Jump to content

Carbon monoxide detector/diesel fumes


Mad Harold

Featured Posts

Just replaced my flexi exhaust due to corrosion,and my getting a sore throat and cough on a recent longish cruise which I put down to my leaking exhaust.

Tested my carbon monoxide detector with it's test button and it sounded off. Held it at the boat exhaust {engine running} and not a peep.

Held it at my car exhaust {petrol engine} and I nearly jumped out of my skin,and it kept going for about a minute with no way to stop it.  {I Felt a right prawn walking back to the boat with this thing squawking away in my pocket}

My question is, why doesn't it react to diesel fumes?

Is there one that does react  to diesel fumes?

Thanks for any answers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the car has just been started, then the cold catalytic converter wouldn't be converting CO to CO2. Also the engine would be running fuel rich, so again more CO. Cataclysmic converters only work when they are up to temperature, which takes a while.

Diesels seem to produce a lot less CO than petrol ones do. Apparently because they burn lean with excess air.

 

Jen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Furness said:

My question is, why doesn't it react to diesel fumes?

Is there one that does react  to diesel fumes?

Thanks for any answers.

 

You have it arse about face. Your CO monitor detects CO. Your diesel engine is not producing enough to set it off.

 

If you want a diesel exhaust detector you'll need a device to detect something that IS in the diesel exhaust. Carbon dioxide for example. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

You have it arse about face. Your CO monitor detects CO. Your diesel engine is not producing enough to set it off.

 

If you want a diesel exhaust detector you'll need a device to detect something that IS in the diesel exhaust. Carbon dioxide for example. 

Or maybe there's a NOX box?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your detector 'test' button is probably only to show the battery is OK - ie, the detector is 'on'.

Your detector needs both a minimum level of CO and a minimum time for the alarm to be triggered.

Low CO at the diesel exhaust probably will not set the alarm off unless held there for a long time.

Whereas high levels of CO from a petrol exhaust is enough to set it off straightaway.

And once the sensor is 'saturated' with CO it takes a while to 'dry' out, and until it does the alarm sounds (unless you switch it off)(take the battery out).

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry late to this ! I am sales manager at an industrial gas detector company . For diesel  fumes you need to target Nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide primarily but I doubt there are consumer priced detectors for these available . There are industrial detectors available mainly for automotive plants and test facilities but the price of a those systems will frit you to death . In the 1000,s £ i think you maybe able to get a portable meter but again do t expect the super cheap price of domestic CO monitors 

 

hope this helps 

 

 

  • Greenie 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, RufusR said:

Sorry late to this ! I am sales manager at an industrial gas detector company . For diesel  fumes you need to target Nitrogen monoxide and nitrogen dioxide primarily but I doubt there are consumer priced detectors for these available . There are industrial detectors available mainly for automotive plants and test facilities but the price of a those systems will frit you to death . In the 1000,s £ i think you maybe able to get a portable meter but again do t expect the super cheap price of domestic CO monitors 

 

hope this helps 

 

 

 

That's helpful to know, thanks.

 

Would the diesel exhaust not contain a high concentration of carbon dioxide though? Are CO2 monitors any less expensive?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes a bit but it’s not the main toxic content and co2 detectors are more expensive again  Than co detectors as they use IR sensors which are expensive so roughly 10 x the cost for co2 . Nox (no and no2 ) is main toxic content of diesel fumes . Diesel was pushed as a wonder fuel a few years ago as it was very low I’m carbon emissions ie co and co2 , now it is evil due to no and no2 emissions . 

 

Best solutions on sis don’t breath the fumes in . If you have an exhaust leak fix it , don’t moor with exhaust tight against the bank if you are gonna run the engines and ventilate well if you smell fumes . There isn’t any domestic cost gas detection for these gases . 

 

We we just installed a small system in a lab for diesel fumes and the cost was a tad under £10k so not for narrow boats 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.