The main function of the carbon monoxide detector is to detect the concentration of carbon monoxide in real time, and when a dangerous concentration is detected, an alarm is issued to remind people to evacuate to the outdoors. Many people have questions, can carbon monoxide detectors be used to detect gases such as smoke, carbon dioxide? Can it be used to detect gas leaks? These questions reflect that people do not know enough about the function of carbon monoxide detectors. This article will introduce various functions and applicable scenarios of carbon monoxide detectors in detail, and answer several main questions that people care about.
What is carbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide is the product of incomplete combustion of carbon-containing substances. It is colorless, odorless, imperceptible and flammable. It mainly harms people in the following two ways:
- Carbon monoxide can burn and create home fires. According to the data, when the concentration ratio of carbon monoxide to air is in the range of 12.5% to 80%, the mixture will explode when it burns. At home, if the windows are not opened in time for ventilation, the oxygen content in the room will be reduced. If the fireplace, heater and other equipment are used at this time, it is very easy to generate carbon monoxide, and the mixture formed by mixing with the air at this time is very easy to explode.
- The sleeping killer. Due to the colorless and odorless properties of carbon monoxide, it will not be detected by people. People will inhale carbon monoxide without being aware of it, causing carbon monoxide to combine with hemoglobin in human blood, preventing hemoglobin from transporting oxygen to various organs of the human body, eventually leading to suffocation. And die.
Considering the danger of carbon monoxide to people, many houses have installed carbon monoxide detectors, but people overestimate the function of carbon monoxide detectors. They believe that carbon monoxide detectors can detect many types of gases, eliminating the need to buy other types of detectors, and the following are the most frequently asked questions about carbon monoxide detectors.
Question
Can carbon monoxide alarm detect smoke?
No, but a combined smoke and carbon monoxide detector can do it. Smoke is a precursor to a fire before it expands and requires specialized sensors to detect it. Common smoke detection sensors are ionization sensors and photoelectric sensors. Ionization smoke detectors measure small particles of smoke by changes in the current in a diode; photoelectric smoke detectors detect large particles of smoke by reflection of light. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can measure both smoke and carbon monoxide, but carbon monoxide detectors cannot detect smoke.
Can carbon monoxide alarm detect gas leak?
No. Gas leaks are generally natural gas and gas in the home, not the same gas as carbon monoxide. In addition, although natural gas is also odorless and suffocating, natural gas companies add additives with a pungent odor to gas tanks that people can smell when a natural gas leak occurs.
Can carbon monoxide alarm detect carbon dioxide?
Carbon dioxide is also a product formed by incomplete combustion of carbon, but unlike carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide is almost harmless to the human body, and it is not toxic to the human body. People breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. To answer the questions mentioned above, carbon monoxide detectors cannot detect carbon dioxide, because carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are not the same gas and carbon dioxide exists widely in the human body and is harmless to the human body. Tip, carbon dioxide is bad for the environment.
What can carbon monoxide detector detect?
Carbon monoxide detector is to measure carbon monoxide. It is designed to measure carbon monoxide gas. In order to improve the accuracy, the inventor uses Methane, Ethyl, Hexamethyldisiloxane, Ammonia, Ethanol, Toluene, Acetone and other similar gases to detect carbon monoxide. The anti-interference test is carried out on the device, and after repeated tests, it will not be interfered by other irrelevant gases and cause false alarms. Here, I should also mention that most detectors are made to measure a property, such as smoke detectors only measure smoke, heat detectors only measure the heat in the kitchen, unless it is a combination alarm or gas detector, this type of detector can measure multiple gases at the same time.
How carbon monoxide alarm works?
The way a carbon monoxide detector works is primarily through the sensors inside it. There are a total of 4 types of sensors, namely photoelectric sensors, bionic sensors, electrochemical sensors and semiconductor sensors. The working methods of the 4 sensors are different, but they will eventually trigger the carbon monoxide detector to alarm. Take the electrochemical sensor as an example, Its working principle is that when it comes into contact with carbon monoxide, it will generate corresponding current to reflect the concentration of carbon monoxide. The biggest feature of electrochemical gas sensor is that the current is completely proportional to the concentration of carbon monoxide, and the output signal has a good linear relationship with the gas concentration, so the signal processing and display are very convenient. Another feature is that due to the normal temperature reaction, there is no need for a heater, so the voltage between the electrodes can use a dry battery, there is no need for mains power, and it is easy to carry.
How does carbon monoxide alarm go off
In the home, any fuel-burning, heating device can trigger a carbon monoxide detector, because these devices emit weak carbon monoxide when they are in use. If the vents in the home are blocked and the air is not circulating, these low concentrations of carbon monoxide can accumulate. Carbon monoxide detector alarms are triggered when low levels of carbon monoxide build up to more than 50ppm. In addition, when carbon monoxide equipment reaches the end of its life or low battery, it will also trigger an alarm to remind people to replace the carbon monoxide detector with a new one in time.
To learn more about how carbon monoxide detectors beep, you can refer to this.
Summary: I hope everyone understands that the role of carbon monoxide detectors is to detect carbon monoxide. When the detector sounds an alarm, there are generally only four situations: false alarm, low battery, reaching the service life and detecting carbon monoxide. If you want a detector that can measure multiple gases, go for a combi detector. Last but not least, carbon monoxide detectors only measure carbon monoxide.