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Part One – Your Nighthawk CO Alarm
Part One – Your Nighthawk CO Alarm
How to Know If Your Alarm is Malfunctioning (cont.)
Never ignore a CO alarm. A true alarm is an indication of potentially
dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. CO alarms are designed to
alert you to the presence of carbon monoxide before an emergency,
before most people would experience symptoms of carbon monoxide
poisoning, giving you time to resolve the problem calmly.
How to Care for Your Alarm
To keep your CO alarm in good working order, you must follow
these simple steps:
•Test the alarm once a week by pressing the Test/Reset button
•Vacuum the alarm cover once a month to remove accumulated
dust. Use the soft brush attachment of your vacuum cleaner, and
unplug the alarm from the electrical outlet before vacuuming.
•Instruct children never to touch, unplug or otherwise interfere
with the unit. Warn children of the dangers of CO poisoning.
•Never use detergents or solvents to clean the alarm. Chemicals
can permanently damage or temporarily contaminate the sensor.
•Avoid spraying air fresheners, hair spray, paint or other aerosols
near the CO alarm.
•Do not paint the CO alarm. Paint will seal the vents and interfere
with proper sensor operation.
•Do not mount the CO alarm directly above or near a diaper pail,
as high amounts of methane gas can cause temporary readings
on the digital display.
Note: If you will be staining or stripping wood floors or furniture,
painting, wall-papering, or using aerosols or adhesives for a do-it-your-
self project or hobby, before you begin: Remove the CO alarm to a
remote location to prevent possible damage to or contamination
of the sensor. You may wish to unplug the CO alarm and store in a
plastic bag during the project.
The following is a list of substances that at high levels can affect the
sensor and cause temporary readings on the digital display that are not
carbon monoxide readings:
Methane, propane, iso-butane, ethylene, ethanol, alcohol,
iso-propanol, benzene, toluene, ethyl acetate, hydrogen, hydro-
gen sulfide, sulfur dioxides.
Also most aerosol sprays, alcohol based products, paints, thin-
ners, solvents, adhesives, hair sprays, after shaves, perfumes,
auto exhaust (cold start) and some cleaning agents.
The Peak Level Memory Button
Although the peak level feature will display levels below 30 PPM, these levels
will not result in an alarm no matter how long the device is exposed to these
levels.
The peak level feature is helpful in indentifying low level CO occurrences
below 30 PPM. Although the unit will not automatically display levels below
30 PPM, it will detect and store these readings in memory. By pressing the
peak level button, concentration levels as low as 11 and up to 999 PPM will
be displayed.
Concentrations of CO between 0 and 30 PPM can often occur in normal,
everyday conditions. Concentrations of CO below 30 PPM may be an indica-
tion of a transient condition that may appear today and never reappear. Just a
few examples of conditions and/or sources that may cause low level readings
are heavy automobile traffic, a running vehicle in an attached garage, an appli-
ance that emits CO when starting up, a fire in a fireplace or charcoal in a
nearby barbecue. A temperature inversion can trap CO generated by traffic
and other fuel burning appliances causing low level readings of CO.
Normally, the digital display will read “0” and under certain conditions you
may notice levels of 30 or more for short periods of time, by using the peak
level memory feature on the Nighthawk CO alarm you can view concentra-
tions of CO between 11 and 30 PPM. Use the low-level concentrations shown
in memory as a tool in identifying the source of the CO. It may be helpful to
purchase additional Nighthawk CO Alarms to place in different locations
throughout your house to isolate the CO source. Monitor the CO concentra-
tions shown in the peak level memory to see if readings occur in certain areas
at certain times of the day, or near a particular appliance.
Once the source is located, correcting the problem may be as easy as opening
a window, venting an appliance, backing a car out of the garage a safe dis-
tance from living quarters, closing the garage door, and letting the car warm up
outside. It could be possible that a weather condition caused the low-level
reading and the condition may or may not happen again.
Some CO conditions may start out as low level leaks but could develop into
CO concentrations that could become harmful. If this happens, the CO alarm
will detect the dangerous level and alarm, notifying you and others of the
conditions. DO NOT ignore high concentration readings above 30 PPM or a
CO alarming device that is in alarm. Refer to page 4-2 for more details.
CO concentrations displayed below 30 PPM in memory are for reference only
and the accuracy of the concentration shown may not be as accurate as noted
on page 5-2.
To Reset the Peak Level Memory…
Step 1. Press the peak level button.
Step 2. With the peak level button still pressed, press the test/reset button as well.
The number on the display will turn to “0”. The memory has now been cleared
and the alarm will begin monitoring for CO within 20 seconds.
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WHAT YOU SHOULD DO:
WHAT YOU SHOULD NOT DO:
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