis option for carbon monoxide poisoning, but anyone with confusion or a loss of consciousness should have 911 called for them.
What will set off a carbon monoxide detector?
Any fuel-burning appliance that is malfunctioning or improperly installed. Furnaces, gas range/stove, gas clothes dryer, water heater, portable fuel-burning space heaters, fireplaces, generators and wood burning stoves. Vehicles, generators and other combustion engines running in an attached garage.
What does carbon monoxide smell like?
Carbon monoxide gas is colourless and does not smell, so you cannot tell if it is around you. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include: headache. dizziness.
What is carbon monoxide detector?
Testing a carbon monoxide detector is very similar to testing a smoke alarm. Before testing, you’ll want to alert your home security company of the test and place your system on test mode so that the device does not cause a false alarm.
What is a crisis test on an alarm?
Crisis Testing: A crisis test on an alarm is the form of testing that involves actually using smoke materials to make sure that a system is operating correctly in action, rather than checking if the alarm batteries are working.
What is a smoke detector?
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are two of the most important devices attached to an all-encompassing home security system. Both devices are life-saving tools, but to get the most of them, they must be working properly. This is where testing comes in. Testing for both smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is rather simple, ...
How to know if a smoke detector is working?
Once the button is pressed, a few seconds will pass before the test starts, but you’ll know the test in process whenever you begin to hear a loud, piercing siren that comes via the smoke detector .
How long do smoke alarms last?
Most smoke and CO alarms are said to last ten years, but we suggest beginning to look at replacement at the five-to-seven-year mark to see how they are performing. If you purchased an older home and don’t know the age of your smoke and carbon units, replace them entirely.
What does it mean when an alarm is interconnected?
With interconnected alarms, make sure they are all emitting sound together. When testing, include people in other rooms of the house to make sure alarms in every room are working, and to make sure that you can hear alarms from every room. If you fail to hear an audible noise, it means you need to replace the batteries.
How far away should you hold an aerosol from an alarm?
The way to test this is by holding the aerosol can two feet away from the alarm, ensuring that it is parallel to the wall or ceiling. This ensures the test spray is allowed to travel along walls or ceilings so it enters the openings in the perimeter of alarms.
How Often Should You Test a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
Test your carbon monoxide detectors once every month. To make sure you don’t forget, have a specific date when you always carry out the test.
How often should you replace carbon monoxide detector batteries?
If your carbon monoxide detector uses replaceable batteries, replace the batteries every six months. Do not rely on the warning chirp to know when to get new batteries. The detector may malfunction and fail to chirp when batteries get low.
How to test a fire alarm?
Hold the test button to set the detector in test mode. Hold the burning material 15 cm below the detector. Readings of 50ppm will set off the single alarm cycle affirming that the sensor is working.
What does a test button do?
For some, pressing the test button produces a couple of beeps and a quiet diagnostic test for electrical power or battery.
How loud should an alarm be?
The alarm should be loud enough that it can wake you from deep sleep.
Is it safe to check if your carbon monoxide detector is working?
Checking that your carbon monoxide detector is working properly is crucial for your safety. You don’t want to find that the detector was faulty when it’s too late.
How to tell if smoke detector is interconnected?
A stand-alone model will only trigger itself when it detects smoke, while an interconnected model triggers all the alarms in the system if even one smoke detector goes off. If you live in a large house, consider getting an interconnected system so that your whole residence is made aware of a house fire that may be happening on the opposite side of the house.
How does a photoelectric smoke detector work?
Instead of using an electric circuit to trigger the alarm, it uses a continuous laser emitted from a LED to detect smoke.
What are the two types of smoke detectors?
The NFPA states that there are two common types of smoke detectors systems, Ionization and Photoelectric.
What is carbon monoxide detector?
Like smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors come in a variety of mechanisms that detect carbon monoxide levels in the air. System Sensor, a manufacturer of fire protection equipment, lists out the three main types of mechanisms for monitoring carbon monoxide levels.
What causes a smoke detector to trigger?
These ions then traverse between the two plates, and this creates a complete circuit. When smoke enters the detector, the path between the two plates become blocked, which is what causes the alarm to trigger.
How to test smoke detector?
While the specific way to test your detector depends on the manufacturer of your smoke detector, most detectors have an easily accessible test button on the face of the device. Once you press this button, wait a few seconds, and then a loud and piercing sound should emit from the device.
Which type of smoke detector is better for detecting flaming fires?
Each type of smoke detector has its advantages. Ionization-type detectors are better at detecting flaming fires, which are fires that produce a lot of flames and less smoke.
What is Carbon Monoxide?
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless gas that is a common by-product of incomplete combustion. Carbon monoxide is produced when fossil fuels like wood, coal, charcoal, gasoline, kerosene, natural gas, or oil burn. Because of the way that your body reacts to carbon monoxide, it is a deadly gas that must be avoided to prevent poisoning.
Is carbon monoxide heavier than air? What is the diffusion of carbon monoxide in air?
Carbon monoxide is not heavier than air. The diffusion of carbon monoxide in air is relatively even, meaning that a source of carbon monoxide can distribute the gas evenly throughout the room and house. When installing a carbon monoxide alarm, choose a location where the alarm will stay clean, and out of the way of children or pets. See User's Manual for specific installation requirements.
What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning?
If you suspect that you or someone else are experiencing sickness as the result of exposure to carbon monoxide, get to a well-ventilated area immediately and contact emergency services. Symptoms of mild carbon exposure can include: slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, flu-like symptoms. Symptoms of medium carbon monoxide exposure can include: throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast heart rate. Symptoms of high exposure to carbon monoxide can include: convulsions, unconsciousness, and heart & lung failure. Exposure can lead to brain damage and death.
Why is carbon monoxide dangerous? What is the cause of carbon monoxide poisoning?
Carbon monoxide can be extremely dangerous because CO robs your blood of oxygen. When you inhale carbon monoxide, it bonds with the hemoglobin in your blood, displacing life-giving oxygen. This produces a toxic compound in your blood called "Carboxyhemoglobin" (COHb) which is the source of carbon monoxide poisoning. Over time, exposure to CO can make you feel sick or worse, victims exposed to sufficiently high levels of carbon monoxide can suffer brain damage, or even die. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), 1500 people die each year because of carbon monoxide poisoning, and another 10,000 become ill. Carbon monoxide is dangerous since you can't see, smell, or taste the gas. Because you can't sense it, carbon monoxide can poison you before you even know it's there.
What does "Move to Fresh Air" printed on my carbon monoxide alarm mean?
The phrase "Move to Fresh Air" that is printed on the face of newer carbon monoxide alarms is a reminder to move all family members to a well ventilated area with fresh air if the alarm sounds. Please note that this does not mean that you should unplug or move the CO alarm itself. When an alarm sounds, make sure that everyone in the building is evacuated to an area with fresh air.
What should I do when the carbon monoxide alarm sounds?
Silence the alarm. Move everyone immediately to fresh air-outdoors or by an open door or window. Do a head count to check that all persons are accounted for. Call your emergency services, fire department, or 911 and tell them your carbon monoxide alarm has triggered. Do not re-enter the premises or move away from the open door or window until the emergency services responder has arrived, the premises have been aired out , and your carbon monoxide alarm remains in its normal condition.
Why didn't the emergency responder find CO gas after an alarm?
If your carbon monoxide alarm went off, it detected a dangerous level of CO gas. Here are some reasons why a responder may not find CO during an investigation:
What is CO detector?
A Carbon Monoxide ( CO) detector is a home device that can save your life, as it detects CO gas. CO gas is colorless, tasteless and odorless, and a detector is needed to test ppm (parts per million) and alert you to unsafe levels.
How to tell if a ceiling detector is ceiling mounted?
One is labeled "peak level," the other "test." If your detector is ceiling-mounted, it will only have one button.
How long to reset a ceiling mounted smoke detector?
Press and hold the button labeled "test/reset" for 5 seconds if your detector is ceiling-mounted.
How long do carbon monoxide detectors last?
Different types of CO detectors have different shelf lives, but most will only last for five to 10 years. Replace your units every five years to be on the safe side. Choose new carbon monoxide detectors with digital displays.
How to test if a smoke detector is working?
To test that a smoke detector is working, you can light a match and create actual smoke for it to detect. Unfortunately, there's no good way for individuals to verify that a CO detector is functioning well enough to identify carbon monoxide fumes because there's not a safe way to introduce CO fumes into your home as a test. So, when talking about testing your CO detector, it entails making sure the unit is receiving electricity and that its alarm function is working.
What to do if your CO detector goes off?
If your CO detector goes off, never assume it's a false alarm. Get people and pets out of the building and into fresh air. Call 911 if anyone is experiencing symptoms of CO poisoning or call the fire department if everyone feels OK. Don't go back into the building until the fire department has given the all-clear.
How to know if you have CO poisoning?
You can't be too careful, so it's a good idea for everyone to know how to identify the symptoms of CO poisoning. Dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and chest pains are all common signs. People often become unconscious when their CO level becomes dangerously high. If you have pets, you may notice they develop symptoms before any people living in the home do.
How long has Philip Schmidt been a carpenter?
Philip Schmidt has devoted his entire career to home improvement. His experience includes six years as a professional carpenter and remodeler followed by 22+ years as a writer and editor of home content. He is author of 22 books and hundreds of articles (and editor of many more of both) covering topics ranging from everyday home repairs to building treehouses to installing solar power systems.
How do you know if you have high CO levels?
Dizziness, confusion, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting and chest pains are all common signs. People often become unconscious when their CO level becomes dangerously high. If you have pets, you may notice they develop symptoms before any people living in the home do.
Can you replace a carbon monoxide detector battery?
Maintaining Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Many kinds of CO detectors use replaceable batteries. (If you have a 10-year sealed carbon monoxide detector that uses a lithium-ion battery, there's no replaceable battery. Instead, you'll need to buy a new unit when the battery dies.) Even if you use plug-in carbon monoxide detectors ...