Product Details
- Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- ASIN: B000XJC22C
Price : $39.75
Product Description
Keep your family safe from the silent killer. This carbon monoxide alarm has plug in power with digital display and battery back up for those power outages. Additional features are: Silence/Test Button - Silence or test alarm functions. Alarm Action Chart - Instruction for what to do if alarm sounds. Low Battery Warning. Covers only one outlet. Digital Display - Stores, recalls, and displays highest lovel of CO detected until you clear it. Loud 85-Decibel Alarm.
First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Technical Details
- Loud 85-Decibel Alarm
- Battery back up
- Silence/Test Button - Silence or test alarm functions
- Low Battery Warning
- Digital Display - Stores, recalls, and displays highest lovel of CO detected until you clear it
Costumer Reviews
First purchase stopped working, perhaps due to thunder and lightning causing an electrical spike. Called First Alert, sent me a 2nd new one no questions asked. Good. 2nd new one has now failed, does not work. Out of box, plugged into 120V AC outlet, worked first time. 2 days later had to unplug it. When I replugged it in, it failed. This product is way too sensitive to voltage spikes. I will call First Alert to receive a replacement.
I purchased two of the First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm (CO614B) from a major warehouse club about 5 years ago. The two units have been in service since then without problems. But of course, as with most safety devices, you can never tell whether they actually work unless something BAD happened. So they are used for the peace-of-mind more than anything else. For that purpose, I'm satisfied.
There is, however, one annoying 'feature' with this product. Every once in a while (something like six months), one of the two units may start to 'chirp' and the digital display shows 'bAt'. According to the product manual, that means the backup battery is low and needs to be replaced. At first I followed the instructions and replaced the 9V battery. But after this happened a few times, I got suspicious. So I tested the battery and found it to be still fresh (battery voltage over 9V). I then re-inserted the same battery into the unit, and ran TEST to make sure the unit is functioning correctly. Doing so seems to keep the unit happy for the next six months to a year, but then the 'chirp' returns and I have to repeat this process again.
It appears to me that the 'Low Battery' signal is actually triggered by a timer, rather than the actual battery status. Maybe this 'feature' is designed to make sure the user tests the battery at least once a year. But since most average users have no way to check the status of their batteries, they are just going to throw away perfectly good 9V batteries because of this 'feature'.
The power consumption of each unit, as reported by my Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor, is less than 1 watt (the display actually shows '0 Watt'). This is much lower than the power rating printed on the back of the unit, which says 0.09A at 110V (10W).
As to the digital display featured on this product, it turns out to be less useful than I have hoped. The display can only show carbon monoxide concentration in discrete steps such as 0/30/70/150 ppm (parts per million). It does NOT register any level lower than 30 ppm. So every time I run the 'Memory' function (which is supposed to remember the last highest level detected), all I can see is '0'. On second thought, maybe I should be thankful that it never show anything lower than 30. Otherwise if I see a reading of '5', should I start to panic just a little?
Another important point to note: This product is covered by a limited 7-year warranty, so remember to keep your original receipt. Out of the two units I purchased initially, one started to 'chirp' for no reasons after just a few weeks. Luckily I was able to have it replaced at the store, and not have to deal with warranty service.
First Alert Carbon Monoxide Alarm
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