Carbon Monoxide detectors/alarm

12/14/2012 - 16:44

(Re Woodburners )Are CO detectors widely available and mandatory as in the UK? I reckon we all should have them. Not seen them locally.

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I have not seem them in Italy either. I have just bought some from an online shop from the UK but they would not send them because their courier was worried as there was a minute piece of radioactive material in them??!! Thats what they told me but apparently this piece makes the CO2 alarm work. In any event they arrive next week!!

yes, these are widely available in italy without problems. it's important to get your electrician to install these kinds of devices properly right places etc .my friend who also has all sorts of burglar/intrusion alarms too has all these confluating to a sort of alarm console might even do it too....

Just as a matter of information, they are CO detectors. CO2 is Carbon DIoxide, a harmless trace atmospheric gas, essential to life on earth. CO is Carbon MONoxide, poisonous to air breathing animals and birds, formed when fuel is burnt with an insufficient air mixture.

CO2 will asphixiate in sufficient concentration - unlikely to  be reached naturally. CO will poison you in surprisingly low concentrations. A CO meter won't detect CO2    - and doesn't need to, since, as I said, it's benign. Since CO2 is heavier than air, then it is possible for it to reach fatal concentrations in mines or below decks in boats, but in domestic circumstances, its totally unlikely. I brought the subject up to illustrate that, far from being a problem, CO2 is essential to life on this planet, and is not a poison. 8o) Neil

CO detectors can be bought in various shops.  AS far as I know, a CO2 detector is called a canary and went out of fashion some time ago, Lidl certainly dont sell them.