I don't think you are going to find a C02 detector unless you work in the gorebull warming industry.
Carbon Monoxide, yes. Carbon Dioxide? Probably not at Home Depot, Lowes or other household supply.
In coal mines the miners have traditionally used canaries to monitor the level of CO2. When the canary dies the miners get ready to leave.
But there are more sophisticated instruments for CO2 detection. The “Testo Model 535 Carbon Dioxide Monitor” is a hand-held monitor which detects levels from 0 to 9999 ppm and has a dual probe to measure airflow through both an incoming and out-going duct. It’s cost is about $730 U.S. Dollars.
Green houses use CO2 monitors in order to assure that plants are receiving enough CO2 to carry on photosynthesis. Often these monitors are built to trigger a CO2 enrichment device when levels drop below that which is optimal for plant growth. However Green Air Products does produce a “Portable Carbon Dioxide Monitor Model CDM-7001″ which is hand held and would be well suited for a variety of applications. It also gives a temperature reading and is able to register a CO2 level within 30 seconds. It has a data port that can output data to a windows based application.
This monitor operates 70 hours on 4 AA batteries. The cost is about $925 US dollars. GE Telaire makes a device that looks identical in every aspect and sells for about $425."
They are on the way. "Internal combustion" is not a real gud idea.
I work in indoor air quality. Use CO2 meters all the time.
They’re an excellent indication of whether ventilation is adequate. Not so much because CO2 itself causes such huge problems when excessive, but because lack of ventilation allows other pollutants and irritants that aren’t as easy to measure to build up.
We bought two CO (not CO2) detectors on Amazon when we bought a house with a propane gas log ventless fireplace, which gives good heat. We crack a window in that room and turn on the ceiling fans the send the warm air up to hit the ceiling and then be forced down. Works great to supplement our regular HVAC system when the furnaces are working hard. (Here in E. TN it’s now 0 degrees.)
The house is over 5,000 sq. ft., and the floor plan allows the heat to flow to make things tolerable on both levels.
I’m afraid of any of the portable heaters. (Ex BIL died in his sleep because of a portable gas heater.) I was leary of this gas FP, but after four years I guess it’s OK.