# You do have a carbon monoxide detector, right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 9, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790 "2007-11-09T15:50:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/1 "2007-11-09T15:50:43Z")
And it has good batteries in it? I bugged and bugged and bugged my parents into getting one a few months ago, and they finally did. Yesterday it went off. It was something with the furnace, and if they hadn’t had a detector or if it didn’t have batteries in it they might not have woken up this morning. (If there is a “known issue” with a kind of furnace, and the “known issue” is “sometimes it blows death”, isn’t that cause for a recall?) According to Wikipedia, carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in the US. In many industrialized countries, CO may be the cause of more than half of fatal poisonings. If you don’t have a detector, get one. If you do have one, check the batteries. If you need it, you won’t see it coming. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/2 "2007-11-09T15:53:04Z")
If my house is all electric (heatpump, stove, waterheater; I don’t even have a gas meter), do I need a CO detector? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/3 "2007-11-09T16:00:36Z")
I have one, but I always wonder (since it has never gone off) if there is a way to test it? You would think someone would market a little can of compressed CO to test CO detectors. ETA: hey, **Zsofia** , your parents are lucky to have you! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/4 "2007-11-09T16:07:59Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] If my house is all electric (heatpump, stove, waterheater; I don’t even have a gas meter), do I need a CO detector? [/QUOTE] Got a garage? How about other heaters, propane camping stuff, etc? They’re not expensive, it’s like really cheap insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/5 "2007-11-09T16:09:31Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] I have one, but I always wonder (since it has never gone off) if there is a way to test it? You would think someone would market a little can of compressed CO to test CO detectors. ETA: hey, **Zsofia** , your parents are lucky to have you! [/QUOTE] Evidently there should be SOME CO around a properly working gas stove, according to Wikipedia - 5 to 15 parts per million. Wonder if that would set it off? Or 7,000 in undiluted car exhaust. That sounds like your best bet. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/6 "2007-11-09T16:11:56Z")
I had a problem a couple of years ago where I just felt tired all the time. I went to the doc, who wanted to send me for a sleep study. I told the doc if you do a sleep study, you’re going to find that I don’t sleep well, and I haven’t slept well for 40 years. That’s not the problem. There’s something else going on here. The doc told me there’s a set of procedures they have to go through, and sleep study was first on the list. So, not happy about it, I scheduled it anyway. A few days later, the furnace guys come in for their yearly maintenance, and they tell me that the furnace exhaust vent has a hole in it, and asked if they should fix it. I was like well duh, yeah. Fix it. Within 24 hours, all of my fatigue problems went away. I called up two days later and canceled the sleep study and told the doc what happened. A leaky furnace isn’t necessarily a death sentence. Still, I went out that day and bought a CO sensor. It’s electric, so I don’t need to worry about whether or not the batteries are good in it. Most CO detectors have a test button which you can press to test it. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/7 "2007-11-09T16:13:17Z")
I thought it was more than just a good idea. I thought it was the law. Fight my ignorance? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/8 "2007-11-09T16:14:29Z")
[QUOTE=engineer\_comp\_geek] Most CO detectors have a test button which you can press to test it. [/QUOTE] I believe that is only a test of the sound generating mechanism, right? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/9 "2007-11-09T16:19:08Z")
From: [http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/466.html](http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/466.html) > [@](#): > > # How should a consumer test a CO detector/alarm to make sure it is working? > > ``` > Consumers should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Using a test button, some detectors/alarms test whether the circuitry as well as the sensor which senses CO is working, while the test button on other detectors only tests whether the circuitry is working. For those units which test the circuitry only, some manufacturers sell separate test kits to help the consumer test the CO sensor inside the alarm. > > ``` and > [@](#): > > # Do some cities require that CO detectors/alarms be installed? > > On September 15, 1993, Chicago, Illinois became one of the first cities in the nation to adopt an ordinance requiring, effective October 1, 1994, the installation of CO detectors/alarms in all new single-family homes and in existing single-family residences that have new oil or gas furnaces. Several other cities also require CO detectors/alarms in apartment buildings and single-family dwellings. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/10 "2007-11-09T16:19:18Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] I believe that is only a test of the sound generating mechanism, right? [/QUOTE] AFAIK, yes. It’s like a smoke detector, which you should test with a recently snuffed match. But like others have said, there isn’t an easy accessible source of CO. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/11 "2007-11-09T16:19:45Z")
My CO detector is an AC one and I test it about twice a year. I should probably pick up a new one as this one must be ten years old now. Anyone know how long they are good for? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/12 "2007-11-09T16:24:50Z")
Ah, thanks, **vetbridge**. It’s a city thing, not a federal thing. I have one in my apartment. The local gubmint says I have to. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/13 "2007-11-09T16:29:24Z")
There’s one nest to my bed. It came with the apartment, and is plugged into the wall. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/14 "2007-11-09T16:35:22Z")
OK, I’m an idiot, but maybe you could test it by breathing on it really heavily? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/15 "2007-11-09T16:37:16Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] OK, I’m an idiot, but maybe you could test it by breathing on it really heavily? [/QUOTE] I don’t think our exhaled breath produces enough CO, we mainly expel CO[sub]2[/sub]. Here we go: [From Wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breath#Composition_of_air): > [@](#): > > The air we inhale is roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.96% argon and 0.04% carbon dioxide, helium, water, and other gases. (% by volume) > > The permanent gases in air we exhale are roughly 78% nitrogen, 15% to 18% oxygen, 4% to 5% carbon dioxide and 0.96% argon (% by volume). Additionally vapors and trace gases are present: 5% water vapor, **several parts per million (ppm) of hydrogen and carbon monoxide**, 1 part per million (ppm) of ammonia and less than 1 ppm of acetone, methanol, ethanol and other volatile organic compounds. > > Not all of the oxygen breathed in is replaced by carbon dioxide; around 16% of what we breathe out is still oxygen. The exact amount of exhaled oxygen and carbon dioxide varies according to the fitness, energy expenditure and diet of that particular person. Also our reliance on this relatively small amount of oxygen can cause overactivity or euphoria in pure or oxygen rich environments. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/16 "2007-11-09T16:38:04Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] OK, I’m an idiot, but maybe you could test it by breathing on it really heavily? [/QUOTE] The danger is CO, not CO2: Electric Boogaloo. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/17 "2007-11-09T16:38:57Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] My CO detector is an AC one and I test it about twice a year. I should probably pick up a new one as this one must be ten years old now. Anyone know how long they are good for? [/QUOTE] Interestingly, Wikipedia says “Common modern (2007) battery-powered models have a limited life (of about seven years), and are designed to signal a need to be replaced after that timespan.” Has yours been beeping lately? ETA - never mind, yours is AC. Nothing about that on Wiki, but I’m leaving this so others notice. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/18 "2007-11-09T16:40:59Z")
[QUOTE=An Arky] OK, I’m an idiot, but maybe you could test it by breathing on it really heavily? [/QUOTE] Maybe I’m and idiot also but don’t we exhale carbon **di** oxide, not carbon **mon** oxide? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/19 "2007-11-09T16:42:53Z")
A followup on the CO in breath: What PPM the detectors detect: The alarm points on carbon monoxide detectors are not a simple alarm level as in smoke detectors but are a concentration-time function. At lower concentrations (eg 100 parts per million) the detector will not sound an alarm for many tens of minutes. At 400 parts per million (PPM), the alarm will sound within a few minutes. So breath will not do the job at all. Jim ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790/20 "2007-11-12T16:44:24Z")
:smack: :smack: :smack: I really do know the difference between CO and CO2, and that we exhale CO2. I really don’t know why in heck I asked that. Big ass brain fart on my part; maybe I need a methane detector, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-do-have-a-carbon-monoxide-detector-right/425790.md?page=2)