A co detector is a device that alerts you to carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal in high concentrations. It uses various sensors to detect and measure CO levels and alarm when dangerous levels are reached. CO is emitted from burning fuels in appliances and engines such as stoves, fireplaces, furnaces, portable generators, cars, and trucks. Carbon monoxide enters the body and occupies the heme groups in red blood cells that carry oxygen so you can’t get enough oxygen to your brain, heart, muscles, and other organs. With prolonged exposure you will experience headaches, nausea and, at higher levels, death.

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The detectors are battery-operated and have a light or digital readout to show the current reading of CO levels in parts per million (ppm) or an alarm signal that tells you when to replace the batteries or test the unit. They can also be connected to a system that signals a monitoring company and emergency services in the event of an alarm.

Different types of CO detectors use different sensor technologies, but all comply with minimum sensitivity and alarm characteristics set by Underwriters Laboratory in their Standard for CO Detectors (UL 2034). A metal oxide semiconductor chip embedded in the silica inside the detector changes electrical resistance when it encounters carbon monoxide and this change triggers the alarm. Electrochemical instant detection and response detectors use electrodes immersed in a chemical solution that reacts to carbon monoxide, causing a change in electrical current.…