CO Detectors

[MarkF48]

Just curious if anyone has had one go off due to a pellet stove and if so what caused it on the stove or venting?

I have 3 CO detectors located in different rooms around my house and have a pellet stove, coal stove, and oil fired hot air furnace. Never have had one alarm over all the years they have been installed. Replaced older ones per manufacturers recommendation. I often wonder if they would actually work if needed. Test buttons work fine, but I don't guess that does anything to prove the actual sensor.

On the other hand I've got a Kidde smoke detector that seems to trigger on a speck of dust getting into it.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Just curious if anyone has had one go off due to a pellet stove

Nope. Never.
Even with coal. Got a reading, but not enough to go off.
Never had a reading with wood..

Dan

 

[railfanron]

Never had mine go off either. Just changed it out for a new one.
Ron

 

[JRHAWK9]

I have one of these with the digital display, which lets you read the highest ppm it sensed since the last clearing at a push of a button.

https://www.kidde.com/home-safety/en/us/products/fire-safety/co-alarms/kn-coeg-3/

I have not ever had one go off, but I have had a reading of 11ppm a couple times when I checked after loading the wood furnace on a heap of coals and had some smoke spillage.

 

[chamas]

My CO alarm is mounted next to the thermostat, on a side wall maybe 9ft. from the fireplace insert. Never went off.

 

[JRHAWK9]

My CO alarm is mounted next to the thermostat, on a side wall maybe 9ft. from the fireplace insert. Never went off.

Keep in mind CO meters/alarms should be mounted within a couple feet of floor level, as CO is heavier than air. If mounted too high, it may not work as it's supposed to.

 

[MarkF48]

"My CO alarm is mounted next to the thermostat, on a side wall maybe 9ft. from the fireplace insert. Never went off."

"Keep in mind CO meters/alarms should be mounted within a couple feet of floor level, as CO is heavier than air. If mounted too high, it may not work as it's supposed to."

I originally had installed my CO detector near the pellet stove. When the inspector came to inspect the install and verify a CO detector he told me to move the detector to across the room (14 feet from the pellet stove) and it's now mounted next to the thermostat which controls the hot air furnace.

At about 5 feet off the floor is where he wanted to mounted.

 

[JRHAWK9]

"My CO alarm is mounted next to the thermostat, on a side wall maybe 9ft. from the fireplace insert. Never went off."

"Keep in mind CO meters/alarms should be mounted within a couple feet of floor level, as CO is heavier than air. If mounted too high, it may not work as it's supposed to."

I originally had installed my CO detector near the pellet stove. When the inspector came to inspect the install and verify a CO detector he told me to move the detector to across the room (14 feet from the pellet stove) and it's now mounted next to the thermostat which controls the hot air furnace.

At about 5 feet off the floor is where he wanted to mounted.

I stand corrected.......I could have sworn my CO detector's manual wanted it installed near the floor.

https://nest.com/support/article/Shouldn-t-a-carbon-monoxide-CO-alarm-be-installed-near-the-floor

 

[tlc1976]

Never had mine go off for wood or pellets. After my old LP furnace almost killed me, I use the Kidde one with the realtime display that lasts 10 years. I've had it show low readings in the 20s when the ex would do a long bake in the LP oven (no external exhaust fan). And maybe once or twice when cleaning the woodstove pipe and I still had some coals smoldering, I'd get a temporary reading of 11.

 

[Pete Zahria]

Dan