Verkada sensors contain a wide variety of sensors that are used to track information about your environment.

Note: Verkada creates recommended sensor value ranges based on data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and more.

To make things easy to view at a glance, we associate different colors with the readings (except Air Quality Index, which follows the US AQI color scheme).

Green: Values are within an established range of recommended or safe levels.

Yellow: Values are slightly outside the range of recommended or safe values.

Orange: Values are significantly outside the range of recommended or safe values.

Red: Values are dramatically outside the range of recommended or safe values, often requiring immediate attention.

Purple: Values detected are potentially fatal. The area should be evacuated if not resolved immediately. (This does not apply to Air Quality Index)

Color-coded temperature ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air temperatures set by the government and industry standards. Temperature measurements outside of the green zone may require attention if unexpected or outside of the normal range for this sensor location.

The relative humidity is the amount of moisture in the air compared to what the air can hold at that temperature. Color-coded relative humidity ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards. Humidity measurements outside of the green zone may require attention if unexpected or outside of the normal range for this sensor location.

Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM 2.5) refers to tiny inhalable particles or droplets in the air that are less than 2.5 microns in width. These particles can have negative health effects and are caused by dust, vehicle exhaust, burning fuels, cooking, smoking, and vaping. Color-coded PM 2.5 ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards. PM 2.5 measurements outside of the green zone may require attention if unexpected or outside of the normal range for this sensor location.

A total measure of Volatile Organic Compounds, which are chemicals that evaporate into the air and are emitted by cleaners, paints, varnishes, fragrances, and hundreds of other products. Examples include benzene, ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde. VOCs are measured as a group because of their cumulative effects, with high TVOC values associated with negative health impacts. Color-coded TVOC ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by the government and industry standards. TVOC measurements outside of the green zone may require attention if unexpected or outside of the normal range for this sensor location.

Volatile Organic Compounds are chemicals that evaporate into the air and are emitted by cleaners, paints, varnishes, fragrances, and hundreds of other products. Examples include benzene, ethylene glycol, and formaldehyde. The VOC Index describes the current VOC status in a room relative to the sensor’s recent history. In this way, the VOC Index behaves like a human nose as it can detect relative intensity, duration and frequency of VOC events. The value 100 refers to the typical indoor gas composition over the past 24 h. While values between 100 and 500 indicate a deterioration, values between 0 and 100 inform about improvement of the air quality. VOCs are measured as a group because of their cumulative effects, with a high VOC index associated with negative health impacts. Color-coded VOC index ranges are aligned to healthy indoor air guidelines set by government and industry standards. A VOC index outside of the green zone may require attention, such as increasing ventilation with clean air, if the change is unexpected for this sensor location.

A measure of total noise level at the sensor. Color-coded noise level ranges are aligned to safe noise level guidelines set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other government and industry standards. OSHA regulations state that noise levels cannot exceed 90 dB over an 8 hour period or 95 dB over a 4 hour period. Noise level measurements outside of the green zone may require attention if unexpected or outside of the normal range for this sensor location.

A score derived from multiple sensors is strongly correlated with vaping and/or smoking activity. Vape Index measurements outside of the green zone indicate suspected vaping/smoking activity, but could also reflect smoke or fumes from other sources. In particular, smoke from cooking, burning fuel, wildfires, etc. may register highly on the Vape Index.

A measure of changes in infrared light absorption caused by the motion of warm bodies, as measured by a passive infrared sensor. Powered by the same technology as motion sensors for intrusion detection, a “Yes” motion event indicates human/animal motion or other large changes in heat or infrared activity.

The U.S. AQI measures total air pollution and provides benchmarks for healthy values. When AQI exceeds 100, air quality is unhealthy: at first for certain sensitive groups of people, then for everyone as AQI values get higher.

Carbon dioxide is a colorless and odorless gas that’s produced both naturally like people breathing and through human activities such as burning gasoline, wood, or oil. Indoor CO2 levels are dependent on factors such as the number of people present, the amount of time an area has been occupied, the amount of fresh air entering the space, the size of the room, and nearby combustion by-products.

At or under 1200 ppm the CO2 levels are within a healthy range and are typical of spaces with good ventilation and air exchanges. At over 1200 ppm occupants may start to experience mild drowsiness if exposed for an extended period of time. At over 2000 ppm occupants may feel sleepiness or nausea it is recommended to investigate better air quality management for most workplaces the exposure limits are 5000 ppm within an eight hour period. Readings over 5000 ppm indicate that the space is at a hazardous level and should be evacuated/ ventilated immediately.

Formaldehyde is a colorless, flammable gas at room temperature and has an extremely strong odor. Long term exposure and high concentrated exposure (over 1000 ppb) to formaldehyde may cause adverse health effects. Increased formaldehyde levels can be a result of the resins used to manufacture composite wood products, building materials, insulation, household products such as flues, paints, lacquers, smoking tobacco, fertilizers, and pesticides. If in the presence of high concentrations get to fresh air.

Note: Unlike most other sensors that are measured in ppm CH2O is measured in parts per billion.

Ambient light is a measure of how much natural (e.g., sunlight, moonlight) and artificial (e.g., lamps, interior lighting, etc.) light is in a given area. The amount of light an individual is exposed to could cause physical discomfort. Knowing ambient light levels in a space can help point out energy inefficiencies and improve overall energy consumption. The lux value is a measure of illuminance, the total amount of light that falls on a surface. It is a standardized unit of measurement of light level intensity. However, the lux value will vary based on the device’s mount position (wall, ceiling, etc.) and the environment the device is installed in. For example, lux readings on a sensor installed on an office wall will drastically differ from a sensor installed on the office ceiling. Lux can be understood with these reference descriptors however light is perceived by people differently.

Barometric pressure is the measurement of air pressure in the atmosphere. Specifically, the measurement of the weight exerted by air molecules at a given point on Earth. Barometric pressure changes constantly and is always different depending on where the reading takes place, specifically in regard to altitude. At sea level, barometric pressure ranges between 100,000 Pa (29Hg) and 101,325 Pa (31 Hg). In a place like Denver which is a mile above sea level, barometric pressure ranges between 51,350 Pa (15.16 Hg) and 83,000 Pa (24.5 Hg). On the other hand, the lower the altitude the higher the barometric pressure. For example, the Dead Sea, the lowest point on Earth, can reach levels of 101,658 Pa (31.45 Hg)

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless, and toxic gas. Because it is impossible to see, taste, or smell the toxic fumes, CO can be deadly and the presence in a building can be unknown. The effects of CO exposure can vary greatly from person to person depending on age, overall health, and the concentration and length of exposure. Examples sources of CO can include automobile exhaust, gas stoves, leaking chimneys, water heaters, and furnaces. CO inhibits your blood from carrying oxygen even after getting to fresh air. The presence of any level of CO may warrant some investigation. Values over 35 ppm with no sign of decline may indicate an issue that requires evacuation. Values over 200 ppm with no sign of decline may indicate an emergency or life threatening situation. For more information on understanding carbon monoxide readings check out this article Detecting and Understanding Carbon Monoxide.

If the live reading is currently over 200 ppm while you are reading this contact emergency services immediately.

The SV25 Is not a life safety device and does not satisfy the requirements to be used as an emergency carbon monoxide detector.

Alerts sent from Verkada will not provide a sufficiently timely warning given the threat to health and safety CO may pose and should not be solely relied on.