Kidde KN-COSM-B Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm with Talking Alarm
by Kidde
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Kidde KN-COSM-B Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm with Talking Alarm
Customer Review: Voice too quiet, otherwise ok
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this for three reasons:
1 To provide portable battery-operated smoke detection.
2 To provide an additional CO alarm.
3 For the voice alarm feature (which is weak)
My house has ionization smoke detectors that are hardwired with battery-backup and interconnects. This Kidde model does not have hardwire (w/battery backup) or interconnect capability but a similar Kidde model KN-COSN-IB does. I recommend that one, but bought this one so I could use it in a tent camping. It would also be the right choice for someone with a dwelling that does not have hardwiring for detectors and isn't willing to install it.
I use combination CO and Explosive gas alarms (KN-COEG-3) in the garage and near any natural gas or combustion appliances (the laundry room and kitchen and fireplace.) This unit provide an additional CO alarm on the ceiling and I can remove it and take it with me camping.
I was attracted to the voice feature to help my toddler children wake and understand the alarm better, but the voice is much quieter than I imagined. The alarm is piercing, then an electronic voice announces "Fire Fire" no louder than a child's toy. Fortunately I needed the combo CO/Smoke alarm in a battery-based unit for camping, otherwise I would send this back.
Because the too quiet voice feature is a flop, I would instead go for the strobes which would work much better in combination with the alarm noise to wake deep sleepers. I would need one in every bedroom and they're not cheap.
This unit has an ionization detector and I find that to be ok. I am going to put at least one photoelectric or dual sensor detector on the interconnect network.
Besides this ionization smoke and CO alarm, think about photoelectric smoke detectors, alarms for explosive gas (detect natural gas or propane leaks), and a heat alarm for the kitchen and garage where normal combustion activities might generate too many nuisance alarms. Also strobe lights, and escape lights. One Kidde model features a 9V-powered "safety-light." I would also look halogen-type power-outage lights for the hallway. LED type last longer for non-fire related power outages but would be too dim to cut through smoke.
I never get nuisance alarms, but I remember getting them 15-20 years ago. Normal, everyday combustion in the kitchen and garage can produce nuisance alarms on ionization detectors. Kitchen "accidents," on the other hand, are more likely to set off photoelectric detectors. Therefore, do not locate an ionization detector in or very near the kitchen or garage. If you locate a photoelectric detector in these locations, use the hush feature when it takes notice of your cooking errors. Better yet, use a heat detector in these locations and interconnect it to the alarm network. Steamy bathrooms can also set off detectors. Heat sensors would avoid this while still providing detection in the room.
I rate this lower because of the soft voice alarm even though there is none better. Otherwise it is ideal for anyone not willing to hardwire and interconnect their detectors.
Customer Review: Does an excellent job
Summary: 5 Stars
The Kidde Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm is battery operated (it takes three AA batteries). It has an 85 decibel alarm and also features a voice alarm. In the event of a fire, the alarm will give off three long alarm beeps followed by a verbal warning of "FIRE! FIRE!" and the red LED light will flash. In the event of carbon monoxide, the alarm will give off four short alarm beeps as well as the verbal "Warning! Carbon Monoxide!" and the red LED light will flash. In addition to the smoke and carbon monoxide warnings, the alarm will notify you when the battery is low: the red LED light will flash and the unit will chirp one time, followed by a verbal "Low Battery". Finally, the alarm will last for seven years of cumulative use - at that point, the alarm will chirp culture 30 seconds indicating it is time to replace it.
I bought two Kidde Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms for my house (the first floor - I live in a ranch style house - and one for the basement) and I am very pleased with both. I like the idea of having both an alarm and verbal warning and while the alarm is loud enough to be heard throughout the house, it is not annoyingly loud (my prior carbon monoxide detector was obnoxiously loud). I also like having a combination of fire alarm/carbon monoxide detector and the alarm does a good job of having distinctive sounds for each problem. The alarm is sensitive and works well - while it won't go off for cigarette smoke, for example, t does go off when I cook buffalo chicken wings; I'm happy there is a "hush button" to shut off the alarm in cases like that. (this button will not work if there is dense smoke, so it is safe to use). The alarm is tamper-resistant, which will stop children (or others) from deactivating the alarm. I like the fact that the alarm lets you know when the battery is low and notifies you for up to at least seven days - this is a great feature if you are on vacation or away from home for an extended period of time and don't know right away that the battery needs changing. I also like the fact that the alarm will let you know when it is time to buy a new one. I wrote on the alarm the date I installed it, but it is still nice to have a reminder.
The Kidde Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm does an excellent job.
Customer Review: SAVED MY FAMILIES LIFE!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
We live in a 4 level split home. Our gas furnace is on the lower, 3rd level. Two years ago we had several smoke alarms, but only one carbon monoxide detector on the top, bedroom level of our home. One early Saturday morning we awoke to the voice of this alarm broadcasting, "WARNING! CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTED!" over and over again. I got out of bed and took the batteries out of the unit. By then my then 16 year old daughter came out of her room and was watching me. I told her to go back to bed, but she asked me why we weren't going outside to our designated emergency spot. I thought I was being a bad example after all the years of telling the children to get our of the house if an alarm went off. I didn't think there was a problem. I assumed the unit was broken or needed a new battery. I wasn't thinking clearly. So, I put the batteries back in to see if it would go off again. It did. She again asked why we weren't following the rules and going outside, so we left the house and called 911.
When the firemen arrived I kept apologizing for calling them to our home for an obvious mistake. I thought the firemen would tell us it was a false alarm. It wasn't. The heater core had cracked and was leaking carbon monoxide. The levels were high enough to make us confused, but not yet put us to sleep. Had my daughter not watched me handle the alarm I would have gone back to sleep without ever putting the batteries back in. We were very lucky to have my daughter and this CM detector.
The voice made everything so much clearer than just a siren. If it hadn't said "carbon monoxide" I would have left the batteries out and gone back to sleep because I couldn't see any smoke or fire and I was tired. I don't think I would have thought about carbon monoxide. It was well worth every penny. I now have CM detectors on every floor of my home. This talking carbon monoxide detector helped save my families life.
Customer Review: So far, so good
Summary: 5 Stars
It was time to replace the battery on our NIGHTHAWK smoke detector and I realized that it had been manufactured in 1999! Checked the plug in NIGHTHAWK carbon monoxide detector and found that it also was manufactured in 1999. They both were working well when tested, but we've fortunately never had a fire or carbon monoxide experience, so the alarm warning was never utilized for evacuation purposes. We changed the batteries, but figured it was time to replace both units. After much research, the Kidde KN-COSM-B Battery-Operated Combination Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Alarm with Talking Alarm (also NIGHTHAWK product) was the clear winner. It was a little difficult to remove from the plastic shell packaging but was a breeze to install. The alarm will not snap into its holder without batteries in place, so on the day I was ready to install, I put in the (3 enclosed) AA batteries (must insert them in the order specified in the battery compartment) then twisted the alarm onto its holder and tested the alarm. All it's warnings functioned properly, so the old alarm was removed from the ceiling and the new base was installed onto the same ceiling location. The alarm was twisted into place and the it was tested a second time. My unit was manufactured five months ago but from what I understand, the 7 year self-destruction warning sounds 7 years from the date the batteries were installed. I personally would not purchase this in an opened package for that reason -- could be that someone inserted the batteries a year ago and returned the item. The included manual specifies that certain AA batteries be used and I don't know what occurs if one uses another brand. When I have time, I'll contact the company to check that out. I hope to only hear the warning "voice" from this alarm every time I press the test button but am comfortable with the security I feel knowing this alarm is functional. Its warranty expires in 5 years.Customer Review: A Sort-of Smoke Detector
Summary: 1 Stars
We have had this smoke detector for several years. Battery life -- using the recommended Duracell batteries -- seems fine.
But does this thing really detect smoke? I think not. Last night an unwatched Christmas candle burned down to the point that it set three small pine cones on fire. They burned up completely. We live in a small (1400 square foot) house with two floors. This alarm is positioned at the top of the stairs and is the only one in the house. The candle was on a desk at the bottom of the stairs. When the fire occurred, my wife and I were in another room watching TV. The alarm went off and beeped about a dozen times. We thought it was an alarm from the kitchen stove (which happens to make a very similar sound). My wife checked the stove. Nothing wrong, so we went on watching TV.
Now here's the problem: the other room was FILLED with smoke. The upstairs hall was FILLED with smoke. After about a dozen beeps, THE ALARM QUIT AND NEVER MADE ANOTHER PEEP! I discovered the results of the fire (by which time it had completely burned out) in the other room about 15 minutes later.
The specs for this alarm on the web say it is sensitive to 0.97% per foot -- whatever that means. It also uses ionization (only) to detect smoke.
From my experience this thing DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!
Read a few of the other negative reviews on Amazon and you will hear the same story.
There must be a more reliable smoke alarm in this world.
I intend to find it.
I won't be looking at junk made by Kidde.