First Alert Dual-Power Plug-in Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display

After extensive research I decided to purchase this unit and I'm glad I did. I wanted the following features in my CO Detector, and this unit meets those requirements. It must be AC powered with battery backup, have a digital display, use AA batteries, not the expensive 9 volt, have an AC power cord so the unit can be located away from the AC plug-in if necessary, have a long warranty (7 years) from an established company, and be competitively priced. The only possible negative feature I can see is that the front battery cover is hinged on the bottom. The battery cover retaining latch seems to be rather flimsy, and if it were to break, the battery cover would flip open. The cover hinge should have been placed on the top of the unit or a better latch system used. Hopefully with careful use the latch will not break. It should be noted that the unit has a built in “in-use” timer that will alert the user and disable the unit after 7 years of operation.

The CO detector is a little larger than I expected, but the design is unobtrusive, so I hardly even notice it. It was very easy to set up and is easy to operate and read. The one problem I encountered was with the outlet I wanted to use. This outlet had the prong holes one above the other, and at first I was concerned that the detector would look funny sideways on the wall. Fortunately, the folks at First Alert had anticipated this Issue, and the power adapter can be flipped 90 degrees so the detector will display horizontally. So far, I'm very pleased with this unit. I only just got this, so I can't comment on its longevity. However, I did check and the date on the package puts the unit at only 4 months old. This is good news as other reviewers have reported getting units that were manufactured 6 years prior to sale leaving only 1 year of life on their units. Fortunately, that was not a problem with my purchase.

It was highly rated by Consumer Reports, instructions were clear, I plugged them into outlets and they appear to be working.

Walmart had the best price.

Delivery was quick and they were exactly as described.

I gave only 3 stars because I have not used it for some time, just a few days, also 3 stars apply to the way it connects to an outlet. When connecting the device on a wall outlet, the prongs, due to a bad design make the detector not staying in plugged solidly. I had a First Alert for 10 years and when I plugged it into the wall it was plugged and stayed straight, not wiggling. An electrician told me at one time that anything plugged is safe when it plugs solidly and not wiggling. The prongs may either be too thin or bad designed. I wish the designer would try plugging things on a wall outlet before sending them out for sale. My detector is now15 degrees crooked on the wall due to lose prongs. Franco M

Pros: Pleasing design, compact, easy to read display (button has to be depressed). Uses three AA batteries for backup in case of power outage. Cons: The display does not light up when the unit is in use and plugged into an AC outlet. In order to see the display the button has to be depressed. Other thoughts: No means of calibrating the unit in order to confirm that it is operating as designed.

I was supposed to get a refund for item bc wrong one was sent

Good unit, like the versatility of power cable. Cheap plastic battery compartment door. Easily bent or broken if closed hard.

after installing AA batteries, door does not close. called company and they said uniit is now made with 9 volt battery. Walmart sold me an old model?