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A carbon monoxide detector

Discussion in 'Living Life in a Prius' started by ChapmanF, Jul 18, 2021.

  1. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
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    An awesome thing about a Prius is its ability to heat and cool you all night while only running the engine a fraction of the time and using a tiny bit of fuel.

    I have very much enjoyed using it this way and expect to do more of it. And I have very little worry about CO, because of the engine's low emissions and also how little of the time it will actually be running.

    But a CO detector/alarm inside the car is very cheap insurance. I prefer the kind with a numeric parts-per-million display rather than just a honker. I bought one of those for not much money, and from inside my house with the windows closed, it was able to detect that the guy across the street was having his carpets cleaned. (The carpet-cleaner truck was parked in front of his house, running its engine.)

    This article today reports three deaths and two hospitalizations of people inside a travel trailer in a campground, apparently overcome by CO from "a generator that was located near the travel trailer" (doesn't say whether it was their generator, or one from a neighboring camper, or how big a generator).

    Where the CO goes, and whether it accumulates or not, can depend in weird ways on what the wind is doing and the terrain and surroundings and such, whether it's CO from your own exhaust or something else nearby.

    While I think it is hardly ever an issue while Prius camping, an inexpensive detector can make sure you notice in those rare cases when it might be.
     
    #1 ChapmanF, Jul 18, 2021
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2021
  2. LEARNER

    LEARNER Junior Member

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    I carry 2 diiferent models and one that shows a readout of any detection.
     
    Mambo Dave likes this.
  3. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Two
    I just added a 3rd CO detector to our home, on the inside wall of our attached garage right before I flew out for this gig.

    I did it specifically because we bought a car with pushbutton start the week before. I was just too worried about accidentally leaving it running.

    One of the others is in the basement stairwell, not far from the oil burner furnace. The third is in the upstairs hall shared by the bedrooms.

    It doesn't matter whether your home has a vineyard or a VIN, you should have a CO alarm somewhere in there.
     
    LEARNER and dig4dirt like this.
  4. dig4dirt

    dig4dirt MoonGlow

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    @ChapmanF

    Thank you!
    Time to replace my pair and double up with four!
     
    LEARNER likes this.
  5. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

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    I have none.
    However, I am a strong supporter of CO detectors and applaud those that take steps to protect themselves and those they care for.
    Every year we see stories of deaths as a result of CO poisoning. Many happen in ice fish houses:eek: