Customer Reviews

First Alert FCD3 Battery Powered Carbon Monoxide Alarm

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This product should be a necessity in everyone's home. It is very basic; it doesn't have a parts-per-million LCD display. So, there is no real ability to tell if you're air quality is marginal or not. However, it will save your life with it's standard functions. There are 3 LED lights: battery, service, and alarm.

My 6 month experience with this has been very good. The battery light blinks intermittently to tell you it needs changing. It does start squeaking when it becomes nearly out of energy. The battery changing experience is quite unique. The mega-plastic detents on the back panel make it very difficult to open and close (good/bad - you make up your mind). And there is a little plastic spring bar - allowing you to only replace the back cover when a battery is inserted - sort of an ingenious way of making sure there is a battery present in the unit(good/bad). The back plate is wall mountable too.

The Cyclops lights are actually quite bright - so it might bother you if you're a light sleeper or plan to put it in a child's bedroom. Overall, though the price is exceptional - I got mine at nearly double the Amazon price. I'd give it 4 stars had it not been for the bargain basement price and value.

I purchased an earlier model of this detector two years ago; prompted by the death of a friend whose home had filled with CO during a blizzard, killing him and sending his wife to the hospital. Their home is equipped with a high efficiency gas fired furnace and the snow drifted over and plugged the PVC exhaust vent, located low on the side of the house. The exhaust temperature was apparently too low and the furnace on too infrequently to melt an exit path for the gasses. CO can accumulate from many other sources in your home.

BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE AND CARE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY, INSTALL A CO DETECTOR IN YOUR HOME IMMEDIATELY, ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIVE IN AN "ENERGY EFFICIENT" HOUSE!

Mine has never gone off, but I do know several other people in more energy efficient homes who have been saved by theirs. The dog won't wake you up if he's been overcome too!

Gave me many years of great service -- easy to use, reliable, battery lasted a long time. Now chirping indicates the alarm needs to be replaced. Wish just the sensor could be replaced, as with other models, and not the whole unit (though the sensors are nearly the same price).

Being a new parent - I'm extra cautious these days. You can't go wrong with the old saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." So, I definitely recommend this detector. It could save your life!

However - and this contradicts an earlier review - please comparison shop a little before you buy...

I think every home should have a CO detector in it.

Having said that, avoid this one and any others from First Alert. I bought an expensive one from them, and it gave a constant scream. The silence button did not work. Customer service would only say it shouldn't do that. Someone suggested that it might need to 'burn-in' for a few minutes. So I sealed in a room surrounded by blankets to keep the noise down, and it could still be heard a block away four hours later.

The store I bought it at exchanged it for this model, but the problems are just as bad. And again, no help at all from customer service. I have had my house checked and there are minimal levels of CO, but these detectors keep going off and deafening everyone around.

I always seem to hear just about how much of a importance it really is just to get a carbon monoxide alarm, as much as a simple smoke alarm. Now that it has been a law in New York City, there is nothing else you can do buy get one. It is just the safest you have from losing your own life. Yet, with all the ones that I chose, I bought the First Alert FCD3N model from my landlord. It is very simple, and very easy to use. It really isn't all that hard to operate at all. My only one problem, is that some of the information that was written on the alarm actually wasn't in easy to read letters. Instead, it was just written in the same image as the carbon monoxide alarm. Nevertheles, I honestly suggest you buy this alarm. It really is a must-have for every household.

Overall: B+

works as advertized. no installation necessary. battey light blinks as described. no way to tell if it works unless I could somehow expose it to carbon monoxide. wonder if there is a test kit on the market to shoot a small amount in the area for testing??

I am neutral on this product. I hope it works. I bought the 10-year battery from Amazon although it comes with a battery and I tested it. I won't know if it works until I actually have carbon monoxide enter my house. I hope that doesn't happen, but according to the test button its up and running.