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There’s a new warning about three similar-looking carbon monoxide alarms that may pose a safety hazard.
According to Consumer Reports, three off-brand alarms failed critical performance tests and were rated “Don’t Buy: Safety Risk” by the consumer advocacy group.
The specific products were purchased on either Amazon or eBay.
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• NetBoat WB_H3110061 LCD Portable Security Gas CO Carbon Poisoning Monitor (Amazon)
• Foho YJ-806 LCD Portable Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Monitor Alarm (Amazon)
• GoChange 882 LCD Portable Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Monitor Alarm (eBay)
When exposed to carbon monoxide, Consumer Reports said these alarms either failed to sound or sounded too quickly.
“Models that alarm too quickly make it more likely that a consumer would remove the batteries or disconnect the alarm to stop nuisance alarms,” says Bernie Deitrick, Consumer Reports test engineer. “That can leave people unprotected in dangerous situations.”
There are no known reports of deaths or injuries caused by these specific products.
Consumer Reports notified the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) of its findings, and Amazon and eBay said they have removed the products from their sites.
The three alarms didn’t have a brand logo on the individual product itself or on the packaging.
Consumer Reports said the models also didn’t have a logo to indicate that they’ve been tested to meet UL’s carbon monoxide alarm standard (UL-2034), a key thing for consumers to look for.
“If your alarm does not carry certification that it has passed the UL standard’s requirements, we recommend that you replace it either with one that does or with one that has passed our tests,” said Deitrick. “All the tested models in Consumer Reports’ ratings that are assigned an overall score will reliably alert you to dangerous levels of CO, without triggering nuisance alarms at lower levels.”
The top-rated carbon monoxide alarm by Consumer Reports is the First Alert CO615. Read more in CR’s CO alarm buying guide.
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This post was last modified on March 24, 2017 11:34 am
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