How Does a Carbon Monoxide Detector Work?

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that’s produced when fuels are being burned to produce a flame. If you inhale carbon monoxide in high concentrations, then this could lead to death. Homeowners are protecting their homes by installing a carbon monoxide detector.

Carbon monoxide is a naturally occurring gas and hard to detect by humans. For this reason, many people are victims to carbon monoxide poisoning. The gas is very dangerous in the home because so many appliances produce carbon monoxide. It becomes dangerous when too much gas is produced in the home without the means to ventilate and detect the gas. A detector will alert home occupants about the dangerous levels of gas in the home. How a carbon monoxide detector works will depend on the brand and type.

There are three types of detectors which are biomimetic, metal oxide and electrochemical. Each detector uses a different mechanism to determine when the home is filled with high levels of carbon monoxide. When the home reaches the high level, an alarm will sound off to alert the occupants. One of the first carbon monoxide detectors was the metal oxide. A reaction would occur when the gas came in contact with tine oxide. It used the wiring of the home to control the reactor and alarm.

The biomimetic model contains gel which attracts carbon monoxide. When there is too much of the gas present in the home, the gel will darken. The detector is powered by a battery and this is a more affordable option for homeowners. Electrochemical detectors will trigger the alarm when high concentrations are present in the air. It is highly sensitive and one of the most reliable detectors on the market. The detector is powered by battery or electrical power.