Kidde makes good CO detectors. We've had several Nighthawks for years and they've worked well (at least we think so, never had a CO problem). Our previous version was the the COPP-3 (we had a couple of experiences with the low battery chirping-- a nuisance in the middle of the night--and once, it happened again shortly after we had put a new battery in. Others have had many more problems in that regard--see reviews).
It was time to replace them. We first bought 3 Kidde KN-COPP-B Front Load Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display--but ran into several problems (see my review). The biggest problem was that Amazon's stock was old (the detectors were over 2 years old) and the warranty was only for 5 years. Other downsides are that they required mounting and were only battery operated! We returned them making use of Amazon's consumer-friendly return policy.
We then bought this model. It has these great features.
1) Comes with a 7-year warranty (new feature, old had 5 years).
2) Shows the CO level continuously. It's reassuring to see the red LED showing 0!
3) Has a well designed, clearly organized printed manual (a small booklet).
4) Operates off of AC with a battery backup. (That's helpful as you have the best of both worlds!)
5) Has peak level button (this is a new feature).
6) Battery included.
A Big Downside:
A big downside is that they eliminated the plug on a cord. That was really helpful as it gives the user real flexibility in where to put the detector. In our bedroom, the only accessible plugs are beside a dresser in a corner or between bookshelves and the TV stand, meaning less air flow. With the old model, you could plug in the device and then with the cord, put the detector on the top of a bookshelf or stand. Much more convenient.
The other problem, which plagues all the CO detectors and many other products on the market, is the infuriating, hard plastic packaging. It's hard to open and I even cut myself on it. There are alternatives that are just as secure but much friendlier to the environment and the customer!
We still have a year or two left on one of our old ones, so we're keeping that. We also bought a First Alert CO615, which does have the cord, and we'll probably move that into our bedroom when the time comes. (But it has more negatives--see review!) Kidde 900-0234 Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Long Life AC Powered with Battery Backup and Digital Display
The alarm on this device could wake the dead. It is larger than it appears, and covers both receptacles. Installing the back-up battery isn't fast--you must unscrew a little screw to get the battery door open, and reinstall it to get the door closed again. Believe the instructions when they tell you to plug it in as soon as the battery is installed to avoid the alarm going off. I didn't time how long before the alarm sounded, but it isn't long at all based on my personal experience. I suggest you install the battery in the room where you are going to install the unit. It is reassuring to see the red zero on the displays. I have two of them, and would buy the product again.
Set up was easy. Love the digital read-out. And I love that in 7 years the unit will tell me it's time to replace it. Nice sticker on the top to write in the date myself too.
My only complaint, if you want to call it that, is that you have to hit the button in the back to kill the sound that you hear continuously if you unplug the unit from the ac. Glad I figured that out before the first power failure or the unit would have gone on and on.
Overall, a great unit at a great price.
Long-lived CO alarm requires replacement at the 7-year mark, and has an annoying tamper-resistant feature (but it can be turned off).
After learning that home carbon-monoxide sensors have a finite lifespan, I decided to replace my oldest Nighthawk (well past its "expiration" as far as I can tell), with one of this new product line that is supposed to be effective for longer.
I found a few interesting differences between this new model and my older ones. One is that while this model is rated to last 7 years, it actually has planned obsolescence-- at the 7 year mark (from 1st power-up), it begins to chirp every 15 seconds. That means in 7 years, you must replace or discard the unit. Since I doubt the sensor completely fails between 6yrs364days and 7yrs, this seems like an attempt by Kidde to ensure sales volume (or to reduce liability by picking a "safe" cut-off). I'd have been happier with the ability to either service the unit (replace the sensor rather than discard the whole), or just have a "replace unit" warning light. I'd think it better to have a unit working with diminished capability, than to have no unit at all.
There are also alarms tied to the unit receiving AC power, with the unit sounding a loud tamper-warning otherwise. Eg, once the unit has a battery in it and is plugged in, if you were to simply unplug the unit, it would sound a very loud, persistent alarm. So to move it, you have to hold down the test button for 2-seconds first, to get a 2-minute unplugged grace period before the tamper-siren sounds.
I'm not sure if this feature is aimed at consumers with small misbehaved children, or aimed at those paranoid about malicious actions, but it seems out of place in an adults-only household. Reading the manual, I did discover that this feature can be disabled (hold down the button on the back, and use a screwdriver to slide a recessed switch to a disabled position). I'm glad the "feature" can be disabled, but considering the number of reviews here that mention the tamper-alarm, this work-around seems non-obvious.
Like most recent alarm devices, this unit will beep regularly when it has a low battery (a feature not present in my oldest Nighthawk), but thankfully it does have the ability to silence that beeping (for 12 hours) by holding down the test button (since these batteries seem to always fail during the middle of the night).
The manual states that using the recommended brands of 9v batteries, this unit will run on battery-only
for 20 hours.
I haven't had any CO problems, but this unit seems like it'll do the job, but I dock 1-star for overly noisy warnings and planned obsolescence. - Carbon Monoxide Alarm - Carbon Monoxide Detectors'
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