Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't want
to buy anything.

--

DerbyBorn

On Friday 01 November 2013 17:07 DerbyBorn wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't want
to buy anything.


Cigarettes produce a certain amount of CO - but I'm not sure the
particulates in the smoke do CO detectors much good...

There may be a can of tester you can buy:

Perhaps:

http://www.safelincs.co.uk/detectaga...tector-tester/


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

On 01/11/2013 17:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't want
to buy anything.

Without proper test equipment you can't do it. Suggestions to try using
vehicle exhaust are frankly bonkers.


--
Peter Crosland

On Saturday 02 November 2013 13:28 Peter Crosland wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On 01/11/2013 17:07, DerbyBorn wrote:
Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't
want to buy anything.

Without proper test equipment you can't do it. Suggestions to try using
vehicle exhaust are frankly bonkers.


There were 2 posts with links to the proper test gas in cans, mine being one
of them...

--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://squiddy.blog.dionic.net/

http://www.sensorly.com/ Crowd mapping of 2G/3G/4G mobile signal coverage

Peter panic quivered:-

Without proper test equipment you can't do it. Suggestions to try using vehicle exhaust are frankly bonkers.

How do you know your CO alarm works ?

More blind faith?

Jim K

"Jim K" wrote in message
...

Peter panic quivered:-

Without proper test equipment you can't do it. Suggestions to try using
vehicle exhaust are frankly bonkers.

How do you know your CO alarm works ?

More blind faith?

Jim K

I don't have one.
Saves worrying about whether it works or not.

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:24:31 -0000, Richard wrote:

"Jim K" wrote in message
...

Peter panic quivered:-

Without proper test equipment you can't do it. Suggestions to try using
vehicle exhaust are frankly bonkers.

How do you know your CO alarm works ?

More blind faith?

Jim K

I don't have one.
Saves worrying about whether it works or not.

Neither do I. My boiler vents outside, why would I need one?

--
People who live in glass houses should **** in the basement.

On Sat, 02 Nov 2013 14:28:40 -0000, Gefreiter Krueger wrote:

Neither do I. My boiler vents outside, why would I need one?

I don't think there is a leag requirement for gas appliances, only
solid fuel ones.

Of course there are plenty of cases of people being killed by CO from
faulty gas appliances even "room sealed" ones.

--
Cheers
Dave.

2:24 PM Richard
-I don't have one. Saves worrying about
whether it works or not.

;-)
FFS don't tell Peter....

Jim K

On 02/11/2013 14:40, Jim K wrote:
FFS don't tell Peter....

Peter's parrots are probably the best detector.

If they fall off their perches... it's called bioassay.

Andy

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 17:07:11 GMT, DerbyBorn
wrote:

Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't want
to buy anything.

Car exhaust has a significant CO content. Hold a large bin-bag over
the exhaust pipe of a car until the bag is full, then deflate it close
to the alarm. A repeat of the process should collect a similar
concentration of CO if the car engine is warm.

But ISTR that some CO alarms have a significant delay built in before
they go off. That was certainly the case twenty or so years ago, but
modern ones may have an instant response.


Having just done a search and found this:
http://www.westlothian.gov.uk/media/...O_Detector.pdf
which contains the warning:
qNever test the detector with car exhaust or intentionally
introduce carbon monoxide through other methods.
These methods are dangerous and may damage the
detector./q

I guess it depends on the make, etc.

On 01/11/2013 19:58, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 19:18:40 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

On Fri, 01 Nov 2013 17:07:11 GMT, DerbyBorn
wrote:

Any ideas on how to do a real functional test? I want to show a neighbour
that both of hers are working and have similar sensitivities. I won't want
to buy anything.

Car exhaust has a significant CO content. Hold a large bin-bag over
the exhaust pipe of a car until the bag is full, then deflate it close
to the alarm. A repeat of the process should collect a similar
concentration of CO if the car engine is warm.

But ISTR that some CO alarms have a significant delay built in before
they go off. That was certainly the case twenty or so years ago, but
modern ones may have an instant response.

But I've just remembered that modern cars are fitted with catalytic
converters that are supposed to reduce or eliminate the CO content of
the exhaust, so find yourself an old car without one, or the exhaust
from a petrol mower or strimmer might do.


Then buy a new alarm in case the other pollutants have wrecked the sensor.

On 01/11/2013 19:58, Chris Hogg wrote:
But I've just remembered that modern cars are fitted with catalytic
converters that are supposed to reduce or eliminate the CO content of
the exhaust

Only once they have warmed up. You can still kill yourself by letting
the car run in a garage. Just not reliably, it might warm up and just
leave you with an awful headache.

Andy

On Monday, November 4, 2013 10:34:17 PM UTC, Vir Campestris wrote:
On 01/11/2013 19:58, Chris Hogg wrote:

But I've just remembered that modern cars are fitted with catalytic

converters that are supposed to reduce or eliminate the CO content of

the exhaust



Only once they have warmed up. You can still kill yourself by letting

the car run in a garage. Just not reliably, it might warm up and just

leave you with an awful headache.



Andy

But not if it is a diesel.

I learnt this, from one of our dealers, who sold industrial equipment, committed suicide. He had a duesel Transit van and new the diesel wouldn't kill him, so he took a petrol generator into the back of the van and started that up. That did the job.