Optimal Carbon Monoxide Monitoring Setup for Home

[Mike272]

Hey Ethan,

Just joined the forum recently and wanted to say thanks for creating such a helpful space to discuss all this stuff! I actually just posted in another thread about air purifiers, but I’m also wondering about CO monitoring and figured I’d start a seperate discussion.

I’ve been reading through some of the existing threads on this topic

Low level carbon monoxide monitoring and Best carbon monoxide co detector, Expert recommendations to choose and they’ve been really informative, but I still have some questions about the optimal setup for a home.

As I mentioned, I live in a 1960s ranch house with a gas furnace, gas water heater and gas stove, the usual suspects. The house is around 1200 square feet total. Right now I just have a single CO detector in the hallway (I don’t even know the model as it came with the house), but I’m wondering if I should be doing more.

What I want to know is how many CO monitors are actually recommended for a house this size? And are those low-level CO monitors worth getting in addition to the standard detectors? Based on what I read in the other thread, it sounds like they add an extra level of safety.

This is partially just for general safety since we have all the gas appliances, but also because we get hit with wildfire smoke pretty regularly here and I’ve heard that can sometimes bring CO levels up too. During those orange sky days last year, I was mostly worried about the particulates, but now I’m wondering if I should of been monitoring CO as well.

Would love to hear what setups people are using and whether the low-level monitors are worth the extra cost.

[Ethan]

Hi @Mike272,

I just answered your question in the other thread. Hopefully it’s helpful! I see this one as a two-part question:

1. What’s the optimal (certified) carbon monoxide alarm setup?
2. Are low-level CO alarms useful/worth having?

I’ll address no.1 first, as I believe it’s more important. Please note that these findings are only from my research, and I am by no means an expert here.

When it comes to CO monitoring, the EPA recommends one CO monitor per floor (see here: Where should I place a carbon monoxide detector? | US EPA). They also state that if there is only a single monitor in your home, it should be near the sleeping areas.

Other sources, like the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service recommend one alarm in every room where there is a carbon-fueled appliance (gas heater/stove, fire, boiler, etc). To lean on the side of safety, I think this is a much better approach. You could even go further if you wanted, and add a device in every room where there is a carbon-fueled appliance or where someone sleeps.

Based on the information from these organisations, it seems like the bare minimum should be a monitor near sleeping areas (such as a hallway that bedrooms are accessible from). Stepping up from this, one monitor in every room where there is a carbon-fueled appliance is far more thorough. For the safest approach, you might want to consider one monitor per sleeping area and one per room with a carbon-fueled appliance.

These are the emergency monitors, and they should be certified. You can learn more in this thread:

Best carbon monoxide co detector, Expert recommendations to choose

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: Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector https://www.amazon.com/Nighthawk-Monoxide-Explosive-Model-KN-COEG-3/dp/B0002EVNJ6 First Alert CO615 Dual-Power Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Detector https://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-CO615-Dual-Power-Mono…

Basically, you will want to ensure these carbon monoxide monitors are UL2034 certified. With that said, these monitors are only the emergency monitors, and they aren’t very sensitive. This is where the second question becomes important - are low-level CO detectors worth having?

@Mike272

are those low-level CO monitors worth getting in addition to the standard detectors?

You pretty much said it yourself that they are an extra level of safety. If you have a lot of gas-powered appliances (as you mentioned you do), I think having at least one low-level carbon monoxide detector in your home would be a good call. Ideally, this could be placed somewhere near your sleeping areas. If you don’t mind spending a bit more, a couple of these devices could also be worth having (perhaps one in the kitchen/living area, and one near the bedrooms). These devices do tend to be quite a bit more expensive than the UL2034 devices, unfortunately.

Personally, at my home, we have two emergency alarms (one in the hallway from which the bedrooms all branch off) and one in the living area. Our house doesn’t have gas appliances, however, and the only potential CO source in the house is a fireplace in the living room. On top of this, I have a single low-level carbon monoxide alarm in the living room. I would love to add more low-level alarms, but as mentioned, they can be a bit costly.