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08-19-2018, 09:48 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Monterey, CA
Posts: 6
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Carbon Monox Alarm Beeps on Battery Power
My 2016 Forester Sprinter has a Safe-T-Alert carbon monoxide/propane detector.
The alarm goes off when I am on battery power only. There is no gas odor. The gas is turned off at the tank. When I plug in power to the house, it does not alarm. It also does not alarm when the engine is running. I know it's not a gas leak. It has something to do with the electrical system. My batteries are fully charged.
Any words of wisdom?
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08-19-2018, 09:53 PM
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#2
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Certified Curmudgeon
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Here
Posts: 3,999
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I though that detector, if it is the wall mounted version, had a 9v battery. Might be thinking of something else.
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Mike Dropped
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08-19-2018, 10:03 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 9,097
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Quote:
Originally Posted by schnauzerlover
My 2016 Forester Sprinter has a Safe-T-Alert carbon monoxide/propane detector.
The alarm goes off when I am on battery power only. There is no gas odor. The gas is turned off at the tank. When I plug in power to the house, it does not alarm. It also does not alarm when the engine is running. I know it's not a gas leak. It has something to do with the electrical system. My batteries are fully charged.
Any words of wisdom?
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Maybe not wisdom...
If your 'house' battery' isn't low (that's when ours goes off), you might need a new detector.
Also, those detectors go off with other gases.... like carbon monoxide or a 'windy' dog. If we run the engine or generator in an enclosed space, it will go off because of the carbon monoxide.
But at the risk of offending you..... the fact that it only goes off when you are on battery power, points to a low battery. Or perhaps something is wrong with the battery connection that isn't getting sufficient power to the rig.
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2015 Dynamax REV 24TB class C
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08-19-2018, 10:10 PM
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#4
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2012 Solera
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,822
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Don’t believe the Safe-T-Alert has a backup batttery.
Suspect yours may be getting hyper-sensitive as it ages. Slightly lower voltage may be a factor. Hyper-sensitivity seems to be the way these things fail. Supposedly have a 5year life - but mine became objectionably hyper-sensitive at about 3 years. Replaced (from Amazon for about $55, as I remember) with a propane only version - then added a separate battery operated CO detector. No issues sense.
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JLeising
2012 Solera "S"
Calif SF Bay Area
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08-20-2018, 09:09 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 9,097
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A battery operated backup carbon monoxide detector is a good idea.
The propane detector does not have a backup battery. It's hardwired into the unit.
If the propane detector was 'weak', it should go off whether it's on shore or battery power.
I'm stumped. All indications are that it's something in the battery connection.... but who knows....
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2015 Dynamax REV 24TB class C
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08-20-2018, 09:26 AM
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#6
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Who Dares, Wins
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Chester County, PA
Posts: 7,063
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They will alert when they are past their life. But this would be all the time. If only on battery power this indicates (usually) low voltage as others have said. Could have a low charged or bad battery.
Depending on the source anything less that 12.5 volts is a low battery, about 80%.
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Pat, Jen, Heather & Sapphire, the head mouser.
2015 Chevy HD D-Max
2022 Impression 315MB
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08-20-2018, 01:23 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: West Des Moines, IA
Posts: 546
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A Safety-T-Alert combo alarm will sound a unique code every 3 days for a month and will not reset after that.
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08-20-2018, 01:24 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 477
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The CO detectors are easy to replace and inexpensive (<$20).
Given you really have good batteries, it is time to replace the detector.
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McCormickJim
2017 GT 31L5
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08-20-2018, 01:51 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 273
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Quote:
Originally Posted by schnauzerlover
My 2016 Forester Sprinter has a Safe-T-Alert carbon monoxide/propane detector.
The alarm goes off when I am on battery power only. There is no gas odor. The gas is turned off at the tank. When I plug in power to the house, it does not alarm. It also does not alarm when the engine is running. I know it's not a gas leak. It has something to do with the electrical system. My batteries are fully charged.
Any words of wisdom?
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According to the description, low DC voltage is causing the propane detector to alarm. Consider this, on shore power, higher converter voltage for charging coach batteries keeps it from alarming, and on engine alternator output, also higher 13V+ DC voltage to charge batteries, the detector does not alarm. If the battery voltage at the detector is the same as measured at the coach battery, and the coach battery is 12V or higher, the detector is failed and needs to be replaced. If there is a voltage differential of half a volt 0.5V or more between the coach battery terminal voltage and the voltage measured at the propane detector, there is a problem of excessive electrical resistance between the coach batteries and the detector. A new replacement detector might also overcome low voltage if that condition is found, at least for a couple more years. Most coach batteries will be nearly dead when their open circuit voltage measures 12V and if there is 0.5V drop between the battery and detector, it may fail to prove its self or sound at 11.5 volts to warn of a problem.
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08-20-2018, 10:21 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Mid Michigan
Posts: 1,098
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What do you mean by "goes off". Ours will chirp randomly while we are driving the MH.
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08-20-2018, 11:14 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2018
Posts: 17
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Mine has gone off on shore power. Middle of the night.
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