What This Co Alarm Can Do

that are capable of assisting others to provide assistance to those who may not be awakened by the alarm sound, or to those who may be incapable of safely evacuating the area unassisted.

This CO alarm is designed to sense carbon monoxide gas entering its sensing element. It does not sense smoke, heat or flames.

When properly located, installed, and maintained, this CO alarm is designed to provide early warning of potential increased levels of carbon monoxide gas at a reasonable cost. This device monitors the air and when it senses CO, activates its built-in alarm horn. It can provide precious time for you and your family to escape from your residence before a CO poisoning occurs. Such an early warning, however, is possible only if the CO alarm is located, installed, and maintained as specified in this User's Manual.

This CO alarm is designed for use within single residential living units only; that is, it should be used inside a single-family home or one apartment of a multi-family building. In a multi-family building, the device may not provide early warning for residents if it is placed outside of the residential units, such as on outside porches, in corridors, lobbies, basements, or in other apartments. In multi-family buildings, each residential unit should have CO alarms to alert the residents of that unit. Devices designed to be interconnected should be interconnected within one family residence only; otherwise, nuisance alarms will occur when a CO alarm in another living unit is tested.

NOTICE: GENERAL LIMITATIONSOF CO ALARMS This CO alarm is intended for all dwelling units. It is not intended

for use in industrial applications where Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for carbon monoxide detectors must be met.

CO alarms will not work without power. A battery must be connected to the CO alarm to maintain proper device operation if AC power supply is cut off by an electrical fire, an open fuse or

circuit breaker, or for any other reason. In the event of AC power failure, the battery will supply power for a minimum of 24 hours.

CO alarms may not awaken all individuals. If children and others do not readily awaken to the sound of the CO alarm or if there are infants or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the event of an emergency.

CO alarms for solar or wind energy users and battery back-up power systems: AC powered CO alarms should only be operated with true or pure sine wave inverters. Operating this CO alarm with most battery powered UPS (uninterruptible power supply) products or square wave or “quasi sine wave” inverters will damage the alarm. If you are not sure about your inverter or UPS type, please consult with the manufacturer to verify.

This CO alarm will not sense carbon monoxide that does not reach the sensor. This CO alarm will only sense CO at the sensor. CO may be present in other areas. Doors or other obstructions may affect the rate at which CO reaches the alarm. For this reason, if sleeping room doors are usually closed at night, we recommend you install an alarm in each sleeping room and in the hallway of each sleeping area.

CO alarms may not sense CO on another level of the residence. For example, an alarm on the second floor, near the bedrooms may not sense CO in the basement. For complete coverage, it is recommended that an alarm be installed on each level and tandem interconnected.

CO alarms may not be heard. The alarm decibel rating meets or exceeds current UL Standards of 85dBA at 10 feet (3 meters). However if the device is installed outside the sleeping area, it may not awaken a sound sleeper, one who has recently used drugs or has been drinking alcoholic beverages. This is especially true if the door is closed or only partially open. Even persons who are awake may not hear the sounding alarm if the sound is blocked by distance or closed doors. Noise from traffic, stereo, radio, television, air conditioner, or other appliances may also prevent alert persons from hearing the alarm horn. This device is not intended for people who are hearing impaired.

CO alarms are not a substitute for life insurance. Though these CO alarms warn against increasing CO levels, Gentex Corporation does not warrant or imply in any way that they will protect lives from CO poisoning. Homeowners and renters must still insure their lives.

CO alarms have a limited life. Although the CO alarm and all of its components have passed many stringent tests and are designed to be as reliable as possible, any of these parts could fail at any time. Therefore, you must test your CO alarm weekly.

CO alarms are not foolproof. Like all other electrical devices, CO alarms have limitations. They can only detect CO that reaches their sensors. They may not give early warning to rising CO levels if the CO is coming from a remote part of the home, away from the alarm. CO alarms may not alarm when a large influx of CO is introduced into the house. An example of a possible source of a large in-rush of CO is a generator running in an attached, enclosed garage and the door to the connected residence is opened.

NOTICE: The horn in your CO alarm meets or exceeds current audibility requirements of Underwriters Laboratories. However, if the

CO alarm is located outside a bedroom, it may not wake up a sound sleeper, especially if the bedroom door is closed or only partly open. If the CO alarm is located on a different level of the residence than the bedroom, it is even less likely to awaken people sleeping in the bedroom. In such cases, the National Fire Protection Association recommends that the CO alarms be interconnected so that a unit on any level of the residence will sound an alarm loud enough to awaken sleepers in closed bedrooms. This can be done by employing a systematic approach by interconnecting CO alarms together, or by using radio frequency transmitters and receivers.

ABOUT COWHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS CO? Carbon Monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas produced when fossil fuels do not burn completely or are exposed to heat (usually fire). Electrical appliances typically do not produce CO.

These fuels include: wood, coal, charcoal, oil, natural gas, gasoline, kerosene and propane.

Common appliances are often sources of CO. If they are not properly maintained, are improperly ventilated, or malfunction, CO levels can rise quickly. CO is a real danger now that homes are more energy efficient. “Air-tight” homes with added insulation, sealed windows and other weatherproofing can ‘trap’ CO inside. SYMPTOMS OF CO POISONING: These symptoms are related to CO POISONING and should be discussed with ALL household members.


EXPOSURE	SYMPTOMS OF CO POISONING
Mild	Slight headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue
Mild	(flu-like symptoms)
Medium	Throbbing headache, drowsiness, confusion,
Medium	rapid heart rate
Extreme	Convulsions, unconsciousness, heart and lung
Extreme	failure. Exposure to carbon monoxide (CO)
	can cause brain damage and death

Some individuals are more sensitive to CO than others, including people with cardiac, respiratory or other health problems, infants, young children, pregnant women and elderly people can be more quickly and severely affected by CO. People sensitive to CO should consult their doctors for advice on taking additional precautions.

FINDING THE SOURCE OF CO AFTER AN ALARM Carbon monoxide is an odorless, invisible gas, which often

makes it difficult to locate the source of CO after an alarm. A few factors that can make it difficult to locate sources of CO include: House well ventilated before the investigator arrives.

Problem caused by “backdrafting”.

Transient CO problem caused by special circumstances. Because CO may dissipate by the time an investigator arrives, it

may be difficult to locate the source of CO. Gentex Corporation shall not be obligated to pay for any carbon monoxide (CO) investigation or service call.

HOW CAN I PROTECT MY FAMILY?

A CO alarm is an excellent way of protection. It monitors the air and sounds a loud alarm before carbon monoxide (CO) levels become threatening for average, healthy adults.

NOTICE: A CO alarm is not a substitute for proper maintenance of home appliances.

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