A quick look inside a smoke and carbon monoxide detector which has two separate sensors. The smoke detector is an optical type, using an infrared emmiter and sensor. The corbon monoxide sensor is an electrochemical sensor with a design life of 5 years.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Sense-Combination-Monoxide-Detector-Battery/dp/B00SWT5FBA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1435662094&sr=8-7&keywords=x-sense
http://www.holtek.com/pdf/uc/ht45fx3v120.pdf
http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/21733f.pdf
https://www.sensor-test.de/ausstellerbereich/upload/mnpdf/en/ME2CO_14.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector
http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Sense-Combination-Monoxide-Detector-Battery/dp/B00SWT5FBA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1435662094&sr=8-7&keywords=x-sense
http://www.holtek.com/pdf/uc/ht45fx3v120.pdf
http://ww1.microchip.com/downloads/en/devicedoc/21733f.pdf
https://www.sensor-test.de/ausstellerbereich/upload/mnpdf/en/ME2CO_14.pdf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_detector
Interesting
that is a photoelectic smoke alarm the ionization type uses americium 241
I have an optical smoke detector from an office building, guessing probably make in the late 90's. I had heard, and assumed true, the optical type were common in commercial areas. it is interesting to know the optical type detect early smoke and ionizing type better suited to flame, good to know.
my thought is, the optical type likely performs better, but used more power, until recently when more efficient designs are now possible.
Ionization smoke alarms are the ones that use small amounts of Americium 241 to detect small particles of smoke. Photoelectric uses non-radioactive technology to detect large smoke.
I think it says in the directions do not use car exhaust
The Nest protect is better 😹😹😹
You should use a heat alarm if it keeps going off. As the name suggests it works on heat and is not smoke.
Nice video, learned a lot.
I just love the frequent sarcastic tones when dealing with poor quality products. So funny.
Your existing alarm may be going off so easily because the 9v is low. We're told to replace our batteries every 6 months here.
I see a problem there with the carbon monoxide detector at the ceiling. While dust from an early fire is supposed to be found at the ceiling since hot air goes up, the carbon monoxide is – as far as i can remember – heavier than normal air and will therefore most likely be found at floor level. I wonder how much sense it makes putting two sensors in one case when one should be mounted at the ceiling and the other one on the floor.
I wonder how many lives have been saved, not by the smoke alarm but by those two prongs that won't let you put the cover back until you've put new batteries in?
Julian,
Are you planning on testing the Carbon Monoxide functionality? and if so do you have a good way of testing it? We have a carbon monoxide sensor however it never goes off or even registers a single PPM so i need a way to actually test if it working!?
I bought a similar model when I went to work in Beijing. Everybody there was amused when they saw it… I found out why, the air pollution is so bad the CO alarm went off all the time!