Carbon Dioxide Detectors Detectors are designed to detect high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) gas and sound alarms in order to warn occupants or employees of danger. CO is an invisible and odorless gas that can poison people when inhaled at dangerous levels. CO from furnaces, cars, generators, campers, charcoal or wood burning stoves or lanterns can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces such as garages and homes if not properly vented.

Most modern detectors utilize non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) sensors as the core technology for detecting CO2. When a sample of air is passed through the sensor, the molecules of CO2 gas absorb a specific band of IR light while letting other wavelengths pass through. The number of absorbed molecules is directly proportional to the amount of CO2 in the sample, enabling the sensor to be used to count the CO2 molecules.

Different types of detectors are typically categorized by how they are used and by their location in the airway circuit. Mainstream detectors that are placed directly in the path of gas flow often produce real-time graphs showing a CO2 waveform. This type of sensor is best for monitoring intubated patients. Sidestream detectors that are located off the main path of gas flow, use small diameter tubing leading to a sensor that allows for gas sampling.

The Role of Carbon Dioxide Detectors in Indoor Air Quality Management

Whether the detector is a fixed unit that monitors a specific area or a portable one that can be taken from job site to job site, it is important that all CO detectors are UL Listed as they must comply with minimum sensitivity and alarm characteristics outlined by Underwriters Laboratory in their standard for Carbon Dioxide detectors UL 2034. Be sure to have a battery operated or backup battery-operated CO detector in your home and check its batteries every spring and fall when you change the time on your clocks.