CooToo Question?

[mainedvr]

Just received my new CooToo dual gas analyzer. I did the calibration with out smartphone then tested it with a tank that had previoulsy analyzed and it was dead on.

Was wondering a few things.

• Do you need to do a bump test for CO? If so is there a test gas available or just any CO bump gas will work.
• How accurate is it just using ambient air and no smart phone? I did the inital calibration and it seems to be dead on with my other unit.
• Do I need to use a flow restrictor fo the unit. It came with the adapter for the LP hose and assuming it can be used at the tank valve.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Tbar]

• Do you need to do a bump test for CO? If so is there a test gas available or just any CO bump gas will work.

It should be calibrated each year, you can use your breath to test it is reading CO.

• How accurate is it just using ambient air and no smart phone?

Both are the same accuracy

• Do I need to use a flow restrictor fo the unit. It came with the adapter for the LP hose and assuming it can be used at the tank valve.

I only use the LP connector, easier to be sure you are getting the right flow of gas.

 

[mainedvr]

• Do you need to do a bump test for CO? If so is there a test gas available or just any CO bump gas will work.

It should be calibrated each year, you can use your breath to test it is reading CO.

• How accurate is it just using ambient air and no smart phone?

Both are the same accuracy

• Do I need to use a flow restrictor fo the unit. It came with the adapter for the LP hose and assuming it can be used at the tank valve.

I only use the LP connector, easier to be sure you are getting the right flow of gas.

When using the LP connector do you turn the tank on full or just till you have a flow, do not see that anywhere in the paper work and do not want to blow out the cell.

 

[Tbar]

The LP connector has a flow restricter. You can turn the tank on full and check tank pressure while analyzing.

 

[sea_otter]

You can use your breath to test it is reading CO.

How does that work? I don't exhale any carbon monoxide? Unless perhaps you're a heavy smoker?

When using the LP connector do you turn the tank on full or just till you have a flow, do not see that anywhere in the paper work and do not want to blow out the cell.

I turn the tank on full. The regulator does the regulating, and you only end up with a very small stream of gas hitting the analyzer. It works well.

 

[Tbar]

How does that work? I don't exhale any carbon monoxide? Unless perhaps you're a heavy smoker?

You exhale some CO, even non smokers...

 

[sea_otter]

You exhale some CO, even non smokers...

Hmm... mine seems to read 0-1, which seems to be within margin of error for ambient air. Though it's almost always 0 attached to my scuba tanks.

I haven't tried it against my car's exhaust pipe, though?

 

[DandyDon]

How does that work? I don't exhale any carbon monoxide? Unless perhaps you're a heavy smoker?

Smokers exhale more CO than nons, but everyone exhales some.

I haven't tried it against my car's exhaust pipe, though?

Don't. That can be too much and cause damage.

 

[sea_otter]

Smokers exhale more CO than nons, but everyone exhales some.


Don't. That can be too much and cause damage.

Wasn't really planning to. I'd think the water vapor in your breath would also cause damage to the sensors, but perhaps I'm over-paranoid on something that I use often around pretty wet ocean air anyhow.

So I did some Googling to try to figure out how much CO is in the average person's exhaled breath, and stats seem to come back as 0-2 PPM, which is seems within the margin for error. My analyzer has always read 0 or 1.

Smokers can exhale 5 PPM (days after their last cigarette) to as much as 30 PPM (hour after last cigarette). That, unlike a healthy individual, would be significant enough to notice.

 

[Tbar]

Hmm... mine seems to read 0-1, which seems to be within margin of error for ambient air. Though it's almost always 0 attached to my scuba tanks.

I expect about 3 ppm, that's about my normal reading. I can't get the link from this reference "The measurement of exhaled carbon monoxide in healthy smokers and non-smokers"

They say:
The mean exhaled CO level was 17.13±8.50 parts per million (ppm) for healthy smokers and 3.61±2.15 ppm for healthy non-smokers, and 5.20±3.38 ppm for passive smokers.

So it would seem it can be from about 1.5 to 6 ppm.