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Topic: Carbon monoxide detector testing

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edridsdale

13/6/2018 at 5:19pm
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My approved caravan service engineer failed my Kidde CO detector when servicing my van to recent test procedure.
I contacted Kidde who asked me to return it for testing and as it was going back to the US, they sent me a replacement unit.
The result of the test was received today and the unit met it's specification and was not faulty.
How many others are being failed when tested to the latest test procedure.... Don't throw it away without checking it out....
The procedure may not be fit for purpose....

tango55

13/6/2018 at 5:35pm
Location: Lichfield
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Well, have you contacted the respective service engineer with the results before posting on here?
It's only fair that the engineer should be notified first and for him to respond and provide a valid explanation as to why there is a discrepancy in the findings. Maybe the equipment he is using needs calibrating in which case should have a certificate to confirm when the equipment was last tested and passed. The procedure may well not be fit for purpose but you need to find out what the engineers answer is first then take appropriate action for compensation if need be.

edridsdale

13/6/2018 at 5:40pm
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I certainly informed him and am awaiting his response. I did not mention his name deliberately..... And I am aware of the need for calibration of test equipment and certification, having been in the calibration of electronic and gas equipment for many years up to retirement.

edridsdale

13/6/2018 at 5:52pm
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I am not looking for compensation..... I suspect the procedure is at fault having read the specification of the detector.... It is highly unlikely that testing on the basis that a field service engineer can carry out with the limited resources available to him makes this procedure highly unreliable...and probably unrepeatable and as such may need to be reviewed by those specifying the new test procedure for units installed in caravans.

Sevenexile

13/6/2018 at 8:54pm
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The test that I’ve seen carried out is no more than putting the alarm it it’s teat mode, incasing it a bag and spray a gas in to the bag from the aerosol and sealing the hole back up and waiting the allowed time to see if the alarm activates. Far to many variables for the test to be 100% accurate. Seems to be the new thing to test according the AWS.

edridsdale

13/6/2018 at 9:09pm
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I suggest that anyone who has one of these devices goes onto the Internet and downloads the spec for their device and has a read of it.
At this point you will see how ridiculous this "test" is.... Concentrations of CO and exposure times are crucial and very small levels of CO take very long times to cause damage to people and high concentrations have the potential to kill in very short times... and an aerosol and a bag sprayed with an unknown concentration for a vague time period is bordering on comical.... and likewise the CO detector responds accordingly.... High levels.. Quick response and low levels very slow response.... But as always the devil is in the detail.... What about the middle of these two extremes.... Vague or what?
Who knows how many passes of this test are safe.... How can the aerosol concentration be evaluated when in the bag, how do they determine how long to wait and be safe.... Need I go on?

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