A leading manufacturer of fire and life safety products, Kidde Safety Europe has launched a redesigned range of battery powered carbon monoxide (CO) alarms certified to the latest EN product standards. Kidde’s entire range of battery powered CO alarms is Kitemark approved by the British Standards Institution and complies with EN 50291-1:2018, which replaces the 2010 revision. Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.
“The launch of an updated range of CO alarms that are compliant with the latest EN standards ensures the highest level of safety while making it easier for customers to find a high-quality CO alarm,” said Marco van Hooren, General Manager, Carrier Residential Fire Europe and Kidde Safety Europe. “Protection from CO has never been more of a focus. The update to our range of CO alarms comes at an important time when there are also legislative changes being made to increase the safety of homes through mandatory alarms, a change that is important to protecting the general public.”
The new Kidde battery powered CO alarm range includes updated versions of its popular products and all include Kidde’s proprietary electrochemical CO sensor, which provides continuous monitoring of CO levels. The proven Kidde sensor is also designed and tested for a 10-year lifespan, longer than many other alarms on the market, ensuring confidence and long-term peace of mind.
In line with the new requirements of EN 50291-1:2018, which apply in the U.K., all the products feature an ‘End-of-Life’ indicator that provides the occupant with a warning when the CO alarm sensor is reaching the end of its service life and must be replaced, typically 10 years. As stipulated in the updated standard, this warning consists of both a warning chirp and flashing LED lights to provide both audible and visual alerts.
Kidde CO alarms also have three separate warning LEDs for low battery, alarm warning and alarm fault conditions, made mandatory in the new standard. The sound output of all the CO alarms in the range meets the 85dB(A) at three metres required by the updated standard, increased from 85dB(A) at one metre. This brings the alarms in line with the audibility levels required for smoke alarms that comply with EN 14604.
In addition, the Kidde K5DCO, K7DCO and K10LLDCO alarms all feature digital displays to show the current CO level, with the option to view the peak recorded CO level from 11 to 999 parts per million (ppm). For added simplicity and reassurance, the K10LLDCO and K10LLCO models are powered by sealed-in lithium batteries, so users will not need to replace the batteries for the life of the alarm.
The K7CO and K7DCO also meet the requirements of EN 50291-2:2019 and are suitable for the additional environmental conditions that might be encountered in boats, caravans or campervans.
To learn more about the Kidde range of carbon monoxide alarms visit www.kiddesafetyeurope.co.uk.
