When a CO alarm goes off, how do you know when it's a false alarm and when it's actually detecting a problem?

no!ng

I have two CO alarms in my apartment, for I have a large apartment in NYC. Anyway, the CO alarms keep going off. They've been going off continuously for about an hour, and after I shut them off, after five minutes they come back on. As it was going off, the light under "Alarm: Head To Cleam Air" was flashing, but it usually does that, and we've brushed it off and lived to the next day. I went to the superintendent of my building with a neighbor because I'm home alone, and he said that it was probably a malfunction, for the CO alarms usually go off in my apartment(s) about once every two weeks. We've already had both of them replaced several times due to malfunctions. I was just wondering, though: how can I be sure that the alarms are actually detecting carbon monoxide, and how do I know when it's just a malfunction, or is there no way to know when one of the two is occuring?

Answer
There is usually different patterns to the alarms.
I'm not exactly sure of them and each manufacturer's pattern is probably different, but it would be something like
3 beeps = faulty detector
4 beeps = detecting CO2, open windows and head to clean air
1 "chirp" every minute or so = replace battery...

Do I have a legal right to fight my former landlords over this?

David

I moved out of my last apartment in NYC recently, but left behind a couch and a table. I told my landlords that I was doing this, and they said it was ok. They inspected the apartment, approved the inspection, and wrote me a check for my security deposit (which I deposited). The apartment itself had very little wear and tear from the 5 years I lived there (I videotaped the whole apartment before they inspected it). Now they have changed their minds and have told me that I have to remove the items or I will be charged $700. They have also attempted to cancel the check that I deposited as well. I will also note that the previous occupants left behind furniture when I moved in and this was fine.
Also, I was not on a lease with them for 5 years. During those 5 years, they never had pest control come over, never installed smoke detectors, and never installed carbon monoxide detectors. We were asked to leave the apartment on July 8th when they threatened to raise the rent from $1500/ month to at first $5000/month then $3000/month. I moved out of the apartment on July 30th because they demanded us to move out by the end of the month instead of giving us a full 30 days to move. What are my options here in case they try to keep my security deposit from me again?

Answer
Fight what? They already gave you the security deposit back. The rest is just noise.

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