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CO alarm information
Own a classic car? Did you know your car is much more likely to produce harmful gases, like the odorless carbon monoxide, compared to a modern car? Ever felt sleepy behind the wheel or experienced a slight headache? These symptoms might be caused by harmful gases entering your cabin without you knowing! Carbon monoxide poisoning is a serious matter that takes the lives of numerous people every year. Protect yourself and your loved ones by getting a carbon monoxide alarm, so you’ll know when to open a window, adjust the carburetor, or have your exhaust system checked out!
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How does carbon monoxide enter the cabin?
Often, carbon monoxide finds its way inside the cabin through a leaky exhaust. Even an unnoticeable leak could lead to carbon monoxide building up inside the cabin. Additionally, driving in traffic or idling at a traffic light can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate in the cabin. Since the gas itself is odorless, it often remains undetectable until it is too late.
Why do classic cars have a higher chance of carbon monoxide building up in the cabin?
Classic cars tend to have less precise ignition and fuel delivery control systems. Moreover, classic cars do not have sophisticated feedback control systems for continuous adjustment of the air/fuel ratio. When the air/fuel ratio is sub-optimal, incomplete combustion occurs, and carbon monoxide gases are formed.
Another reason classic cars have a higher chance of carbon monoxide buildup is the age of their parts. For instance, the exhaust system could be leaking without the driver noticing.
Carbon monoxide and air-cooled engines
Some classic cars, like the Volkswagen Beetle, Citroën 2CV, Fiat 500, DAF, and various Porsches, are fitted with air-cooled engines. In contrast to water-cooled cars, where heat is extracted from the coolant to heat the cabin, air-cooled engines use a heat exchanger, which consists of a casing around the exhaust pipes and/or headers. This is a pretty nifty solution, but over time it can also become a potentially dangerous one. Since the air rushing into the cabin comes in direct contact with the exhaust, a leak can have serious consequences. The polluted air would be blown directly inside the cabin, including the poisonous carbon monoxide gases.
How to install the alarm?
The alarm can be used in a standard automobile auxiliary power outlet. The CO alarm also comes with two USB power outlets to charge your phone or other devices.
How does the alarm operate?
When plugged into the auxiliary power outlet, if the carbon monoxide level reaches 50 PPM or above, the device will sound the alarm to notify the driver that the CO level inside the cabin is reaching dangerous levels. The driver can then open a window and have the car checked for exhaust leaks and/or carburetor adjustments.
Why not use a regular monoxide alarm for homes?
A regular monoxide alarm would work just fine, but there are a few downsides to this approach. First of all, monoxide alarms for home use are much louder than the car variant. If you place a home monoxide alarm inside your car, you might want to wear earmuffs in case it sounds. Another disadvantage of the home-type CO alarm is that it runs on batteries, requiring regular replacement.
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