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| What is the absolute best brand out there (presently) without going to an industrial type system? |
There isn't any non-industrial system that I would rate as anything but barely adequate.
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| Is this "electro-chemical" technology actually 'worn out' in year 5 |
I wouldn't trust any electro-chemical system much beyond six months.
I used to work with both gas-specific (carbon monoxide) and non-specific (flammable gas) monitors in an industrial setting. These required periodic testing and recalibration and the electro-chemical ones were the worst. I've seen $1,000. units drift as much as ten parts-per-million (ppm) in less than 24 hours. The units I eventually specified (carbon monoxide specific) had a measurement range of 0 to 50 ppm and we alarmed at 10 ppm. Most home units have a range of more than 1,000 ppm and won't alarm until they pass 80 ppm. In my mind they are almost useless as they give a false sense of security.