CO Detectors.... Fickle or Fact ?

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marilynch

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I was just about to settle down for the night in the forepeak of my snapdragon 747 but abandoned my boat (in the marina) at 12.30 am because I noticed the CO detector card I had mounted there had changed colour warning that CO levels were high.

I did not see it change colour,but, did not want to take any chances even though I thought this may have been triggered on a previous trip when the engine was running, or triggered when I last used the cooker because nothing was being or had been used on the boat as I had been away from her for 5 days, the bilges are encapsulated and only accessed via the engine bay.

Apart from checking the engine exhaust does anyone have any ideas on what may have caused it?

Are these type of cards ultra sensitive?
Information on the back warns of not mounting it near;
-halogens (dont have any on board),
-ammoniac and nitrous gases,
-chlorine (well... my jacuzi is on my other boat he he),
-solvents (did head lining in february so too much time has lapsed?),
-sewer gas (Today I replaced sanitising cartridge on my jabsco which had run out of gel and now had not very nice stuff creating an odour in the bottom ),
- cat litter (no ships cat and dont use it for oil spillages),
-babies nappies (yuk)
- and... diesel engines....hmmm? my card was mounted approx 4.5 meters from engine housing.

Many theories , any ideas?
Thanks
p.s I have used the cooker this evening and no change in a new card.
 
I'd completely echo Pete's comment. Corgi no longer endorse the spot detectors. They are sensitive to all sorts of chemicals and we find people still using them after five years ( proper life span 4 months or so). They are next to useless, and give a false sense of security.

Get a battery one..about £20 and with a five year life or so. Well worth having IMHO

Tim
 
The ones I have are valid for three months which I was using as a stop gap until I got a battery one but I didn't realise they were so cheap, (me thinks I got confused with the price of gas detectors) I will get one asap.
I hope they are not as sensitive as the spot cards as could make for very musical evenings!..lols
 
I would suggest that you mount them where you can get at them easily in order to remove them from the saloon when cooking. Ours are so sensitive they go off almost as soon as you take the bacon out of the fridge.

Others have suggested using shower caps while cooking !! ( I think they mean over the detectors not the chefs head

Have fun
 
I only have an 'ickle' yacht so they will always be close to hand..lols, so I may have to try shower cap cooking! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

thanks all
(even those who think they are funny /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)
 
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