Carbon Monoxide Detector

[JohnM20]

Where is considered to be the best place in a caravan to site a carbon monoxide detector? The instructions with the one that I have only gives recommendations for use in a house.
Thanks.
JohnM

 

[SteveP]

John i have fitting instructions for my caravan co2 alarm, i cannot add to this reply, if you pm me i will forward onto you if they help

 

[JTQ]

There are some CO alarms that are specifically not suitable for use in caravans. I purchased one a few years back, there was nothing on the box to that effect but there was on the included instructions sheet. It would pay to check yours is not of that type.
Mine was replaced and that I have on the wide shelf under the front window, sitting base down on an off cut of that high friction netting sold for use in draws; it therefore has no fixings and it does not budge.

 

[otherclive]

Mine goes up on the partition between the lounge and bedroom. It's out of line of the cooker but opposite the heater. That way if I should get any leaks in the heater the alarm sees them first. It's about six foot off the floor held on with Velcro pads so it can be removed in transit and storage. Never had a spurious alarm so must be doing something right. We test it every time it's put up and before we set off on a trip.

 

[johnandrew70]

I bought ours from Asda, its a well known make (Kidde) and was only £12,i have found that the very same is being sold at our local caravan shop for 3 times that amount which i feel is disgusting,
I have put ours above the smoke alarm just inside the door, its out of the way and opposite the heater.

John

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Ours was already in the caravan when we bought it new last summer. It is fitted protruding through the underside of the cupboards over the front windows (off side). Van is a Lunar Quasar 462 derivitive.

 

[Damian]

Carbon Monoxide is lighter than air, so to catch it earlier rather than when it is at bed level, a moderately high position is best.
Not directly over the cooker or heater, but also not very close to roof vents either.

 

[graham_somersham]

Are you sure about that Damian? I always understood CO2 to be 1.52 times the density of air.

I can remember visiting a CO2 spa in Hungary a few years ago and the CO2 was certainly forming a layer under the surrounding air.

 

[SteveW77]

Carbon Dioxide is indeed heavier than air, but the post is about Carbon Monoxide which is not.

Steve W

 

[Gagakev]

Just found this;

Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.

Obviously there is no mention of caravans, but I have mine just inside the door at about 5 foot high.

 

[Gafferbill]

Carbon Dioxide or CO2 is not the gas under discussion

 

[otherclive]

Just found this;

Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector?
Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you are getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.

Obviously there is no mention of caravans, but I have mine just inside the door at about 5 foot high.

One of the issues with CO poisoning is that you may not be aware that it is happening although if you are awake watching TV you might 'not feel too good' with a headachy feeling. But even so many deaths have occured because by the time people feel the full effecst they are unable to take action either physically or mentally. Putting it near the sleeping area in vans is not that important as most people will probably not use gas heating when in bed, but may use gas more when they are awake. In a van the volume is relatively small compared to a house so somewhere around centre would seem best. For our house the Fire Service recommended on the landing as that is near the boiler and covers the bedrooms too. So with CO and ionisng and optical CO2 detectors (mains and battery) we sleep soundly and hopefully safely!

 

[graham_somersham]

Are you sure about that Damian? I always understood CO2 to be 1.52 times the density of air.

I can remember visiting a CO2 spa in Hungary a few years ago and the CO2 was certainly forming a layer under the surrounding air.

Whoops - Apologies, my brain was not working again and I went off about CO2

Back to topic though, I spoke to an chemical engineer friend last night and she said that for all intensive purposes in a real world situation the relative density of air and carbon monoxide are very similar and due to mixing with other combustion gases and the surrounding air the effects are neutral. She advises CO detectors to be placed at eye level in normal domstic situations but she did say that having not seen any research on how CO behaves in a small space such as a caravan with floor and ceiling vents she is not 100% sure the same would apply in our little boxes.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all,
No one has yet mentioned how well ventilated a caravan is!! or how significant this is compered to say a house, even in the early days of gas mantles and open gas fires CO was not seen or indeed heard of as a problem.
surely the main area of risk comes from outside sources like BBQ's ect, or perhaps the fridge that vents into the awning, but given how draughty these are one wonders if a CO detector is needed at all.
with regular servicing of the van's gas equipment, and extensive use of EHU's cutting down the consumption of gas the risk is very small, however if one does wish to fit one I suppose the best place would be near the door at a level about head height.
edit, Hi Graham, "SNAP"

 

[ProfJohnL]

For many years there has been a legal requirement for a calculated area of fixed ventilation shared between low and high level registers. This will naturally ventilate a caravan This has been the case since before the general availability of CO detectors.

The fact that despite these provisions, there have still been some cases of CO poisoning in caravans. Whether these have been caused by missadventure, or not, it proves the standard provision of ventilation is in some cases not enough.

Even though the actual incidence of CO poisoning in caravans has been thankfully very low, it is still a sensible to take reasonable steps to reduce the hazard and increase the detection.

The use of CO monitors is now a effective low cost method of drastically improving detection, and now changes the protection from passive to proactive - It also raises awareness of CO which can only be a good thing.