I need a Carbon Monoxide detector...

[Chad711]

Its one of the few tools I have not purchased after going out on my own. I'm looking on eBay and do see some cheap ones at around $150, but I want one that will work more than once if you know what I mean.

Or am I totally off base, are these cheap one ok?

[WhoIsThat?]

are these cheap one ok?
For the price you pay,
what is the mean time between failures for the unit you are interested in? It's hard to spin a single, hard, number but I've seen it done.

What is its shelf life?

How long before it drifts out of calibration? What does recalibration cost?

Can you post links to candidate instruments you are considering?

[Jim Davis]

If you run service you really need a combustion analyzer that does carbon monoxide, oxygen and flue temperature.

If you want it to detect cracked heat exchangers you will be disappointed, but if you want it to detect unsafe equipment it can accomplish that. Most equipment on E-bay may need replacement sensors and calibration. I'm afraid if you want a real instrument that can do many things you might have to spend $800 to $1100. But it can make you tens of thousands of dollars additional income that you didn't even know existed.

Like WhoisThat stated, what have you looked at?

[WhoIsThat?]

it can make you tens of thousands of dollars additional income that you didn't even know existed.

. . .which will shorten the payback period.

Maybe there is
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:economy+of+scale&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title
even for the features that a test instrument offers.

[souper phly]

If you want it to detect cracked heat exchangers you will be disappointed,

Are you referring to a CO meter or a comb analyzer? I thought the latter could find bad exchangers by O2 readings.

[KLEINman]

Its one of the few tools I have not purchased after going out on my own. I'm looking on eBay and do see some cheap ones at around $150, but I want one that will work more than once if you know what I mean.

Or am I totally off base, are these cheap one ok?

If your looking for just a personal co meter, i would choose either the supco CO1000($180 from united refrigeration), or the fluke version. Both are accurate and the sensor last about three years. when it comes to something like a CO meter, you dont wanna mess around imo. ive been to the NCI co and combustion analysis course, it really opened my eyes to the dangers of co.

[AccurateHT]

Assuming an ambient detector is what you want, the fluke co-220 is inexpensive and reliable. If you have a spare fluke multimeter available the co-210 is the same sensor w/out the meter, it plugs right in.

[sharps]

I use a UEI CO91 co detector. It was over 300 dollars 2 years ago. It has been very reliable. You can buy an attachment with it to record min and max levels. And you can take flue temps. I do wish I had bought the combustion analyzer though.

[WhoIsThat?]

I do wish I had bought the combustion analyzer though.
According to this, you should still buy it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost
"Economics proposes that . . .[you do]. . .not let sunk costs influence [your] decisions, because doing so would not be assessing a decision exclusively on its own merits."

[sharps]

According to this, you should still buy it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunk_cost
"Economics proposes that . . .[you do]. . .not let sunk costs influence [your] decisions, because doing so would not be assessing a decision exclusively on its own merits."

You are correct. Good link.

[Chad711]

Hey guys, I have decided that I had better get an analyzer instead.
I dont need a printer I know those systems add alot of costs, so maybe someone could recommend an analyzer that wont go tits up on me after a few days. I do realize I cant leave it in m,y truck on these -30 days!

[Chad711]

I had one of these a few years back and it was ALWAYS going out on me. Have they improved? http://cgi.ebay.com/Bacharach-Combustion-Analyzer-Fyrite-Tech-60-NEW_W0QQitemZ260337259470QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_Def aultDomain_0?hash=item260337259470&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50