FireAngel Carbon Monoxide Alarm review

What it is

FireAngel's specification, as published through NBS, gives a sealed ten-year lithium battery, an alarm of at least 85dB at three metres, a body of 67 by 125 by 33mm, an operating range of -10 to 40C, a pre-alarm ventilate indicator, a 30-day memory that shows if CO was detected while you were out, a hush button and a five-year warranty. Certification is to EN 50291-1:2018 for homes and EN 50291-2:2019 for caravans and boats, with the Kitemark. There is no display, so the LEDs tell you power, fault and alarm.

The sealed battery is the point. A CO alarm with replaceable cells is only as good as the last time someone changed them; this one is replaced whole at the end of its life, and its end-of-life signal tells you when.

Where it goes, and the law

The NHS advises an alarm in every room with a gas, oil, coal or wood-burning appliance. Follow the manual's siting distances for the model: broadly, in the same room as the appliance, away from the cooker's direct steam, not in a cupboard. In England, since 1 October 2022, landlords must fit a CO alarm in any living room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker, test alarms on the first day of a tenancy and repair or replace them when told; the penalty is up to five thousand pounds. In Scotland every home must have a CO detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance. The government's guidance recommends sealed-for-life batteries, which is what this is. Our carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms guide says what to do if it sounds, and log burner carbon monoxide covers stoves.

The limits

No display means no idea how much CO it saw, only that it did. Sealed means the whole unit goes in the bin after ten years. It is standalone, so it will not wake you from the other end of the house; a larger home wants one per appliance room and perhaps an interlinked system. Test it monthly with the button, and keep the manual, since the LED patterns are not obvious.

How it compares

On the carbon monoxide alarms page, the FireAngel FA3322 is the same idea with a colour screen showing the reading, for a bedroom where you want to know. The Aico Ei208 and Honeywell XC100 are rival sealed ten-year alarms, and Aico's radio-linked versions suit a house that wants them talking to each other. The Kidde 5CO is the cheap AA-battery alternative. Among the sealed, no-screen alarms the FA3820 is the one with the longest warranty and both home and caravan certification. Our Aico vs Kidde CO alarms guide covers the brand question.

Our verdict

Buy it for the boiler cupboard's room, the living room with a stove or the kitchen with a gas boiler, one per room, and forget about batteries for a decade. Skip it if you want a reading on a screen, or an alarm that talks to the others in the house; the FA3322 or an Aico interlinked set answers those.

How long does the FireAngel FA3820 last?

FireAngel gives a ten-year sealed lithium battery and a ten-year sensor life. It signals end of life, and then the whole unit is replaced; the warranty is five years.

Which standard does the FireAngel FA3820 meet?

EN 50291-1:2018 for homes and EN 50291-2:2019 for caravans and boats, with the BSI Kitemark, per FireAngel's published specification.

Do landlords have to fit a carbon monoxide alarm?

In England, since 1 October 2022, yes, in any living room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker, with testing at the start of each tenancy. Scotland requires a CO detector in any room with a carbon-fuelled appliance.

Where should I put the FireAngel FA3820?

In the same room as the boiler, fire or stove, following the manual's distances, and one per such room. The NHS advises an alarm in every room with a fuel-burning appliance.