Van Carbon Monoxide Safety

July 28, 2020 by Ben Leave a Comment

Van Carbon Monoxide Safety. If you use any type of combustion heater in your Van then you should think about Carbon Monoxide Safety.

We were concerned about low levels of CO, so we decided to get a carbon monoxide meter to put our minds at ease.

Van Carbon Monoxide Safety

Thoughts About Our Carbon Monoxide Detector

As part of our Parking Heater installation, We installed a Nest Protect Battery Powered Smoke and CO Alarm to let us know if any CO is accumulating in the van while the heater is on.

Something to note about household Carbon Monoxide detectors is the alarm threshold levels. I.e the amount of Carbon Monoxide that will cause the alarm to sound.

At low-level concentrations, our detector could take up to 10 hrs before it warns us of a problem.

Enter The Carbon Monoxide Meter

Unlike a CO Detector, a Carbon Monoxide Meter will allow you to see a real-time measurement of your current van space Carbon Monoxide concentrations.

Testing In The CO Levels Inside The Van

We ran the heater for an extended period, taking measurements from the supply air vents as other areas in the Van. Although not surprising, It was relieving to see zero concentration levels of CO in the van.

Testing The Meter Against a Known Source Of CO

We tested the meter in our kitchen. With the windows closed and roof fan vent off, we boiled some water. It didn’t take long to see the CO concentrations creep up and register on our meter.

Conclusion

While it is not a replacement for a quality Carbon Monoxide Detector. Using a Carbon Monoxide Meter to test your heated space Carbon Monoxide concentrations can help you rest at ease knowing you are not spending long periods in unhealthy low-level concentrations.