Shutting Down CO Detector in Off Season?

wnyjim · Post by **wnyjim** » Thu. Mar. 19, 2009 9:28 am

Have been thinking. Would it save my CO detector to shut it down and pull the batteries out in the off season?

I have new units that appariently after 5 years use tell you they are no longer functional.
Any thoughts?

Devil505 · Post by **Devil505** » Thu. Mar. 19, 2009 9:30 am

For the pennies you may save I'd say keep it going. Most of us have other potential sources of CO besides their coal appliance so just keep it going would be my thoughts.

Yanche · Post by **Yanche** » Thu. Mar. 19, 2009 10:39 am

wnyjim wrote:Have been thinking. Would it save my CO detector to shut it down and pull the batteries out in the off season?

I have new units that appariently after 5 years use tell you they are no longer functional.
Any thoughts?

Un-powering a consumer grade CO detector will not lengthen its life. It has limited lifetime because the sensor element degrades. The sensor element is that component the changes the CO gas to electrons. It is an electo-chemical device. The electrolyte in it evaporates. This will continue if it's powered or not.

New CO detectors are packaged in plastic that prevents or greatly reduces the evaporation. That's why the manufacturer can claim 5 year life after you first power it. The shelf time does not count. I guess you could seal it in plastic with one of the food type heat sealers and perhaps lengthen it's life. My comments only apply to the consumer grade CO detectors with electro chemical cells, it does not apply to the "solid state" sensor type. "Solid state sensor" does not mean the electronics, obviously all have solid state electronics.

Ed.A · Post by **Ed.A** » Thu. Mar. 19, 2009 12:18 pm

I just change batteries, or buy a new one. Better safe than sorry.

Uglysquirrel · Post by **Uglysquirrel** » Fri. Mar. 20, 2009 5:32 pm

Yance is our resident CO expert, he is the all knowing one. What do they say....OOOOOMMMMMMMM?

rberq · Post by **rberq** » Fri. Mar. 20, 2009 6:12 pm

The only time I have had a reading above zero was in the summer. I think it was a diesel truck idling upwind of my house, in the lot of a business that is closed. It would be good evidence, I suppose, if I had to charge them with being a public nuisance.

009to090 · Post by **009to090** » Fri. Mar. 20, 2009 6:23 pm

rberq wrote:The only time I have had a reading above zero was in the summer. I think it was a diesel truck idling upwind of my house, in the lot of a business that is closed. It would be good evidence, I suppose, if I had to charge them with being a public nuisance.

Yeah, if I start my car in our attached garage while someone is holding open the door to the living space, the CO detector in the lower level of the house goes off within 4 or 5 seconds! Which means it is sensing a whole lot more CO than what is healthy.

Its amazing how much cr@p comes out of a car's (or truck's) exhaust, and how quickly it can move thru a living space.
I leave my CO detectors plugged in, all year. Better safe, than sorry.