The Kidde Combination KN-COSM-1B is part of the CO & smoke alarm
test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, carbon monoxide alarm
models like the Combination KN-COSM-1B are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.
High CO levels:
High CO levels rates a model's response to CO of 300 parts per million.
Low CO levels:
Low CO levels rates a model's response to CO of 150 ppm.
About This Brand
Kidde owns FireX branded units and offers the Nighthawk and Silhouette lines. Nighthawk comes in plug-in and battery operated units. Price range of carbon monoxide units is $20 to $70. The Silhouette line comes in hardwired units and features a sealed, self-charging lithium battery that lasts for the life of the unit. The units can interconnect with other units and retail for about $60. Kidde also offers combo units, which have a smoke detector feature in addition to the carbon monoxide detector.
Kidde also carries the Intelligent alarm (not tested), which uses one device to detect fast flaming and smouldering fires and carbon monoxide. A voice warning is issued based on what danger is detected. CO alarms are sold in home improvement stores, including Home Depot and Lowes, at Sears, and at food and drug stores.
Smoke alarm prices range from $10 to $70. Kidde makes dual sensor units that use ionization and photoelectric technologies.
Features & Specs - Kidde Combination KN-COSM-1B
Power supply The power source of the model. Some have backup batteries (indicated by BB).
Power supply
Hardwired w/BB
Peak memory Indicates whether a model shows peak levels that have occurred.
Just installed this, so i might not be the best reviewer, but so far so good. It is a well built piece of equipment, with clear instructions and everything you need. It is both hardwired and has a backup battery, which is included. I just installed four of them. The house was previously wired to connect the alarms, and they all worked together when i tested the alarm. The test works well, and the voice is clear. Perhaps it is improved since the review was done, because the CR review does not discuss the voice feature. So far i'm happy, and as long as they work when needed and don't wake me up in the night, i'll be happy.
How long have you owned it:
A month or less
Bottom Line
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend.
By
Rob
from
Toronto, ON
(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)
1.0
False Alarms
7/13/2011
Pros
Easy To Install
Cons
Company denial
False Alarms
Best Uses
Comment:
I've had poor experiences with more than one of these units.<br /><br />After a relatively short period of time (less than two years) they can begin to deliver false alarms for Carbon Monoxide. <br /><br />This is a hard-wired, interconnected combination CO and smoke detector.<br /><br />A call to Kidde Customer Service didn't help, as they insisted the detectors were fine, suggesting that there must be a problem with the house wiring.<br /><br />The same thing has happened in two different houses. I don't understand why the wiring would just go bad after only six or seven years.<br /><br />I think Kidde has a bit of a dud product here, but won't admit it.<br /><br />I'm going to try First Alert next.
How long have you owned it:
More than six months
Bottom Line
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Other User Reviews
3.0
(based on 1 reviews)
By
uncat
User has of experience with this product
3.0
Good Product Features
09/16/2008
Strength
Interconnectable system, Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm. Voice Alarm.
Weakness
9v backup. Off Grid Power warning.
There's really not much to review since this basically is a smoke alarm from a brand that is generally recognized. It does what it is suppose to and the having combination alarms of smoke/carbon monoxide is an excellent feature. So lets talk about the weaknesses that should persuade you not to purchase this.The first main problem when I received this in the mail (I purchased this from an online description) is the 9v eyesore. I am strongly against electronics that need non AA batteries to serve as backup. They are an extra product you need to store (more expensive) and inconvenient as everyone should have AA batteries around. They are always available and lets face it, if it's good enough for their portable versions they should make it available in their hardwire editions.If the 9v isn't a problem for you than you should be aware of the following warning from their manual:THE ALARM CANNOT BE OPERATED FROM POWER DERIVED FROM A SQUARE WAVE, MODIFIED SQUARE WAVE OR MODIFIED SINE WAVE, INVERTER. THESE TYPES OF INVERTERS ARE SOMETIMES USED TO SUPPLY POWER TO THE STRUCTURE IN OFF GRID INSTALLATIONS, SUCH AS SOLAR OR WIND DERIVED POWER SOURCES. THESE POWER SOURCES PRODUCE HIGH PEAK VOLTAGES THAT WILL DAMAGE THE ALARM.This is ridiculous. The reason why you generally would want to setup an interconnectable system is reliability. In which case you should probably have some sort of backup power system in place. This might not be the case for you but if you ever live in a building with an interconnectable system and it randomly gets set off way too frequently waking you in the dead of night than you may know what I'm talking about.Good product though but unless parts of your house are extremely sound isolated, you may want to stick with the portable version of this KN-COSM-B (versus this model KN-COSM-IB. Notice the missing I)
3 people have reviewed this model.
Power supply
