#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm how to
#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm full
#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm pro
#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm professional

Why should I be concerned?ДЄccording to the NHS, 25 people die every year in the UK from accidental CO poisoning. Worse, you might not even wake up at all. To give you some idea of how dangerous higher levels of concentration can be, 1,500ppm could result in death within an hour and 6,000ppm within 15 minutes.ДЄll of these concentrations are bad enough when youвЂ™re awake and realise that something isnвЂ™t quite right вЂ“ especially if others are feeling a similar effect вЂ“ but if youвЂ™re asleep, you may wake up with a severe headache and nausea and be incapable of even crawling for fresh air. It depends on the length of exposure, but the real danger level starts at around 400ppm (two to three hours of exposure at this level can be life-threatening). Most people will not experience any symptoms from prolonged exposure to CO levels of under, say, 40ppm. READ NEXT: The best wireless alarm systems to buy What levels of CO are considered dangerous? ItвЂ™s also worth noting that the test button on these devices doesnвЂ™t actually test the sensor вЂ“ it only makes sure that the circuitвЂ™s working. Tests in the US have shown that alarms over eight years old can fail to detect CO at levels of above 400ppm. Generally speaking, itвЂ™s worth playing it safe and replacing your alarm a year or two before its life is supposed to run out.

#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm full

For example, an alarm will sound after three and a half hours of continuous exposure at a level of 50ppm, yet will sound after eight minutes of continuous exposure at a level of 400ppm.вЂќД¬arbon monoxide sensors have a finite lifespan of between five and seven years, although a few manufacturers now claim that their sensors will last a full ten years. An alarmвЂ™s response time will vary depending on the level of carbon monoxide in the air. вЂњFor a person to begin feeling the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, they would need to be exposed to a carbon monoxide level of 50 parts per million (ppm) for eight hours. According to respected CO alarm manufacturer Kidde, вЂњa carbon monoxide detector is a time-weighted alarm that measures the buildup of carbon monoxide in a house. The health effects of CO depend on the concentration and length of exposure (carbon monoxide concentration is measured in parts per million). CO is so odourless that even dogs canвЂ™t detect it. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include a flu-like headache, dizziness and nausea followed by tiredness, confusion, breathlessness, weakness, loss of muscular coordination and вЂ“ dare I mention it вЂ“ death. Once it enters your bloodstream, it invades the red blood cells (haemoglobin), preventing them from carrying oxygen around the body.

#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm how to

How to choose the best carbon monoxide alarm for you What is carbon monoxide poisoning?Д¬arbon monoxide is known as the silent killer because you canвЂ™t smell it, taste it or see it.

Best budget-priced combined CO and smoke alarm: First Alert SCO5.

#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm pro

Best Wi-Fi-connected safety system: FireAngel Pro Connected FP1820-W2-R.

Best combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarm: X-Sense SC01.

Best all-in-one, app-connected CO and smoke detector: Nest Protect.

Read on for the lowdown and stay safe, people, stay safe.

#Kidde smoke and carbon monoxide alarm professional

WeвЂ™ve also scoured the web for both professional and user reviews to back up our results. WeвЂ™ve called in a selection of CO alarms from top-name brands and put them to the test using the simple but effective вЂњincense in a plastic bagвЂќ method.

Ensure you opt for a reputable brand such as FireAngel, First Alert, Kidde, Nest or Lifesaver. Be aware, though, that not all CO detectors are sensitive enough and some no-name brands are downright useless вЂ“ and, therefore, dangerous. Thankfully, there's an early-warning solution in the form of a carbon monoxide alarm that costs only a few pounds more than a smoke alarm. Like an invisible ghost in a horror movie, it enters a room, slowly sapping the life out of its occupants without anyone realising. Sadly, this writer has been on the receiving end of this silent killer вЂ“ I lost a sister-in-law and her three dogs вЂ“ so IвЂ™m doubly mindful of just how horrendously dangerous it can be. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced during incomplete combustion of fuels, usually because of a faulty appliance such as a gas boiler, gas-powered fireplace, gas cooker, wood burner or blocked coal fire flue. If a fire breaks out while youвЂ™re asleep, the smoke it emits will set off the alarm, hopefully giving you time to get out before being asphyxiated by the fireвЂ™s deadly concoction of chemical gases.Д«ut thereвЂ™s another gas that is possibly even more deadly because you canвЂ™t see it, smell it or taste it.

Everyone knows how important it is to have a smoke alarm in the home.