Inspector CO Carbon Monoxide Monitor with Pump and Probe, Visual and Audible Alerts, Waterproof

I bought this sensor for a few reasons:1. I wanted something to measure instantaneous CO readings for home to help do my own checks on the furnace and water heater. I didn't want to rely on the typical household CO meter to give me an alert due to the time-weighted-average algorithm they use.2. I do a fair amount of camping and outdoor activities where "things that burn" are involved and I wanted something very portable to check for CO since it is imperceptible until it is too late. I don't use stuff like tent heaters while sleeping, but while awake a heater might be used, or I might cook in a tent vestibule due to weather. Or, I might be in a semi-enclosed space with a propane/kerosene heater and I'd like a way to make sure no one gets sick. Thus, I wanted a way to monitor CO levels just to make sure I'm staying safe and this fits the bill.3. There's a lot of situations where you're exposed to CO and it is nice to have something handy to determine just how much. For example, sitting with a car idling, sitting in rush hour traffic, using a gas range in the house, and the camping activities mentioned above. Since I'm a nerd I want to gather empirical data in these situations to satisfy my own curiosity.This sensor is very, very fun to play with. I've had it for about a week and have been trying to measure everything I possibly can. Originally I was just going to get the sensor, but I decided to get the entire kit so I could use the sampler bulb to stick into the hot exhaust gases of various things. I'm glad I did because I have found way more uses for the sampler bulb than I thought I would - tight spaces, hot exhaust gases, etc. Also, the sampling tube that fits between sensor and bulb is plastic, but beyond the bulb it is metal so you can stick it into hot places and not worry about melting.Operation of this sensor is very simple. There's just a couple of buttons that control on/off, if it is in max mode or not, muting an alarm, and calibrating. I also like the fact you have to press-and-hold the off button for 3 seconds (with an on-screen countdown timer) to actually turn off the device. This does a great job of minimizing any accidental turn-offs of the sensor. The buttons have a very positive push feel to them, and it would be difficult to accidentally press under normal usage. Also, I feel the simplicity of the device layout, the ease of use, and quality of the device shows how much thought the designers put into this - a lot of effort must have gone into real-world usage of this device before it was brought to market.I've only had it for a week so I can't speak to battery life but it uses a CR123A and the manufacturer says battery life is measured in years depending on the amount of alarming that occurs. You are able to just leave the sensor on for a more sensitive, passive monitoring of the air, i.e. there isn't an auto-off. The sensor is about the size of a deck of cards and very portable.I only have a couple of minor things about this sensor. The alligator clip/loop combo is a a bit large compared to the overall sensor size. It is removable, but it would be nice if they were two separate pieces so I could have one or the other attached. This is more of a personal thing - the clip and ring itself is very sturdy and I wouldn't worry about it detaching to whatever I clipped it on. It would be easy enough for me to fashion my own attachment - it is a single screw used to hold it on. The other feature that might be nice is a backlight for the display for reading in the dark w/o using a separate flashlight. Either a way to have it always on or a quick button press to turn the light on for X seconds. I vote green backlight to match the button color. :-)As a side note, Sensorcon makes three versions of this product, and the one I purchased on Amazon is the "low end" version. The next one up (Industrial) has an UL913 certification. The top-of-the-line (Industrial Pro) allows you to program your own alarm levels and modes, although it is not listed as having the UL913 certification on their website. The price jump for each level is only $20 from the previous, but it looks like you need to order them direct from Sensorcon at this time.

Seems to work fine - the only thing I found was that if it's exposed to a very high level above the alarm limit (hit this while checking out a boiler) it takes quite a while to recover. It's best to power it down and start over. ALSO when holding down the button to power it off, RELEASE the button when it hits 2 in the countdown or it's liable to restart.

UL listed CO detectors are averaging detectors that don't tell us right away if there's a problem. Carbon monoxide detectors average CO concentrations over time periods (cumulative) for high concentrations that effect the average person. They cannot tell us if there is a problem in real time. They are designed to protect "most people", but the CPSC advises that some individuals may be more sensitive: [...]I'm a professional home inspector. If there's a problem, I want to know right away so that it can be addressed by a qualified individual. I have one of these clipped onto my shirt all the time when inspecting, to check ambient CO levels in real time. I can also check flue gasses of water heaters and (some) forced air furnaces to let clients know if there's a problem.Be advised, however, that unit is not a combustion gas analyzer and does not perform a complete safety check. Gas-fired appliances should have a complete safety check done annually, by a qualified individual who uses a combustion gas analyzer and other professional tools. There are a great many factors that can cause a gas-fired appliance to malfunction or flue gasses to be drawn back into a home. Improperly installed whole house exhaust systems (for example) can create a negative pressure in a home which can create a hazardous condition.By all means, buy one of these great little units to provide an alert in real time of a CO problem, but also make sure all gas-fired appliances are safety checked and serviced annually by a qualified professional. Please, do not take a chance on this issue. We don't want you to get ill or pay with your life.Here is a link to the UL web site, for your information:[...]

Unit was defective. Seller quickly made it right.

Works Great! The meter has a quick refresh rate (about once every second) and measures PPM from 0-2000 in 1ppm increments. The carry case is great for transport and storage. The 'sniffer' bulb/hose is great for checking levels in exhaust piping or otherwise confined areas.

Compact. Well designed. Intuitive controls. Accurate ( calibrated against my full combustion analyzer). Case is solid and no larger than required for equipment (manufacturers of other test equipment should take note. I routinely replace factory cases with a more filed-friendly protective case, or integrate them in one of my hard-shell, task developed collective cases,)Excellent value, to boot.I like it

Reads 4ppm out of the box in an all electric house. Walked out to my deck..same, hooked the hand pump on and with every pump the ppm goes up over 45ppm. Junk. When you try to return it, it says it's not returnable. They will not respond to emails. I guess I will have to contact cc company and get the charge reversed

As described with no disappointments, good enough for my occasional testing, would buy again.

A major plus...It’s not made in China. Solid U.S.A. build quality. We used this to test our Carrier forced air gas furnace that had a recall on it due to secondary heat exchanger issues. We were concerned about carbon monoxide levels. It worked great. A handy piece of equipment to have on hand. We were very pleased, as well, at how quickly it shipped.

Superior product. Wish it was cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Works perfect, simple to use. Caught CO leaks into many cars with this device.

Great product and even better customer support.Easy to use and very accurate when compared to higher tiered products.

Works very well

Great price and quality