IF YOUR CO ALARM SOUNDS
What You See and Hear
Refer to section “What You Will See and Hear With This Alarm”.
Actuation of your CO Alarm indicates the presence of carbon monoxide (CO) which can kill you. In other words, when your CO Alarm sounds, you must not ignore it!
IF THE ALARM SIGNAL SOUNDS
1.Operate the Test/Silence button.
2.Call your emergency services, fire department or 911. Write down the number of your local emergency service here:
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3.Immediately move to fresh air—outdoors or by an open door or window. Do a head count to check that all persons are accounted for. Do not re- enter the premises, or move away from the open door or window until the emergency services responder has arrived, the premises have been aired out, and your CO Alarm remains in its normal condition.
4.After following steps 1-3, if your CO Alarm reactivates within a 24-hour period, repeat steps 1-3 and call a qualified appliance technician to investi- gate for sources of CO from fuel-burning equipment and appliances, and inspect for proper operation of this equipment. If problems are identified during this inspection have the equipment serviced immediately. Note any combustion equipment not inspected by the technician, and consult the manufacturers’ instructions, or contact the manufacturers directly, for more information about CO safety and this equipment. Make sure that motor vehicles are not, and have not, been operating in an attached garage or adjacent to the residence. Write down the number of a qualified appliance technician here:
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Alarms have various limitations. See "General Limitations of CO Alarms" for details.
“ALARM—MOVE TO FRESH AIR”
If you hear the CO alarm horn and the CO red light is flashing,
move everyone to a source of fresh air.
DO NOT remove the batteries!
USING THE SILENCE FEATURES
Never remove the batteries to quiet an unwanted alarm. Removing the batteries disables the alarm and removes your protection.
The Silence Feature is intended to temporarily silence the horn while you identify and correct the problem. Do not use the Silence Feature in emergency situations. It will not correct a CO problem.
The Silence Feature can temporarily quiet an unwanted alarm for several minutes. You can silence this Alarm by pressing the Test/Silence button on the alarm cover for at least 3-5 seconds.
After the Test/Silence button is released, the Red LED blinks during the silence mode.
When the CO Alarm is Silenced the CO Alarm will remain silent for up to
4 minutes. After 4 minutes, if CO levels remain potentially dangerous the horn will start sounding again.
SILENCING THE LOW BATTERY WARNING
This silence feature can temporarily quiet the low battery warning “chirp” for up to 8 hours. You can silence the low battery warning “chirp” by pressing the Test/Silence button on the alarm cover.
Once the low battery warning “chirp” silence feature is activated, the unit continues to flash the Green light twice a minute for 8 hours. After 8 hours, the low battery “chirp” will resume. Replace the batteries as soon as possible; this unit will not operate without battery power!
To deactivate this feature: Press the Test/Silence button again. The unit will go into Test Mode and the low battery warning will resume (LED flashes and unit sounds “chirp” once a minute).
LATCHING FEATURES
Alarm Latch is activated after an Alarm is exposed to alarm levels of carbon monoxide. After CO levels drop below alarm levels, the “CO” Red LED will begin to flash On for 2 seconds/Off for 2 seconds. It will continue to flash or “latch” for about 15 minutes, to give you time to determine which unit initiated the alarm.
Low Battery Latch is activated when the Alarm is in the "low battery condition". When this occurs, the Power LED flashes Green On for 2 seconds/Off for 2 seconds for about 15 minutes. This feature is designed to help you identify which Alarm needs to have the battery replaced. Although, the Alarm will sound the low battery chirp approximately once every minute, sometimes during the initial stages of "low battery", the Alarm will chirp in greater intervals than one minute, sometimes up to several hours, until the battery reaches a steady low battery level. This innovative feature eliminates the frustration of waiting for and/or identifying which unit is chirping.
WEEKLY TESTING
•Test the CO Alarm once a week. If the CO Alarm ever fails to test properly, have it replaced immediately! If the CO Alarm is not working properly, it cannot alert you to a problem.
•DO NOT stand close to the Alarm when the horn is sounding. Exposure at close range may be harmful to your hearing. When testing, step away when horn starts sounding.
It is important to test this unit every week to make sure it is working properly. Using the test button is the recommended way to test this CO Alarm.
You can test this CO Alarm by pressing and holding the Test/Silence button on the Alarm cover (typically 3-5 seconds).
During testing, you will see and hear the following sequence:
•The Horn will sound 4 beeps, pause, 4 beeps. The Power LED will be Off and the CO LED flashes Red.
If the unit does not alarm, make sure the batteries are correctly installed, and test again. If the unit still does not alarm, replace it immediately.
REGULAR MAINTENANCE
This unit has been designed to be as maintenance-free as possible, but there are a few simple things you must do to keep it working properly.
Use only the replacement batteries listed below. The unit may not operate properly with other batteries. Never use rechargeable batteries since they may not provide a constant charge.
•Test it at least once a week.
•Clean the CO Alarm at least once a month; gently vacuum the outside of the CO Alarm using your household vacuum’s soft brush attachment. A can of clean compressed air (sold at computer or office supply stores) may also be used. Follow manufacturer instructions for use. Test the CO Alarm. Never use water, cleaners or solvents since they may damage the unit.
•If the CO Alarm becomes contaminated by excessive dirt, dust and/or grime, and cannot be cleaned to avoid unwanted alarms, replace the unit immediately.
•Relocate the unit if it sounds frequent unwanted alarms. See “Where CO Alarms Should Not Be Installed” for details.
Choosing a replacement battery:
Your CO Alarm requires two standard AA batteries. The following batteries are acceptable as replacements: Energizer E91. These batteries are available at many local retail stores.
Actual battery service life depends on the CO Alarm and the environment in which it is installed. All the batteries specified above are acceptable replace- ment batteries for this unit. Regardless of the manufacturer’s suggested battery life, you MUST replace the battery immediately once the unit starts “chirping” (the “low battery warning”).
To replace the batteries (without removing Alarm from the ceiling or wall):
1. Open the battery compartment.
2. Press tabs A and B as shown in the diagram and remove each battery.
3. Insert the new batteries, making sure | |
they snap completely into the battery | |
compartment. Match the terminals on | AB |
the ends of the batteries with the |
terminals on the unit. | |
4. Close the battery compartment, and then test the unit by pressing the Test/Silence button.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CO
WHAT IS CO?
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 main- tained, 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.
