Do get a co analyzer or not?

[DandyDon]

DandyDon--

Do you replace the battery in your Analox CO analyzer every year?

No, I don't use it that much so the first one lasted for years. I do carry a spare and a screwdriver on trips, but I take everything I can think of.

I will use it more now, on air tanks, after seeing divers go deep on 36% by mistake.

 

[TomZ]

As far as use of the Analox CO tester, I have a couple of tips:

The exhaust from an engine will effect readings. Make sure you do it prior to engines running, or while underway.
The BC restrictor that came with my oxygen tester works like a champ with the CO monitor. The restrictor plugs into the BC fill hose, then a clear tube to a black plastic dome that threads onto the actual oxygen analyzer. I just hold the dome onto the dome of the tester. The restrictor makes disconnecting the reg unnecessary, and only lets a very small amount of gas out of the tank. Doing both tests only takes a minute. Additionaly during my Nitrox class, my instructor let us learn that flow rate effects consistent O2 readings. With the restrictor the flow is always the same. I got the restrictor with the Oxycheq El Cheapo II kit.

http://oxycheq.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_7&products_id=46

 

[txaggie08]

Yall effectively scared me into buying one of the analox units. Should be here tomorrow

 

[DandyDon]

Yall effectively scared me into buying one of the analox units. Should be here tomorrow

:laughing: Fear is not necessary, but it's good to be careful. Depending on where you get air, it may be a while before you get your first reading that makes you glad you did. see http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ba...ing-tanks-co-when-you-never-get-readings.html

 

[txaggie08]

I'm going to cozumel in 6 days...... the more I read about the issues on that island, the more it seemed pertinent to do.


We also have our own compressors at the FD we fill off of, I have no idea how those are being monitored.

 

[DandyDon]

I'm going to cozumel in 6 days...... the more I read about the issues on that island, the more it seemed pertinent to do.

We also have our own compressors at the FD we fill off of, I have no idea how those are being monitored.

Coz tanks may well be cleaner overall than other Latin American destinations, but it only takes one miss to ruin a dive, day, vacation, or more. If you want to know, you test.

FD compressors are mostly for air to be used on the surface, so while the regulations require it to be clean, problems are not as obvious as when you go deep - so good to check those too. A leading expert in FD compressors and problems has helped me many times on my exploration of this subject.

 

[txaggie08]

OK got my smalls unit in today. We've blown in it after calibrating, and can only get it to read 1ppm Max(001 on the readout). Is this right? Scubatoys didn't send me test gas....... now you get the thing anywhere near the exhaust of the truck and it throw a number like 800lol. Is there a good way to calibrate it without the gas??

 

[DandyDon]

OK got my smalls unit in today. We've blown in it after calibrating, and can only get it to read 1ppm Max(001 on the readout). Is this right? Scubatoys didn't send me test gas....... now you get the thing anywhere near the exhaust of the truck and it throw a number like 800lol. Is there a good way to calibrate it without the gas??

"smalls unit"...?

Don't test on your truck again! You can ruin one that way. As far as testing, find a smoker to blow in the hole for 5 seconds. You'll get a higher reading.

For calibration: You do that but turning the knob to zero, then test by blowing into it. As long as you get a 1 or more, it works. If not, find a smoker. No, you don't want him smoking at the time. His breath will show a few digits of CO well after he puts the last one out.

Did it go to 800, really? I hope you didn't contaminate your sensor. You might leave it out with the restrictor dome off overnight, then calibrate, then blow to see if you get a change ok.

 

[txaggie08]

smalls is my phone aut correcting analox.

It went bonker, it was near my exhaust maybe half a second. It returned to zero at aprox the same calibration point after a minute or two with the dome off. If I blow in it now it shows a 001, mom shows a 002.

Yeah it shot in the high 600's at least. I'm assuming if it is reading some while blowing in it, then re-zeroing(calibration knob is over 1/3, nearly at mid point) I didn't do any damage? Didn't realize trying it that close to a big co source might hurt it(oops on my part)



My fill from th FD tonight shows 000 btw....

 

[DandyDon]

I think you are fine and the unit works correctly. No more science experiments.

Car exhausts are nasty alright. Many household CO accidents & deaths happen with cars idling in an attached garage. I have 2 CO monitors in my home: 1 close to the door to the garage, gas water heater, etc, and the other in my bedroom.