What Carbon Monoxide Detector Should You Buy?

Oct 20, 2011
Toby Welch

Some Smoke Detectors Also Detect Carbon Monoxide - Georg Pik

If you are looking to buy a carbon monoxide detector in Canada, pick the one that works best for your needs.

Only two companies are accredited and able to certify that a CO detector meets the standards set out by the Standards Council of Canada – the Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). Only buy a CO detector that has a certification mark by one of those two companies. Don’t risk the lives of loved ones by buying a detector that hasn’t been properly tested.

“We know carbon monoxide is a silent killer,” says Rae Dulmage, the Standards Director at ULC. “When people choose a carbon monoxide detector with a certification mark, it tells them this detector has been tested, it meets the standard for these detectors, and that it meets the requirements that are in place to protect the health and safety of Canadians.”

Three Types of CO Detectors

There are three different types of CO detectors to buy. They range in price from $30 to $70. All of the approved detectors are tested and will do the job.

Metal oxide semi-conductor detectors – This is the original type of detector that plugs in and has a battery backup. It works when the heated tin oxide reacts with the CO to determine the gas level.

Biometric detectors – These detectors have gel-coated discs that get dark when CO is present and the colour change sounds the alarm. It’s not as costly and operates on batteries.

Electrochemical detectors – These detectors are extremely accurate, have digital displays, and a memory feature. They sound an alert when it needs to be replaced. They work by chemically reacting with CO which creates an electrical current which sets off the alarm.

While all these detectors will alert you to CO, considering splurging for a highly accurate one if there are children, elderly, or pregnant women in the home or anyone with respiratory or heart problems.

Some detectors are a combination smoke and CO detector.

Most units come with a test button that you should try once a week. If yours doesn’t have such a button, there are CO detector kits you can buy to do tests. Change the batteries regularly on units that don’t plug into the wall. And make sure you replace the detectors at least once every five years unless the unit specifies otherwise; some come with a replacement date on them.

Where Do I Place Carbon Monoxide Detectors in My Home?

The ideal spot for your CO detector is close enough to your bedroom to hear it when you are sleeping. Place it at waist height or lower. Make sure not to place the detector in unheated areas of the home or near vents and appliances. If your detector is plugged into the wall, make sure it’s not in an outlet that is controlled by a switch on the wall. Read the manufacturer’s instruction booklet that comes with the detector for further directions.

The life you could save may be your own when you have a CO detector in your home.