Sorry...but yet another query re CO detectors

[LowMan]

Hi There. Apologies for posting yet another question on the subject of CO, but I was hoping someone on here may be able to give me a pointer.

We've just got back from a couple of nights away. Both nights pretty chilly, but happily snugged up in the van with the heater on.

However, last night, we couldn't help but notice that the CO detector we have, appeared to be picking up a very slight reading. It varied between 10ppm and 15ppm. We have one of those digital FireAngel's. It appeared to soon reset itself to zero if we opened all the doors and windows.

The alarm didn't sound. We assumed this was probably because the levels had not reached anything like the levels needed, but it did make us wonder if, when using the heater continuously through the night, a low level build up of CO is inevitable.

We did wonder if the alarm itself maybe faulty, but it is only a couple of years old.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences or thoughts? Thanks in advance.

 

[andyinluton]

A typical house with no gas appliances would have a background level of 0.5 - 5 PPM take a measurement near a well adjusted domestic gas hob & it will be more like 15PPM so I wouldn't be worried at the levels you are picking up but maybe try & increase the ventilation slightly - did you have the roof up ? any sort of topper on?



A quick google produced the following:

CO concentration (parts per million): Symptoms

• 50: No adverse effects with 8 hours of exposure.
• 200: Mild headache after 2-3 hours of exposure.
• 400: Headache and nausea after 1-2 hours of exposure.
• 800: Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 45 minutes; collapse and loss of consciousness after 1 hour of exposure.
• 1,000: Loss of consciousness after 1 hour of exposure.
• 1,600: Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 20 minutes of exposure.
• 3,200: Headache, nausea, and dizziness after 5-10 minutes; collapse and loss of consciousness after 30 minutes of exposure.
• 6,400: Headache and dizziness after 1-2 minutes; loss of consciousness and danger of death after 10-15 minutes of exposure.
• 12,800: Immediate physiological effects, loss of consciousness and danger of death after 1-3 minutes of exposure

 

[LowMan]

Thanks Andy.

We did have the roof up and we did have a topper in place. We also had the side windows open very slightly.

The manual for our detector gave us similar details regarding levels to be aware of to those you've listed, hence we weren't unduly worried. But we were curious, especially as we'd never observed such readings before.

 

[B J G]

Just a thought and no more

Possibly due to the cold and heavier air outside the lighter & warm air inside doesn't ventilate so freely as in warmer conditions. This causing a delayed vent and build up of CO2 level, nothing serious.

Caravans & Motorhomes have floor vents, does the Cali. ? If there is one under the cooker perhaps leaving a cupboard door open would assist ventilation. Haven't got mine yet so just speculating.

 

[GrannyJen]

I would suspect that there will always be some background. As Andy said, those levels are innocuous enough. All I worry about are levels likely to earn my lawyers a new fee by acting as my executors and the alarm will wake me up long before that event gets likely. Presumably you have a test button that ensures battery power is adequate?

 

[LowMan]

Thanks Jen. Yeah batteries seem ok. Like you say, probably nothing to be concerned about. We were just curious as we've never seen it rise above 0 ppm before.

 

[aileron346]

I'm sure levels of CO2 (from exhalation) don't affect CO detectors. I just wonder if, in very still conditions, the heater exhaust fumes can enter the van simply because they are not being blown away underneath the van. That plus the bits you get from cooking? In such a small space, the detector seems a good idea though we are repeatedly advised that the heater is safe. It does seem to me that the smell of the heater outside the van seems remarkably similar to the smell of the heater sometimes inside.


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[WelshGas]

https://www.eberspacher.com/product...ating_pdf_ebuk/motorhome_heating_uk_22374.pdf

Page 15.

 

[GrannyJen]

The last device on my Cali that I would worry about is the heater.

The eberspacher I would trust all night long. The gas burners on the cooker not even two minutes in a confined situation. CO is produced by inadequate combustion. Trust the CO detector. Keep warm. Why do anything else? It's stupid not to, the heater is efficient, economical, a lifesaver in extreme conditions and totally safe given a CO detector also being present.

 

[LowMan]

Thanks all for the replies. Don't worry. Certainly have no plans of using the van overnight without the heater at the moment....it's freezing out there

Just hoping that this thread may provide a little reassurance to anyone else who'd encountered something similar i.e. that all is well.

Thanks again and best wishes for the New Year

 

[Zebedee]

We dropped in on relatives in Devon for a couple of days after Christmas. For some reason they are not keen on the dog so doggy and I bedded down for 2 nights in the Cali on their drive. I had the heater ticking over on 1 even though it was definitely below zero outside and got too hot. We have never had a co2 issue and have slept in Zebedee 12 months of the year for 3 years now. Nasty 8 hour drive back in the fog yesterday wasn't too much fun.

 

[525107]

There appears to be a wee bit of confusion on this thread re Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Carbon Dioxide (CO2), for clarity this is a good read:

http://www.co2meter.com/blogs/news/1209952-co-and-co2-what-s-the-difference.

Happy Hogmanay

Wullie


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