APCEM Desktop CO2 Monitor

Well worth the price. Works as well or better than some more expensive brands. Accurate and dependable. Glad I purchased this model.

After calibrating the unit I am still highly suspicious of its readings. Seems very slow to react to changes in readings. The readings themselves are much higher than the actual levels. It has these obnoxious lights that cannot be turned off. Even when I had taped the lights with black electrical tape the light would then emit from the back of the unit through its ventilation holes. In general this until was poorly thought out and constructed. Wish I would have returned it in time and gotten my money back. There are better meters for the price. I was hoping that this would be a good one but it's not.

I did not realize that this device is designed for horticulture and its capabilities far exceeded my requirements. I was looking for a device to monitor C02 levels in my home because, after watching a documentary about the subtle dangers of carbon monoxide, I thought it would be wise to make sure that my home was safe. My home is very well insulated, therefore, it is advised to make sure that ventilation is proper.Right out of the box this device detected that C02 levels in my home were 1910ppm. I was surprised and yet I wasn't because we never open any windows and space heaters/air conditioners are used more frequently than the central air conditioning. According to a quick google search for safe indoor C02 levels, the range should be between 300 to 1000 ppm.I wasn't satisfied with this quick reading so I decided to move the unit around a bit. Unfortunately, since the unit does not have a builtin battery, I couldn't easily place the unit anywhere I wanted. I noticed that the device is powered by an adapter with an output of 6 volt 500mah DC. So I spliced the power connector from the adapter and connected it directly to a 6 volt DC battery. Problem solved, however, do this at your own risk. It is working well for me.When I set the unit up high against my 15 foot ceiling, C02 readings dropped as expected. This was my unscientific method to confirm that this device is actually legit. My next experiments will include reviewing the logs to see how C02 levels are trending throughout my home so that I can identify the source and resolve this issue permanently.Honestly, I didn't expect to get so involved with this project but this device has opened my eyes to the complexities of air quality. Suddenly I'm conscious of humidity levels, C02 concentrations, temperatures, and how these conditions may be affecting my overall well being. It has also made me aware of the need for house plants in order to regulate these conditions.I am thoroughly pleased with this device and I will update this review as my experiments develop. I highly recommend it.

The down side is that it takes a bit, like 12 second to update, but that is not a big deal. It helps me know how much co2 is in my room. However, I think I will save more co2 if I get a automated co2 dispenser.Nonetheless, with this device, and a regular timer, I make a 20lb co2 tank last 14 days.

shipping was super fast so they get an extra star. other than that this thing maxes out at 3000ppm. just breathing on it it goes from 400 to saying (Hi ppm <3000)without any other readout ... so don't expect to use it for anything important. this co2 unit kind of feels cheap and junky, I'm returning mine ... you get what you pay for

I have no-exhaust gas fireplace. I got this unit to tell me how much CO2 is in the house. Since this unit gives me that information, so I kept the unit. Here are the reasons I did not give it 5 stars:-looks and feels like a cheap unit-the color coded lights are for plants not humans, so it doesn't fit my purpose-Interface is not user friendly at all.

For some reason, I was under the impression that the equipment not only monitored but had a way to activate a humidistat or an oxygen or CO2 canister to achieve the levels desired in the growth environment, but the unit is only a monitor, which doesn't really help me with my needs for this project.I would be very pleased if there was a way to communicate with an expert with AutoPilot to better inform me as to what equipment would be better suited for my needs and to see if the unused monitoring device could be returned to the store.

This seems to be a great gadget for CO2 monitoring. I do scientific research for some government labs and universities and I just needed something cheap like this to ensure that CO2 levels were where they were supposed to be. It appears to be accurate to +/- 5 ppm - I was even able to test this with gas tanks. It takes about 15 minutes in order to give out accurate readings, so if you are in an environment that has constantly changing CO2 levels, you may be better off going with something else. For example, If I was to start breathing on it (I think our breathe is ~20,000 ppm, whereas atmospheric CO2 is 400ppm), it would take a few seconds to even start going upwards.Other than scientific research or for greenhouse purposes, there is research coming out showing that CO2 levels >2,000 ppm (or even 1,000 ppm for some people) may cause people to have impaired brain function and lethargy. Anything >5,000 ppm is considered a workplace hazard and can cause a loss of consciousness - jeez, and everyone is so concerned about climate change, I wonder why we never hear of this looming threat. If you feel like air is not circulating well at your work and CO2 may be accumulating due to your respiration (or the respiration of those around you), this is a good, cheap gadget to get. I can't imagine spending more than this just to check something simple like that.Definitely gets the job done.