CO Detector on duty

[Loren Beach]

Over three years ago I put in a CO detector at the request of the surveyor that did an insurance survey, and also due to our own previous experience of having another boat venting their furnace next to our cockpit, one cool spring evening, and causing me to wake up with a headache at 3 am.

This last Saturday night it actually worked! Around 11 pm we thought could smell a sort of sour combustion odor, but since we have no heat on board were unsure where it was coming from.
Then the detector made quite a loud alarm sound. Really gets your attention! Some folks docked on the other side of the transient dock even came over and asked if we were OK!

We opened up ports and hatches and the interior slowly ventilated out.
Got back to sleep in the wee hours of the morning.
Mid 40's the next morning and we had to bake two batches of cinnamon rolls to get the cabin warmed up!

We finally performed our own little "exhaust CSI" and found that the boat directly behind us had his ancient diesel wick-type bulkhead heater on for a lot of the night, turned way down. It smokes and appears to suffer from incomplete combustion at low settings. Until about midnight we had a constant wind of about 10 kt from astern. Our dodger was evidently acting like an air scoop for the exhaust from his heater stack.

And that's the result of our exhaustive investigation...

Loren

ps: the CO detector is pictured at the lower left in this shot of our panel.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/attachment.php?attachmentid=4069&d=1212712160

 

[treilley]

Glad to hear you are still around Loren. That could have tuirned out much worse than it did. I would miss your free .02 advice!

I just bought a Heater Buddy that has low oxygen cutoff but I will still get a CO detector to be safe. I have one in my house and have been meaning to get one for the boat.

Is yours marinized or is it a household variety?

 

[Loren Beach]

Is yours marinized or is it a household variety?

Hmm, not sure of how to answer you until I get down to the boat and check the brand name again. It is a 12 volt item and I recall it being for the marine/rv trade.
This looks just like mine:
http://www.safe-t-alert.com/ms1.htm

Loren

ps: due to the recession, advice prices on this site may have to go back to one cent

 

[TRMN8R]

My recent survey (prior to purchase) suggested this; now, after reading this, it's made this a top priority to install in the spring before launch..............thankyou.

 

[gareth harris]

You do not normally think of a neighbour's exhaust causing a problem, I have only ever turned on my CO alarm when burning something myself, so that is a lesson well worth $0.01. Having said that, I think most of those detectors are very sensitive, and go off long before the level gets to be very dangerous, so most likely the wind would have shifted before you were in any real danger.

If it helps give anyone else some extra priority to install an alarm, I have woken up in hospital, with no memory of anything since I had gone to bed as usual, but having been carried into an ambulance and driven 20 miles while I was out cold. Not everybody inside the house did wake up.

Now, back to more cheerful topics...

 

[Dave Hussey]

And that's the result of our exhaustive investigation...

Loren

Did that discovery give cause for a heated discussion with the neighbor?

(good to hear no body got ill)

 

[Glyn Judson]

CO detector.

Dave & Loren, The better asked question might be, did the neighbor survive to engage in a heated discussion? Glyn

 

[Loren Beach]

Glyn,
The upwind neighbor boat did not have *any* problem...
We were the downwind recipient of the flue gasses.

Actually, I am still trying to come to terms with all the grim implications written "between the lines" in Gareth's brief reply.

Double Yikes.


Loren

 

[Sven]

Humidity ?

Loren,

I tried using a home detector on board but it would go off every night with no heat or flame on board and partially open hatches. I got it because we had considered getting a catalytic heater after waking up with 36 degrees measured in the cabin and ice on the So. Cal. docks. Love the down sleeping bags

We never got the heater and I got rid of the detector assuming that condensation was setting it off. Now I wonder if there may be a live-aboard upwind from us, but I would have suspected any live-aboard would use an electric heater in the slip.

Your post makes me wonder ... hmmm ?



-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

I just checked model type on our boat. It is "Safe-T-Alert Marine 60-541" model.
I wired it into the cabin light circuit breaker, since that circuit is always energized any time we are on board.

Loren

 

[Sven]

Another explanation ?

I tried using a home detector on board but it would go off every night with no heat or flame on board and partially open hatches.

I just came across this in the SSCA forum:

I just experienced the disappointment awaiting the uneducated who attempt to use a home spec combo CO/gas detector (Kidde). They are not made to work inside a vessel. When mine failed to perform properly I finally read the small print warning which tells you that gas from charging house batteries in the enclosed cabin will cause the unit to go haywire.

Wonder if that was why ours kept going off until we got rid of it ?


-Sven

 

[Loren Beach]

Sensor Life Span

Seems like an expensive item, if actually replaced on a five year basis.
List price is $54.95.
Time to shop around a bit, I guess.

Loren

Here is the reply (cut 'n' paste) to my question about this device:
_________________________________________________
"There is a 5 year life and then they have to be replaced.

Chris Berezowski
MTI Industries
31632 North Ellis Dr. #301
Volo, IL 60073
800-383-0269
FAX: 847-546-9007
www.chrisb@mtiindustries.com"
----- Original Message ----- From: "Loren Beach" <sailaway10@comcast.net>
To: <sales@mtiindustries.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2010 8:16 PM
Subject: Life span?


I have a model 60-541 that I installed in our boat in 2005 or so. Does the sensor have a stated "life span?"
I have heard rumors that these are only reliable up to some number of years.
This one is in a dry location on the boat.
Do you have any info to share?
Thanks,
Loren Beach

 

[treilley]

That's a great way to keep sales up! Of course you don't want to chance something like this.

I wonder if there is some way to verify the life span without dying

 

[bayhoss]

Getting one

I gain more respect for this forum and its members each time I look at and use it. You would think that with a lifetime in the HVAC industry, working as everything from mechanic to engr. I would have a detector on my boat. Time to install!

Best to all,
Frank

 

[jimk]

detector location

i just purchased a Xintex CMD-1MR-9V detector. i was about to install it this weekend in the nav station but then thought I might need 2, one in each sleeping area. Where is yours located Loren?
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[Loren Beach]

Mounted on the panel by the breakers, at the nav. station, and the picture link is in the opening thread message.

Loren

 

[tilwinter]

Co

My wife and I were discussing this thread, and we came to the conclusion that this story needs to be publicized more widely in the boating community, beyond the confines of this board. Maybe BOAT US or Sailnet?

 

[pick]

I've used a Pro tech for 5 years now.

http://www.amazon.com/ProTech-7035-Lithium-Monoxide-Detector/dp/B0006AZYS2

Finally the battery gave out so I'm going to get a whole new unit since I think that the active surface is only good for that long.

It will give you a readout at even low levels which I like.

I originally installed it over my batteries. If went off a couple of times since it is sensitive to the hydrogen that batteries give off while charging. Thats how I found out that my battery charger was set on too hight of a float voltage. It also rudely woke up our guest in the middle of the night!

I moved the unit to another location and never had another false alarm.

Mike

 

[Loren Beach]

CO Detector replaced

Time for an update.

I replaced the old detector with an identical new one yesterday. The old still tests OK, but there was some increasing concern about the built-in life of the sensor.
Cost was a bit over $80. @ Camping World, including the $20. fee to reactivate my membership.

Probably could have saved a little buying from strangers on-line, but it's nice to deal with someone local when buying electronics of any kind.

New one turns on and tests OK.
We hope we do not have to "test" it for real, though.

Cheers,
Loren

 

[Rob Salinas]

CO Detector

WOW.....I'm just wrapping up a complete exhaust rebuild. I broke the head off the hollow plug on my water lift(yellow brass on stainless) so out it comes. I then notice rust stains on the back side of the rubber hose and the top of the water lift . After pealing back the wrapping, found the inline cooling water exhaust entry fitting very rotted. I figured if leaking water, must also leaking exhaust, so all is new. After reading Loren, and Gareth's experience with CO, it brings to light what an important safety device a detector is. I have one in our land yacht, as it has a propane fired heater.Putting one on the boat is on the list, but not near the top. It is now! I too have found on my past and present boat the cabin full of diesel fumes from a neighboring boat. It was during the day and we just stayed out of the cabin.Diesel fumes are easy in that they you can smell them, CO is scary odorless.You CAN be poisoned from another source other than our own boats, especially at night when sleeping. So, my question is, has anybody installed one on a 27, and where did you mount it , we don't have the luxury of a nav station.
Cheers,
Rob