Sprue CO-FA-9B User Manual

CO-FA-9B USER MANUAL

CARBON MONOXIDE ALARM

Please read me – as I could save your life.
NOTE: This User Manual is available in
larger text please call 0800 141 2561
• Extreme Exposure: Unconsciousness,

INTRODUCTION

convulsions, cardiorespiratory failure, death
The First Alert CO-FA-9B Carbon Monoxide
Your First Alert CO detector monitors the level of
Poisonous Gas Alarm is one of a new generation
CO as parts per million (ppm) in the atmosphere
of domestic life safety products from Sprue
surrounding the detector.
Safety Products Limited, which combines the
35ppm
latest technology and innovative design to
The maximum allowable concentration for
provide an aesthetically pleasing and effective
continuous exposure for healthy adults in
contribution to your home safety.
any 8 hour period, as recommended by the
Sprue Safety Products Ltd manufactures some
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
of the most technologically advanced carbon
(OSHA).
monoxide detectors in the world.
200ppm
Slight headache, fatigue, dizziness, nausea after

FEATURES

2 - 3 hours.
400ppm
• An advanced electrochemical sensor
Frontal headaches within 1 - 2 hours, life
designed to accurately measure low levels
threatening after 3 hours.
of carbon monoxide (CO) providing an early
warning of toxic CO levels in your home 800ppm
Dizziness, nausea and convulsions within 45
• Detects carbon monoxide continuously
minutes. Unconsciousness within 2 hours.
• Resistant to false alarms caused by normal
Death within 2 - 3 hours.
household contaminants
Should you suspect CO may be affecting you or
• Sounds a loud 85dB alarm (at 1m/3 feet) to
your family, open the doors and windows of your
alert you in case of an emergency
property to ventilate, turn off your appliances
• Test/reset button
and evacuate the premises. At this time the
• Regular self-check to ensure detector is
authorities should be contacted to locate the
operating correctly
source of the carbon monoxide before re-
• Simple to mount, portable, ideal for
entering the building. Medical attention should
travelling
be sought for anyone suffering the effects of CO
poisoning (headache, nausea).
• Certified to the European Standard for
Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Common sources of CO

EN 50291-1: 2010 and EN 50291-2: 2010
• Oil and gas boilers
• 7 Year Warranty
• Portable generators
• Oil or solid fuel cookers
CARBON MONOXIDE AND
• Gas or paraffin heaters
HOW IT CAN AFFECT YOU
• Barbecues
AND YOUR FAMILY
• Clogged chimneys
Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas that kills • Gas, wood, coal or coke fireplaces
hundreds of people each year and injures many
• Cigarette smoke
more. It is often referred to as the silent killer,
• Gas appliances
it has no odour or taste and cannot be seen.
• Any fossil fuel burning appliance
Like oxygen, CO enters the body through the
lungs during the normal breathing process. It
WARNING: This First Alert carbon monoxide
competes with oxygen by replacing it in the red
detector is not a combustible gas detector,
blood cells, thereby reducing the flow of oxygen
nor a smoke detector. Please install the proper
to the heart, brain and other vital organs. In high
detectors to detect combustible gases, or
concentrations, CO can kill in minutes. smoke.
Many cases of reported carbon monoxide
This CO detector should not be seen as a
poisoning indicate that while victims are
substitute for the proper installation, use,
aware they are not feeling well, they become
and maintenance of fuel-burning appliances
disorientated and unable to save themselves
(including appropriate ventilation and exhaust
by either exiting the building or calling for
systems), nor the sweeping of chimneys.
assistance. Exposure during sleep is particularly
dangerous because the victim usually does not WARNING: : Variables relating to your fuel
wake up. burning appliances can change at any point
eg. the flue or chimney could suddenly

Symptoms of CO poisoning

become blocked or damaged, appliances may
The following symptoms may be related to CO
stop running correctly or circumstances in
poisoning which all household members should
neighbouring properties may change resulting in
be made aware of:
the presence of carbon monoxide. For this and
• Mild Exposure: Slight headache, nausea,
other reasons do not use this carbon monoxide
vomiting, fatigue (often described as detector on an
'flu-like' symptoms)
portable detector for trying to trace one source
of the spillage of combustion products from fuel
• Medium Exposure: Severe throbbing
burning appliances or from chimney.
headache, drowsiness, confusion, fast
heart rate
Do not:
• IGNORE ANY WARNING FROM YOUR CO
DETECTOR!
• Burn charcoal inside your home, caravan,
tent or cabin
• Install, convert or service fuel-burning
appliances without proper knowledge, skill
and expertise
• Use a gas cooker for heating a room
• Operate unvented gas burning appliances
using paraffin or natural gas in closed rooms
• Operate petrol-powered engines indoors or
in confined areas
• Ignore a safety device when it shuts an
appliance off
Always:
• Buy appliances accepted by a recognised
testing laboratory
• Install appliances according to the
manufacturer's instructions
• Have appliance installations carried out by
professionals (for gas appliances engineers
should be registered)
• Have your appliances checked regularly by a
qualified service engineer
• Have your chimneys and flues cleaned
professionally every year
• Make regular visual inspections of all fuel-
burning appliances
• Do not barbecue indoors, or in an attached
garage
• Open windows when a fireplace or oil/solid
fuel cooker is in use
• Only install CO detectors that meet the
requirements of EN 50291-1: 2010 and
EN 50291-2: 2010 in your home
• Be aware of CO poisoning symptoms
EDUCATE YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY
ON THE SOURCES AND SYMPTOMS OF
CO POISONING AND HOW TO USE YOUR
CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR
WHERE TO INSTALL YOUR
DETECTOR
This CO alarm is suitable for use in domestic
premises (caravan holiday homes), caravans
and motor caravans.
The following advice is applicable to all intended
applications, there are special instructions at
the end of this section relating to positioning
in caravan holiday homes, caravans and motor
caravans.
WARNING: This detector will only indicate the
presence of carbon monoxide gas at the sensor.
Carbon monoxide gas may be present in other
areas.
In which room should the detector be
installed?
Ideally, an apparatus should be installed in
every room containing a fuel burning appliance.
Additional apparatus may be installed to ensure
that adequate warning is given for occupants in
other rooms, by locating apparatus in:
• Remote rooms in which the occupant(s)
spend considerable time whilst awake
and from which they may not be able hear
an alarm from apparatus in another part
of the premises, and
• Every sleeping room
However, if there is a fuel burning appliance
intermittent basis, or as a
in more than one room and the number of
apparatus is limited, the following points should
be considered when deciding where best to put
the apparatus:
• Locate the apparatus in a room containing alarm in the same room as any combustion
a flueless or open-flued appliance, and appliance(s), located in accordance with
previous advice in this section. If the caravan
• Locate apparatus in a room where the
has a single living space which incorporates
occupant(s) spend most time
the sleeping accommodation, it can be
• If the domestic premises is a bedsit (a
considered to be equivalent to a bedsit, and a
single room serving as both sitting and
single alarm is sufficient. However, any sleeping
bedroom) then the apparatus should
accommodation which is in a separate room
be put as far from the cooking appliances
from the combustion appliance(s) should also
as possible but near to where the person
contain an alarm, located in accordance with
sleeps
previous advice in this section.
• If the appliance is in a room not normally
It is not always possible to find an optimum
used (for example a boiler room), the
location for an apparatus, for example, a
apparatus should be put just outside the
small caravan may not have suitable vertical
room so that the alarm may be heard
surfaces available. Nevertheless, when fitting
more easily.
an apparatus in such situations, the two most
important considerations when selecting an
Where in the room should I place the detector?
appropriate location are:
Apparatus located in the same room as a fuel-
• Not mounting the apparatus directly above a
burning appliance:
source of heat or steam; and
A For both wall and ceiling mounted
• Mounting the apparatus at a distance of
apparatus the following applies:
1 – 3 m from the nearest edge of the potential
• The apparatus should be at a horizontal source.
distance of between 1m and 3m from the
potential source
• If there is a partition in a room, the
apparatus should be located on the same
HOW TO INSTALL
side of the partition as the potential source
YOUR DETECTOR
• Carbon Monoxide detectors in rooms
NOTE: This apparatus should
with sloped ceilings should be located at
the high side of the room be installed by a competent
person who feels able to
B In addition to the previous points the
install it according to the
following must be observed:
instructions.
If the apparatus is located on a wall:
Firstly write the installation
date on your detector in
• it should be located close to the ceiling;
the area
• it should be located at a height greater
recommend
than the height of any door or window;
detector is installed on the
• it should be at least 150mm from the wall.
ceiling.
To mount on a wall or
ceiling:
If the apparatus is located on the ceiling:
Please ensure that you use
• it should be at least 300mm from any wall
the screws provided, as they
and any ceiling obstruction e.g. light
were chosen specifically for
fittings.
use with this product. Use
Apparatus located in sleeping rooms and in
template below for guidance
rooms remote from a fuel burning appliance: on marking hole positions.
Drill holes into the wall. Insert
• Apparatus located in sleeping rooms
the plastic wall plugs. Screw
or located in rooms remote from the
in the screws. Ensure screws
fuel-burning appliance should be located
are protruding from the wall
relatively close to the breathing zone of
by 3mm to allow detector to
the occupants
slot onto screws.
Where not to put the detector
To place on a shelf:
The apparatus should not be installed:
The base of the detector has
been designed to allow it to
• In an enclosed space (for example in a
stand freely on a shelf.
cupboard or behind a curtain)
WARNING: When placing
• Where it can be obstructed (for example
on a shelf, please follow to
by furniture)
the recommendations
• Directly above a sink
positioning.
• Next to a door or window
• Next to an extractor fan
• Next to an air vent or other similar
ventilation openings
• In an area where the temperature may
drop below -10°C or exceed 40°C
• Where dirt and dust may block the sensor
BATTERY INSTALLATION /
• In a damp or humid location (for example
REPLACEMENT
in a bathroom)
A If the detector is already wall or ceiling
• Less than 1m/3 feet from any appliance
mounted then unhook it from the
• Within 1m (3 feet) of mobile phones
mounting screws.
B Remove the battery cover located on the
Caravans
back of the detector.
Caravans may have additional risks of carbon
monoxide ingress through air vents due to the
C Replace the batteries with 2 x approved
nearby presence of other vehicles, engines,
1.5 volt AA size alkaline batteries,
generators or barbecues, however this does
making sure the batteries are the correct
not change the basic guidance on location of
way round. Use of batteries other than
the alarm. Caravans should be fitted with an
those recommended by Sprue Safety
Products Ltd may have a detrimental
effect on the detector's operation.
Replace the battery cover and return the
detector to its original position.
D Your advanced First Alert CO detector
requires a short 'warm-up' period before
it is fully operational.
If you have followed all of the above steps
correctly, your unit will begin monitoring for
CO in around 3 minutes. When the 3 minute
warm-up period is complete,
will flash green once per minute to indicate
that the alarm is receiving power from the
batteries and is fully operational (if your detector
provided. We
chirps or enters alarm following the 3 minute
that your
warm-up period and your product is still within
warranty, then please contact technical support
for advice).
E Test the sounder, batteries and
by pressing and holding the Test/Reset
button for 1 second. The sounder should
sound as soon as the button is pressed,
and the Alarm LED will illuminate red for
a short time indicating that the sounder is
working and the batteries are providing power
to the unit. This test for the sounder, batteries
and circuitry should be performed weekly.
WARNING: Prolonged exposure to the sounder
in close proximity to your ears may damage your
hearing.
Under normal operating
batteries should last for at least 12 months.
The detector will not protect against the risk of
carbon monoxide poisoning when the batteries
have drained.
WARNING: Prolonged exposure to extreme
high or low temperatures may reduce the life of
for
the batteries.

OPERATING FEATURES

Your First Alert CO detector offers many features
which set it apart from other CO detectors on
the market today.
Test/Reset button feature
This button will:
• Test the sounder, batteries and circuitry
• Allow you to test the sensor by
introducing a source of CO into the
detector (see 'Testing The Sensor' below)
• Silence the loud 85dB sounder during an
alarm (only possible when current CO
level is less than 50ppm)

Testing the sounder, batteries and circuitry

Test the sounder, batteries and circuitry by
pressing and holding the Test/Reset button for 1
second to confirm that the detector is operating
Press ridged
area in and slide
door out to
reveal battery
compartment
the Power LED
circuitry
conditions, the