There is a wood-burning stove or a gas boiler in the flat. You want to add a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm and wonder whether the existing smoke detector already fulfils this task. Before purchase it must be clear which hazard the desired device should detect and how its ongoing operation will be managed.
Distinguish the two warning tasks
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung) describes carbon monoxide as a colourless and odourless gas. If it escapes without smoke, a smoke detector therefore does not trigger. A device designed for CO warning is required. [CO] Conversely, a CO alarm does not automatically warn of smoke in the event of a fire; the patient information from the German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung) emphasises the additional smoke warning and the respective instructions for use. [VORSORGE]
A general term such as “safety detector” is not sufficient for selection. Check the explicitly stated warning function of the specific product. A CO2 display for room air also answers a different question than a CO alarm. Do not confuse the similar-looking abbreviations.
Placement is part of the product decision
Our editorial recommendation: clarify the rooms concerned before ordering and seek professional advice if the situation is unclear. Read the requirements of the intended device regarding suitable placement. Do not simply adopt the mounting location of a smoke detector or a blanket distance specification from another product offer.
Also consider who must perceive an alarm. Special requirements for alarm perception are clarified in advance with appropriate consultation and a solution provided for this purpose. A desired mobile-phone notification is no reason to disregard the fundamental warning task and the manufacturer's instructions.
Arrange supervision before installation
Purchase includes discoverable documentation and a clear responsibility for the intended function check, reports on device status and later replacement. The concrete steps and timings result from the product specifications. This text does not state a general deadline or its own test method for this purpose.
In the fictional example a household initially orders a cheap “gas detector”. Before deciding it clarifies the actual type of gas detected and the requirements for the place of use. It then chooses a suitably labelled solution, retains the instructions and arranges ongoing supervision. The purchase thus becomes a comprehensible precautionary measure.
The heating appliance remains a separate safety task
An alarm does not make an unsafe heating appliance operationally safe. The BfR refers to professional inspection of heating systems, wood-burning stoves and gas boilers. [CO] Suspected defects are therefore professionally clarified; the detector neither replaces maintenance nor a required technical assessment.
In the event of a CO alarm or a concrete suspicion of poisoning this is no longer a purchasing or observation case: go outside, call 112 and do not endanger yourself by personal investigation or rescue attempts. The cited patient information describes the emergency call and protection against endangering yourself. [VORSORGE] Do not wait for visible smoke or a perceptible odour.