i researched the best carbon monoxide (CO) detector for home safety i read reviews from trusted sources like consumer reports, newyork times, and safety agencies like the National Fire Protection Association, two models consistently came up as top recommendations:
However i am having trouble deciding which would best suit my needs. I want something accurate and easy to use. The idea of multi-gas detection sounds great for added peace of mind but is it overkill? I live in a gas-heated apartment and mainly want solid CO protection.
Would you recommend going for the all-in-one gas detector like the Kidde or sticking with a dedicated CO detector like the First Alert? Any personal experience or expert tips would be much appreciated.
This is a great question and something that I think many people are wondering. I’m not an expert with CO detectors, but I can weigh in with my findings and thoughts.
One thing I think is very important with CO detectors (above other gas detectors) is that they are certified. CO is a potentially lethal gas, and I would only ever opt for something that is certified and, therefore, can be trusted. In the case of the U.S. and Canada, it’s important to look for UL-certified (UL 2034) detectors. In the EU, you want to look for EN 50291.
It seems that both of the monitors you’ve mentioned are UL-listed.
I also had a look through both websites and spec sheets (which I would trust a lot more than Amazon listings), and these look to confirm that both are UL-listed.
To answer this, I actually quite like the idea of the two-in-one monitor. Overlooking other features, I think having an explosive gas sensor (methane, propane, etc) would be a nice added peace-of-mind feature. With that said, the Kidde device in question looks to have quite bad reviews. Also, while the device is UL-listed, I can’t find an answer as to whether this only applies to the CO sensor and features or also the explosive gas sensor and features.
For this reason, I would probably go for a dedicated CO device and look for a separate (and certified) explosive gas device if that is something that you want.
As per the product manual, it conforms to UL 2034 (CO) AND UL 1484 (for Residential Gas Detectors). Perhaps I missed this for the Kidde device, but I would probably opt for something like this instead, as it’s clearly been tested for both and appears to have quite good reviews as well.
I’ve just joined the forum to respond to this question. I was frequently traveling and needed a portable CO monitor to exist safely around various type of gas kitchen appliances and heaters (often unflued - Australia I’m looking at you). Settled on this brand. Great battery life, features, and sensor life: Buy Portable CO Detectors & Gas Detectors Online | Sensorcon
Great question! I joined this forum after researching CO detectors extensively following a generator scare last year.
Both your options are solid, but I discovered something important - most standard detectors (including those models) don’t alarm until 70+ ppm, which can take hours. That’s pretty late for safety.
I ended up with Forensics Detectors low-level CO detector that alarms at 25 ppm in just 1 minute. Much faster warning before CO builds to dangerous levels. Since you’re in a gas-heated apartment, this quicker response could be really valuable.
Thanks for the suggestion @DavidWilson! These look to be quite interesting devices and I will read more on them. From first glance, they look to be more portable detectors than alarms, but I imagine these could come in handy in many situations.
@bryonycannon, this one looks interesting but I want to mention the lack of UL compliance. With that said, these kinds of ‘low level’ CO monitors shouldn’t be used as a replacement for a certified CO alarm and rather act as an early warning system. I think both absolutely have their place (and I use both a ‘low level’ monitor and an alarm), but I want to emphasise that monitors like this should not replace certified CO alarms.
Low level units are NOT UL2034 because they dont follow the UL2034 alarm algorithm, which is first alarm at 70ppm at 60 minutes. Low level units typically are more sensitive and faster to alarm than UL2034 algorithms and hence, for those that want to compliment their existing UL2034, one should seriously consider it. For example, Forensics Detectors low level alarms follow alarming at 25 ppm at 60 seconds. Much faster than UL2034, and useful for elderly, young, families and those that want earlier warning.
Also please note, UL2034 does even alarm at OSHA exposure limits. So please send the message that UL2034 is not end all be all when it comes to CO detection and early warning.
Here is a image of a typical disclaimer people often miss when purchasing a UL2034 CO detector.
near head level when working in a kitchen, to hang from a luggage strap when traveling in old buses, and so on.
From experience there are often multiple sources of CO in homes. For example the cooktop and the space heater are often used at the same time. Long term low level exposure can result in significant fatigue and headache that linger long after getting into clear air. A few hyperbaric sessions could unwind the damage - made a big difference to me on two occasions.
Sorry, I should have been a bit clearer on my stance here.
I agree entirely that UL2034 is not the be all and end all when it comes to CO detection and I think the thresholds set by the standard actually leave a lot to be desired. However, UL2034 also has many other requirements that ensure that alarms can be trusted (such as end of life signaling, durability testing, audible alarm patterns/timing, etc). Non-UL2034 devices do not need to meet these criteria, and many low-concentration devices don’t have all of these features - many of which are very important. Therefore, as I mentioned in my previous post, I think low-concentration CO monitors are useful, but they should not replace UL2034 devices. Rather, they complement each other.
I did a bad job of explaining this so I apologise for any confusion I caused. I totally agree with you that low-level CO monitors are useful and that people should have them if they’re worried about CO. However, since they don’t need to meet the other requirements set out by UL2034, they shouldn’t replace higher-concentration emergency alarms.
