Elk-Tamer t1_itbaoim wrote on October 22, 2022 at 9:34 AM

Reply to comment by hicow in Pilot light playing hard to get by dingustotalicus

If you think about it, and that's a huge simplification, the weight of the elements is like this: C<N<O. Now, our air consists primarily of N2 and O2. CO consists of one of the lighter atoms and one of the heavier atoms. The average weight is around the level of N2, but lighter than O2. Meaning, it's generally lighter that our air, but only to a small extent.

So in general, CO detectors can be near the ceiling, but they don't have to be. Someone once told me to hang them in the height of the average breather in the house. But definitively not near ground level.

hicow t1_itbgr7r wrote on October 22, 2022 at 10:59 AM

I think I was thinking of radon

MooseBoys t1_itc1e0p wrote on October 22, 2022 at 2:20 PM

Crucially, the difference in density is small enough that diffusion forces dominate at room temperature. The only issue with placement is ensuring the detector is in an area where the air can easily diffuse to. E.g. don’t put it in a closet, behind a dresser, or in a highly concave corner. These positions will eventually detect CO, but due to the room geometry it may take significantly longer which can easily mean the difference between life and death.