Carbon monoxide is an invisible and odorless gas that can only be detected by a soot sensor. Excess carbon monoxide is dangerous to health and, in worse cases, life-threatening. To prevent all this, a carbon monoxide sensor should be installed in homes.
From 1 January 2022, a soot sensor is mandatory in all solid fuel households, be it a stove, oven, fireplace or sauna heater.
Don't forget that in addition to your daily living, you should also inspect your country house and cottage.
Be sure to inform your neighbors and parents about this as well and help them install it.
Why is it necessary speed sensor?
Carbon monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of the fuel due to poor access of air to the combustion zone. Carbon monoxide detectors respond to carbon monoxide levels in the air and are required in rooms with stoves or fireplaces. Toxic carbon monoxide can enter the room if the damper is closed too early.
The sensors give an alarm if the carbon monoxide concentration in the room has been above 30 ppm for two minutes, or if the carbon monoxide concentration is 200 ppm or more. The alarm ends when the carbon monoxide concentration drops below 30 ppm.
How does carbon monoxide affect people?
Toxic carbon monoxide causes a person headaches, nausea, vomiting and fatigue.
In more severe cases, there is a severe headache, drowsiness, high heart rate and seizures.
With very high carbon monoxide, loss of consciousness may occur, breathing stops and the heart stops beating.
Some carbon monoxide sensors show more precisely the amount of carbon monoxide in the air:
- 20 ppm - Maximum concentration in the air allowed within 8 hours
- 200ppm- staying in the environment for 2-3 hours, there is a slight headache and fatigue. Staying longer is life-threatening.
- 400ppm- severe headache and fatigue after 1-2 hours in the environment. Dangerous from 3 hours
- Dizziness, nausea and convulsions occur in the environment for 800 minutes. Death occurs within 45 hour.
Which soot sensor to choose?
Before you buy a carbon monoxide sensor, think about what kind of room you want to put it in.If you want to put a soot sensor in the bathroom, you must have at least IP 44 (the IP 44 mark indicates whether the product is splash-proof and moisture-proof and how much it protects the appliance).
You can also choose screen and without screen sensors.
The advantage of a soot sensor with a screen is the possibility to see how high the soot gas concentration is at the moment.
There are also sensors with different power systems (battery or accumulator).
Battery charger the lifespan is shorter and the battery-powered sensor lasts longer.
In both cases, the operation of the soot sensor should be checked once a month.
Also make sure that the following information is marked on the sensor:
- CE marking - this marking is a guarantee given by the manufacturer or importer that the product meets all the essential health and safety requirements
- manufacturer's details
- the type of gas detected, together with the name and model of the device
- standard number, type of apparatus (A or B)
- serial number (or date of manufacture)
- rated voltage / frequency / power (if mains supply)
- battery type (if battery powered)
- recommended maximum device life
- Warning "Read the instructions carefully before installation and use"
Where to install a soot sensor?
The most suitable place for a carbon monoxide sensor depends on several factors: the heating stove, the layout of the rooms, the location of the ventilation systems, etc.
The carbon monoxide sensor is intended for use in one room, as the device only shows the CO level at the sensor. If carbon monoxide can be generated in other rooms, sensors should also be installed there.
In addition to gas-fired dwellings, a carbon monoxide sensor should be installed in other dwellings with heating stoves (eg stoves, stoves, fireplaces) as they may emit carbon monoxide during combustion.
Experienced specialists recommend installing the sensor at the so-called breathing height, ie at the level in the living room where the person's face is sitting on the sofa, in the bedroom at about the height of the pillow.
Be sure to follow the installation instructions that came with the soot sensor.
Where a carbon monoxide sensor should not be installed:
- Next to the sink or stove
- Behind curtains or furniture
- where the temperature drops below 10° C or more than 40° C
- where the sensor may be damaged
- where it is dusty
- out of the building
- cabinet or drawer
An incorrectly installed soot sensor can cause false alarms or malfunction if there is a real danger.
If you don't know exactly where you could install your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector then The Rescue Board conducts free counseling in homes to make the home fireproof. Call 1247 and arrange a time for counseling. Find out more from here.
How to test the soot sensor?
The condition of the soot sensor must be tested once a month by pressing the test button. A beep confirms that the device is working.
The soot sensor should be cleaned of dust regularly, using a damp cloth.
The battery-operated sensor alerts you when the battery is low with a regular intermittent beep or information on the display. In this case, the battery should be replaced as soon as possible.
Battery-operated soot sensors have an operating time of 7 years or 10 years. After that, the device should be replaced with a new one.
Remember that the soot sensor is not a replacement smoke detector and not the other way around!
Whether or not the corresponding sensor is mandatory in dwellings, keep in mind that the sensors do not play a role in the ceiling or on the wall, but in front of the authorities.
These sensors are designed to protect you and your family, your property and your health.