Best place to mount a carbon monoxide detector!?

[ThundyCat]

I getting mixed suggestions as to the best place to put this.

My father in-law recently had a fire inspection as they live in a property with a thatched roof. They were told by the 'Fire Inspector' to place the detector low down near floor level as 'Carbon monoxide' is heavier than air and will drop to floor level very quickly. That I don't dispute, so I mounted mine near floor level right below my gas boiler.

So the gas man arrives to service our gas boiler and notices where I've placed my detector and said "It's in the wrong place, it needs to be higher up at boiler level".

So I'm confused as to where the correct location is. Can anyone here shed light on who's/right wrong please?

 

[harshuk]

all depends where your boiler is. Surely???

Our boiler is downstairs in kitchen and i have got it up high at on entrance to stairs wall.
hopefully should wake us up

 

[Firestar_3x]

It's density will change at a given temperature, given it's a byproduct from combustion it will be warm so i'd suggest it will be lighter than air till it cools, we have ours around head level.

 

[SilverTongue]

having googled it for you the general consensus is to have it at eye level and not within 15 feet of a fuel burning appliance as this may cause false alarms (e.g. just before your boiler ignites it may set the alarm off)

 

[Nightglow]

I getting mixed suggestions as to the best place to put this.

So the gas man arrives to service our gas boiler and notices where I've placed my detector and said "It's in the wrong place, it needs to be higher up at boiler level".
/QUOTE]

Thundy your wrong, you'll probably be dead, by the time it sounded.

Gas man is right, carbon monoxide will rise with warm air, so higher location is needed, mine is located about 6' nearly level with top of doorway.

QUOTE:

The specific gravity of Carbon Monoxide is 0.9657 (with normal air being 1.0), this means that it will float up towards the ceiling because it is lighter than regular air. However, when a build up of dangerous levels of CO gas is taking place, this is nearly always due to a heat source that is not burning its fuel correctly (motor vehicle exhaust fumes are an exception). This heated air can form a layer near your ceiling which can prevent the Carbon Monoxide from reaching a ceiling detector.

 

[Jokester]

I keep mine in my boiler cupboard, next to the boiler.

 

[Kenai]

I keep mine in my boiler cupboard, next to the boiler.

Surely having it inside a cupboard is somewhat pointless given the limited airflow it would receive?

 

[Jokester]

Surely having it inside a cupboard is somewhat pointless given the limited airflow it would receive?

Best to detect any CO at source though than wait for it to pour out into a larger area.

 

[Kenai]

I suppose if your boiler is the only possible source of CO in your house then it makes sense.

 

[Dave L]

Thundy your wrong, you'll probably be dead, by the time it sounded.

Gas man is right, carbon monoxide will rise with warm air, so higher location is needed, mine is located about 6' nearly level with top of doorway.

The specific gravity of Carbon Monoxide is 0.9657 (with normal air being 1.0), this means that it will float up towards the ceiling because it is lighter than regular air. However, when a build up of dangerous levels of CO gas is taking place, this is nearly always due to a heat source that is not burning its fuel correctly (motor vehicle exhaust fumes are an exception). This heated air can form a layer near your ceiling which can prevent the Carbon Monoxide from reaching a ceiling detector.

Good, I'll make sure mine (when it arrives this week) is fitted as such.

 

[Maccapacca]

So would the ceiling at the base of the stairs be suitable i.e. it's high enough but not enclosed to trap a layer of hot air everything should pass over it, assuming an open plan ground floor.

 

[Dave L]

I think you'll find they are designed to be wall mounted. Certainly the one I've bought is; it loos very much like a CH programmer.

This alarm can be installed on a wall or as a tabletop unit for added convenience.

Taken from http://www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk/Documents/7DCO Data Sheet.pdf

 

[-BA-]

The suggestion made on my Kidde fitting instructions was that, although near the boiler is ideal, if you are only using one then it should be upstairs where it can actually be heard when people are sleeping. I have put mine on a lintel above my bathroom door.

Would certainly love to know if it is in the wrong place though.

 

[bitslice]

Follow the instructions in the box, some specify different levels.
Failing that they are installed at head height outside the bedrooms.


I put mine in the boiler cupboard on the landing, as that is the only source of CO2 on that floor and the boiler doesn't appear to emit CO2 in normal operation.

When I reconnect the gas fire downstairs I'll add a second one in that room.
The kitchen has a natural gas detector in case I leave a burner on.

 

[Burned_Alive]

I have two of the Kidde Combination Smoke & CO Alarms, one at the top of the stairs (just outside the room with the boiler cupboared and one at the bottom (just outside the lounge and kitchen).

http://www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk/Documents/900-0122_Data_Sheet.pdf

Also uses a voice alarm to identify alert type.

 

[SHEDDER1uk]

My boiler is in the bedroom should really fit one.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

I keep mine in my boiler cupboard, next to the boiler.

My plan too, but I keep missing the reasonable priced ones lol