CO detector / how much carbon monoxide is acceptable in the cockpit

I can hear the Pocket CO 300’s alarm through my Bose A20 very well in flight, and I’ve also had an occasion where I was on the back seat and those in front could hear the alarm and asked what it was, one with a passive headset and one with an ANR one.

Peter wrote:

my one (BW Gasalert, wasn’t cheap when I got it

Gosh, about £265 now. Making the leap from a cheap old domestic CO detector (recommended by an instructor), I never realised what serious pieces of kit exist out there. The Drager Pac 5500 is even more, around £288. Are they definitely worth it?

I have this one: https://sensorcon-sensing-products-by-molex.myshopify.com/products/portable-carbon-monoxide-detector-meter?variant=4193480964 for about 2 years now.
Just working perfect !

Thanks ploucandco – will check it out!

I bought one of these.
https://sensorcon-sensing-products-by-molex.myshopify.com/products/inspector-intrinsically-safe-carbon-monoxide-detector-co-meter
best money I ever spent on the airplane. I also have a discount code if anyone wants to buy one.

stay away from cheap chineese stuff

I have the BW GasAlert and just mail it to a local shop for calibration every year or so. The shop grumbles I should do it every 6 months, but I just ignore them.

In terms of going longer time (5 years) without calibration, I know of these:

• CO Guardian Portable (no batteries, stick it in a cigar lighter socket)
• http://www.air-store.eu/SAVCO

lionel wrote:

In terms of going longer time (5 years) without calibration

Does this make them less reliable? There’s a big gap between 5 years and 6 months, but not such an equivalent gap in price

I haven’t had mine calibrated in about 15 years

Peter wrote:

I haven’t had mine calibrated in about 15 years

Ha, well that puts things into perspective

lionel wrote:

I have the BW GasAlert and just mail it to a local shop for calibration every year or so. The shop grumbles I should do it every 6 months, but I just ignore them.

There are two versions for this CO detector:

BW GasAlert Extreme (340 €) – replacable battery (2y lifetime), has to be calibrated after a few months (or “should be…”)
BW Clip CO (135 €) – 2y lifetime, can be extended to 3y with a 36 € “Hibernation Case”, battery not replaceable, maintenance free

I chose the second one…