I'm sure most sailors are aware of this but the report on 7.30 tonight was sobering and I for one will be getting around to fitting that alarm I have been meaning to get.

www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-24/young-sailors-parents-warn-of-carbon-monoxide-dangers/10213000

Yeah good idea. Caravans as well

They didn't specify what caused the young sliphand to pass but the did say he has passed for 2 days before he and girlfriend was found. I thought that was a bit strange?

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Futurecruiser said..
I'm sure most sailors are aware of this but the report on 7.30 tonight was sobering and I for one will be getting around to fitting that alarm I have been meaning to get.

www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-24/young-sailors-parents-warn-of-carbon-monoxide-dangers/10213000

I installed one of these last Saturday. I had read of accidents overseas on cruising yachts where there had been deaths from batteries gassing off. While not necessarily the same gas as carbon monoxide these alarms will detect a range of gasses. For $17 posted to the door it seems a no brainer. The difficult part is where to install them. They have to be 15 feet away from gas stoves and bulkhead mounted. Apparently if you have a large battery bank and solar and a liveaboard there are real dangers with the batteries gassing off.

So how high did you mount it Ramona, I can't remember if CO2 is a heavy or light gas??

Got a link to that detector?

Overcharging batteries can produce hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide H2S is explosive and poisonous but you'd probably notice it as it smells like rotten eggs, it's heavier than air.

Carbon monoxide is produced from burning fuels and is odourless. The young guy died from running the stove to warm the cabin with no ventilation. CO is only slightly lighter than air and would distribute throughout, but the risk here is CO produced from heating and thus first in warmer air rising, so detectors are better placed higher up.

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FreeRadical said..
Overcharging batteries can produce hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide H2S is explosive and poisonous but you'd probably notice it as it smells like rotten eggs, it's heavier than air.

Carbon monoxide is produced from burning fuels and is odourless. The young guy died from running the stove to warm the cabin with no ventilation. CO is only slightly lighter than air and would distribute throughout, but the risk here is CO produced from heating and thus first in warmer air rising, so detectors are better placed higher up.

Good info, great post.

Thanks all, good info. That multi gas detector looks handy Ramona. FYI I picked up one of these today from the local anaconda store for $40:

www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/health-safety/quell-pd04-carbon-monoxide-digital-display-alarm/BP90099947

Bunnings have similar ones with a long life battery but apparently they aren't suitable for boats and caravans. The manufacturer says the PD04 model above is tested to higher specifications in terms of temperature range and vibration resistance for boats and caravans, and the others will likely give you a bunch of false alarms. There are a few 'marine' ones around but as usual adding that word puts the cost up by a factor of 5 or so.

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nswsailor said..
So how high did you mount it Ramona, I can't remember if CO2 is a heavy or light gas??

Got a link to that detector?

I mounted it halfway up the forward bulkhead, same place as in the boat on the 7.30 report! The instructions are quite detailed and they stress not to mount them high up on bulkheads.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-Carbon-Monoxide-Co2-Digital-Warning-Alarm-Sensor-Detector-Temp-LCD-Display/382176906933?epid=21019986306&hash=item58fb84ceb5:g:QlQAAOSwLj9ZeDp3

Couple of days ago there was a thread on Cruiserforums after a couple of deaths recently in the USA on a cruiser. The deaths were attributed to batteries gassing off. In that thread it was stated a CO2 detector picks up that gas and several others. For $13 it's worth a try.

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Ramona said..

nswsailor said..
So how high did you mount it Ramona, I can't remember if CO2 is a heavy or light gas??

Got a link to that detector?

I mounted it halfway up the forward bulkhead, same place as in the boat on the 7.30 report! The instructions are quite detailed and they stress not to mount them high up on bulkheads.

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AU-Carbon-Monoxide-Co2-Digital-Warning-Alarm-Sensor-Detector-Temp-LCD-Display/382176906933?epid=21019986306&hash=item58fb84ceb5:g:QlQAAOSwLj9ZeDp3

Couple of days ago there was a thread on Cruiserforums after a couple of deaths recently in the USA on a cruiser. The deaths were attributed to batteries gassing off. In that thread it was stated a CO2 detector picks up that gas and several others. For $13 it's worth a try.

Some I've read about suggest mounting at eye level, ie. in the breathing zone. Others say higher up. I guess in a boat where you are sitting a lot more, then a bit lower could be better. It probably doesn't matter all that much in a small boat cabin.

www.caravanindustrynews.com.au/product-news/quell-carbon-monoxide-poisoning/

An item here on cross sensitivity to battery charging

www.experimental-engineering.co.uk/carbon-monoxide-alarm-cross-sensitivity-hydrogen/

The more important thing is ensuring adequate ventilation at all times. I just read diesel CO poisoning has caused deaths to Truckers running engines to keep warm in cold weather whilst sleeping in their cabins. Makes you think about people sleeping in quater berth cabins with the donk running whilst on a passage if there is no good ventilation.

They seem to be sensitive to a lot of things and that's why it's hard to find a position in a yacht cabin. The directions make a point of not installing them high up a wall close to a ceiling in a house. This thread has more info.
www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f109/carbon-monoxide-detector-going-off-202843.html

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Futurecruiser said..
Thanks all, good info. That multi gas detector looks handy Ramona. FYI I picked up one of these today from the local anaconda store for $40:

www.anacondastores.com/camping-hiking/health-safety/quell-pd04-carbon-monoxide-digital-display-alarm/BP90099947

Bunnings have similar ones with a long life battery but apparently they aren't suitable for boats and caravans. The manufacturer says the PD04 model above is tested to higher specifications in terms of temperature range and vibration resistance for boats and caravans, and the others will likely give you a bunch of false alarms. There are a few 'marine' ones around but as usual adding that word puts the cost up by a factor of 5 or so.

Thanks for the tip, I picked up a Quell from Anaconda and will install in the boat soon.