Carbon Monoxide tank risks and protections .

[swamp diver]

Thanks! looks a viable option. I'll ask about accuracy. (However, lethal 10+ppm
doses are probably well detected by the unit)

The only other negative on the unit is that it is not water-resistant at all. There is a direct pathway from the rubber cup which goes against the tank valve into the electronics and battery compartment.

The Analox has an ingress protection (IP) rating of IP65 which I seem to recall means impervious to dust and can withstand water spray or an accidental shallow dunk. Something to think about when using these analyzers on boats.

 

[Ayisha]

I won 2 CO-Pro testing packs last fall. I am going to be diving in Grenada in a few days and am debating whether I should take them and whether I will use them. I feel like using it might be really insulting for the dive shop and could invite lots of attention and maybe even snickers from other divers. There won't be much of a way to do it privately out of sight of others like I could do with my own tanks. If I used them or a CO analyzer locally, I wouldn't want to offend my LDS' either and wouldn't want to use it in front of them for sure.

I don't know if anyone else feels nervous about offending anyone or people thinking they're obsessed with CO...

 

[Golo]

[...]

But back to the topic at hand. I have found you a possible solution and hope you could be the first to review this CO analyzer from Italy. Here is a description from a shop in Switzerland and the price is approximately 278 EURO. It is an interesting device from an engineering design standpoint because it apparently makes use of a new technology where the device either produces a known quantity of reference gas for calibration or a known amount comes contained in a sealed reference cell within the sensor.

So the device does not require calibration which is a big positive, however the downside is I expect the sensor is expensive to replace and I know from personal experience after using several of their other analyzers (for other contaminants) that the power consumption for these sensors is massive which is the big negative. You'll need to take a half dozen 9 volt cells with you on a ten day dive vacation I suspect.
CO Messgerät
OE-OX® Schnell-Analyse Geräte - Deutsche Unterwasser AG

You can email the owner Eugenio if you have any questions.
DE-OX® SAFE: carbon monoxide analyzer - Temc

I actually bought one of these when I was back to Germany for Christmas. Ordered at dtuag, came within a week as promised and they replied to mails on a Sunday. Didn't use it yet though, as it's still too cold for me for diving, so can't review the use of the unit yet, but can do once I used it.

 

[DandyDon]

I won 2 CO-Pro testing packs last fall. I am going to be diving in Grenada in a few days and am debating whether I should take them and whether I will use them. I feel like using it might be really insulting for the dive shop and could invite lots of attention and maybe even snickers from other divers. There won't be much of a way to do it privately out of sight of others like I could do with my own tanks. If I used them or a CO analyzer locally, I wouldn't want to offend my LDS' either and wouldn't want to use it in front of them for sure.

I don't know if anyone else feels nervous about offending anyone or people thinking they're obsessed with CO...

I'd be concerned about anyone who seemed insulted. Testing my tanks is just a good safety practice that no one should ever object to, and I would wonder why they would mind my confirming that their product is good to use. I have never been shy about testing tanks in front of the operator. I don't think much of the CO-Pro, but let us know how they work out, ok?

There may be some Ops who would be insulted, and I suggest that they are a big part of the problem. I'd like to expose any, myself.

 

[Peter_C]

I don't know if anyone else feels nervous about offending anyone or people thinking they're obsessed with CO...

I could careless what anyone says about me testing my tank. I am used to people looking funny at me with my "different" dive gear anyhow. I am not going to make a big deal about it and if someone wasn't watching closely they probably wouldn't even know what I am doing. Now if the tank failed...I would be very outspoken and you will read about it here on the internet. I will also happily offer props the the offending shop if they resolve the issue and add CO meters to their compressor(s).

If someone started questioning me I would just answer the questions, and if someone started getting upset, I would probably just tell them I am being cautious, leaving it at that.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Most of the divers on the boat will not even notice or merely be curious. If they are curious and ask what you are doing, go ahead and tell them. The curious with the forthrightness to ask you will probably be intrigued and so become more educated. The dive op personnel may ever so slightly roll their eyes but if they do shame on them. Perhaps they will tell you they have monitors on their compressor which would be a good thing to be told and then you can say you want to practice the process anyway. Initially just go about your business, quietly calmly as if whatever you are doing with your gear is quite standard prep for you. Then sit down and visualize your dive. Ooooommmmm . . .

 

[tamas970]

Did you do a bump test? Can it detect the 1-2ppm CO in the breath? (like the analox)

I actually bought one of these when I was back to Germany for Christmas. Ordered at dtuag, came within a week as promised and they replied to mails on a Sunday. Didn't use it yet though, as it's still too cold for me for diving, so can't review the use of the unit yet, but can do once I used it.

 

[Peter_C]

Did you do a bump test? Can it detect the 1-2ppm CO in the breath? (like the analox)

FWIW Nuvair told me NOT to use breath as it contains a lot of moisture which over time will destroy a very expensive sensor.

Instead I bought a regulator off of ebay for $15 and you can find the gas in propane sized bottles at around $72. Then again I prefer the word industrial, over trial sized. Unless continually traveling, it just needs to be tested before a trip.

 

[swamp diver]

I don't know if anyone else feels nervous about offending anyone or people thinking they're obsessed with CO...

Don't worry about what anyone else thinks and in my experience of testing for over five years now I have never had a negative experience with other divers or the dive shop rather lots of curiosity. You check the O2 content in your nitrox so why not the CO content in the same tank?

In Cuba with an analyzer we identified that all the divers at the back of the boat were inhaling over 200 ppm of CO on the way out to the dive site and in Roatan two winters ago a friend had every tank in the group of ten contaminated with CO in the 5 to 30 ppm range. The same thing happened to another friend while on a liveaboard in Indonesia last year. The CO risk is very real but sporadic so the only way to reduce that risk to zero is test each and every tank if the compressor operators don't have a functioning and calibrated CO monitor on their compressor.

It's a great opportunity to educate others and I probably could have sold a dozen CO analyzers on the spot had I had them on the various trips.

 

[DandyDon]

I really don't think a diver should feel embarrassed in the least checking a tank for quality anymore than checking to see if it's full. Under 3 ppm CO @ 3,000 psi and I got what I paid for; otherwise, fail...!!