carbonmonoxide testers

[loribear]

good evening everyone, hope your all well & taking your echinacea i just wanted to ask a little question , i was emptying my suitcase making room for the chrissy presents, & found a carbonmonoxide tester, it's one of those small stick on types, i always take one on holiday just in case, but have never seen them change colour, i'm glad to say, but was wondering what you thought about them ? do you think they really work or do you think the battery ones are better,& do any of you actually take these on board with you ? lori

[diesel falcon]

Chuck it there age reliant, buy a battery one , and only put the battery in when you need to,

[ExUserGone]

I have a battery one on Leo just below berth level (co is heavier than air), only changed the batteries once in 5 years so don't worry about taking them out to extend life, they beep when the batteries get low and it's always quite comforting to see the occaisional led flash in the cabin at night to tell you it's alive.

Just had a day off work with nasty flu like symptoms but I'm fairly sure it's just a slight cold with a big dose of co from work after an exhaust leak on our testbed so yes it can happen and does happen, I'm lowering the co detector at work on monday....

[diesel falcon]

I have a battery one on Leo just below berth level (co is heavier than air), only changed the batteries once in 5 years so don't worry about taking them out to extend life, they beep when the batteries get low and it's always quite comforting to see the occaisional led flash in the cabin at night to tell you it's alive.

Just had a day off work with nasty flu like symptoms but I'm fairly sure it's just a slight cold with a big dose of co from work after an exhaust leak on our testbed so yes it can happen and does happen, I'm lowering the co detector at work on monday....

Hi, below berth level is not really the right place, co is heavier than air? well nearly, we have to give advise on co detectors as i am a combustion engineer, we advise to place co detectors at the height of a standing adult nostral, in a boat half way up the cabin wall would be good, here,s the science, and if you think about it ,co can mirgrate around an enclosed space dependent on temperature,ventilation , ect.

Look at the main consituents of air:

1. Nitrogen (N2) has a molecular weight of 28 (14x2)

2. Oxygen (O2) has a molecular weight of 32 (16x2)

3. Water (H2O) has a molecular weight of 18 (2x1 + 16)

4. Carbon dioxide(CO2)has a molecular weight of 44 (12 + 2x32)

Carbon Monoxide(CO)has a molecular weight of 28 (12+16)

So compared to the main constituents CO is lighter than O2 and CO2 and heavier than H2O. It is the same as N2. Since however, the nitrogen is equal and makes up almost 80% of the air, CO basically stays where you release it. If you had a CO gun, it would really go where you point it.

Now since the O2 is heavier than CO and the second largest % in air, the CO will spread up as compared to the O2. My guess is that this takes a long period of time, without outside forces. So in a closed situation, with enough time, and no other air movement, the CO will drift up, not to all be at the top, just slightly more of it. Same with O2, since more will be low, in a fire that is the place to be (also the smoke goes up also).

Take CO2 for example. It is the heaviest of them all, but in a regular room, it would be almost impossible to find more CO2 on the floor, than on the ceiling. There is just too much air movement that keeps things mixed up.

Now take CO coming off a poorly ventillated wood stove. That CO is lighter than O2 by weight, but remember, it is also hot compared to the N2 in the room. Hot gas is always lighter than cold, so CO in this case would be lighter than the N2, so it would go up due to the temperature difference.

By the same token, if you released cold CO, it would go down.

Not a simple answer, but if you only had the choice of up or down, the CO is lighter than O2, and the same as N2, so it would go up. If you throw other variables such as temperature in, you can get different answers.

[Hylander]

Thank goodness for that Diesel Falcon as ours is head height. Was just going to tell other half may be it ought to be lower but will leave well alone then.

[ExUserGone]

for that, may go for a change of position then.

[pks1702]

Nice one DF

[littlesprite]

Having just fitted a new one on little sprite I can confirm that the fitting instructions recommend fitting at eye level,

[loribear]

hi diesel falcon , thanks for info, in future i'll be taking a battery operated one on my hols, we have got two of them at home, but they were low down, so ive just moved them, i just don't understand why the hire companies don't fit them on all their boats just to be on the safe side, especially with having gas cookers & fridges, lori

[ranworthbreeze]

Hi Lori,

That sounds a very good plan, we fitted on in our galley at the start of the season and would not be without one.

I agree with you that it would be a good idea for the hire companies to adopt them on their boats.

I wish we had been on the boat today instead of travelling back from Norfolk.

Regards

Alan

[Hockham Admiral]

I am quite amazed that H&S haven't insisted that they're fitted to hire boats!

[teadaemon]

When doing a survey, I always recommend CO detectors and smoke alarms if they're not fitted, and if they are fitted, I give the test button a quick press (and recommend that if you have one you do the same every time you go to the boat - they're no use if the battery has died).

They're not required for the BSS, even in the 2013 requirements, and neither are they required under the Hire Boat Code. Perhaps they should be, but on the other hand, I can't think of the last CO incident on a hire boat (although there's normally a few a year on private boats). Compared to times past, there are far fewer gas appliances on hire boats (or indeed boats in general) - gas fridges aren't anything like as common as they were, same goes for catalytic heaters or gas water heaters. Now often the only gas appliance on board is the cooker, and these tend to be used when people are awake and able to spot the signs of CO poisoning (or indeed a bad flame pattern).

[Matt]

Lots of good info on the link

http://staysafe.boatsafetyscheme.com/media/180329/co%20safety%20on%20boats%20final%20(web)%20june%202012.pdf

[ranworthbreeze]

Hello Matt,

Good advice as always, the site gives common sence advice.

I am sure your boat is protected like ours and I would advise hirers to take one onboard when they hire from all companies.

It may be a good idea also to ask the member of the hire company to advice where the best place would be to locate one (no advice needed ) In time who knows maybe all boats will have them or automatic ventilation when cooking!

Regards

Alan

[Matt]

CO and fire alarms are going in soon......