CO Detector Problem

[RamblerGuy]

Originally Posted by bclemens

I'm not sure we're using the same supplier that we were using 4 years ago. I think we had this issue before which is why we switched.

That and there was a high pitch hum that only dogs and myself could hear. (not sure what that says).

Both the original and the replacement alarms are Safe-T-Alert brand. The original one in our 2011 Sunseeker was stamped August 19, 2010. The RV was delivered September, 2010. I replaced the original one in October, 2012, with one that was date stamped a few months earlier.
If you know of a more reliable one please post it and I will buy that brand.
I would really like to get this false alarm problem resolved.

[sunnygirl01]

I have the same Safe-T-Alert brand CO/Propane combo alarm on our 18' Micro Lite and ours goes off randomly as well. When we opened up the camper to get it ready for Memorial day weekend it went off and was blinking a pattern that did not match anything in the users guide. I am looking for a good replacement and I would be happy to send the old unit in as well.

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[Falcon35]

I had an appointment with a dealer to have our detecter replaced under warranty when one of the house batteries blow up. Forest River replaced both batteries and I have not had a false alarm since. The also checked the converter and it was not over charging and they decided it was a defective battery.

[RVFamily5]

Is there an easy way to test the alarm for actual CO or Propane? Also, if I have the propane tank knob turned off at the tank, can it still leak? What items produce the CO if the engine is not running?

[Displaced2]

Glad I found this link. Just had mine replaced yesterday. Tech says 3 year old unit on 2013 model Lexington. Will hold old unit for return to supplier.
Again THANK YOU BClemens!!!!!

[RamblerGuy]

Originally Posted by RVFamily5

Is there an easy way to test the alarm for actual CO or Propane? Also, if I have the propane tank knob turned off at the tank, can it still leak? What items produce the CO if the engine is not running?

1. Yes, there is an easy way test the CO/LP detector. Light a hand-held LP lighter and it will give off some unknown amount of CO. (Most of the combustion products are water and CO2.) Blow out the flame while holding the lighter's gas valve open and it will give off propane. However, this only tells you that the alarm works, probably at very high concentrations. It does NOT tell you that the alarm will work at lower concentrations that may be dangerous. You must have calibrated gases with the correct concentrations to do a real test of the alarm. (PS - I just noticed on my old LP/CO alarm a statement to not use a lighter to test. This may be because the test could wrongly tell you the alarm is good, as I said above.)

2. If you turn off LP at the tank there is still propane in the lines that could leak. You could run a burner on the stove with the tank valve off and burn out most of what's in the lines. It is certainly possible that the tank valve could leak but I don't know the likelihood.

3. The furnace, stovetop and oven produce some CO. The furnace should be vented outside, but it's possible that the heat exchanger could leak, or the exhaust flue could be defective. The refrigerator and water heater also produce CO when running on LP but their burners are walled off from the living space and should be vented outside. A generator produces CO and it could infiltrate your living space. The exhaust from a neighbor's generator or furnace could be drifting into your living space.

[Evereddie]

bclemens, it's been a month and nothing more from this thread and what to do with my defective unit. My wife and I have had our last camping trip ruined by this G-- D--- unit going off in the middle of the night. Funny, it goes off when someone is sleeping in the bunk which is a few feet away from it. At any rate it is in my hand and I am either going to throw it away and do without, or send it to someone to replace.

[davegood]

We had a problem with our combined co/propane detector going off. Replacing the detector solved the problem. If yours continues to go off after replacing it with a new one, then there could be a real problem.
Low voltage could be checked with a voltmeter. Also, does your panel show the batteries are discharged? If 2 or more of the four battery lights on the panel come on it's not likely a low voltage situation.
Blowing a fan on the detector is probably as bad and disconnecting it. This would prevent the detector from sensing a real problem.
I think these detectors, which DO malfunction in many cases, are horribly designed. In a paranoia to prevent lawsuits, they sound continuously when the sensor is activated and would drain the coach batteries in time. They are so loud that the dead would be reawakened after just a few seconds. If one went off when the occupants were away, just what would others do - break into a locked rv to attempt to determine if there was an occupant.
Anyone experiencing these malfunctions is tempted to turn the damn thing off by removing the fuse, which of course defeats the purpose.
They should be designed to sound for only a minute - more than enough time to awaken sleeping occupants.

[cohuttariverrat]

After a total restless night in our minilite with the safety alert brand alarm going off i started searching for answers to this problem as well. Im a firefighter an have to deal with gas leaks quit often. Some detectors are more sensitive than others. Some are faulty straight out of the box but most will do what they are design to do. Without getting deep into chemicals and gases there is allot that can trigger the sensor. Lysol triggered ours yesteday after wife sprayed some in camper and last night at 4am it decided to keep us awake. Alarming every 3 min green solid light and red flashing. It reads fault so Im unsure at this point.. Sometimes a sensor can be fouled by being exposed to way to high level of a detectable gas. Breathing into our gas monitor at work can foul the sensor and ours isn't cheap to replace. Every 3 months we calibrate our gas monitors at work. We show it what perfect air is and also hook a small bottle of mixed gases to show it what levels to trigger alarms. LP gas has ethyl mercaptan added to the gas to give a rotten egg smell so it can be detected with your nose. LP is odorless, tasteless and heavier than air and will sink to the lowest places such as your floor or outside would be drainage ditches, culverts, ect. Also humans are not triggered to awake from a smell just by sounds. Either way its deadly and nobody should remove them if LP is being used. However I will get to the bottom of our faulty alarm and will try my best to post back. I plan on getting home and hoping it will alarm again when I'm on shift so I can respond to my own gas leak and use our monitor to see what levels it is detecting and what gases. I feel everyone's pain with faulty alarms at 4am

[RamblerGuy]

Great to have you pursue the problem. I look forward to your findings.

[RamblerGuy]

Home Depot has a CO detector with a 10 year battery and digital readout. Can someone point me to a similar LP detector? I'll just ditch the piece of junk in my coach if I can get both with 10 year batteries and digital readouts.

[VinceU]

Since propane is often powered by coach batteries, thinking the detecter mech ages out, not the battery.


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[RamblerGuy]

Vince is correct but with 10 year batteries I can locate it away from the coach batteries without running 12 volt power.

Hopefully it will be more reliable than the junk that's installed now. Tired of LP alarms even when I have it off at the tank.

[cohuttariverrat]

I still haven't been able to catch our alarm going off while im at home or fire station where i can get a real gas monitor and see if anything is truly triggering alarm. Last weekend camping it went off again at 3am. Im rather frustrated along with all of you about this junk of an alarm and almost certain its faulty alarms. Its just over a year old now. Whats the best route to replace or to contact for warranty issue?

[bclemens]

Pull the CO detector, should be a mfg name and number on the back of it.

[Mike & Molly]

Another problem with the detector is the location of it. Placed in the stair well it picks up a lot of dust. Especially when sweeping out the coach. That can't be good for the detector.

[Evereddie]

While mine started acting up at about 8 months into ownership, when I finally figured out it was the unit and not something we were doing wrong it was 13 months and warranty with dealer expired. Dealer was NO help as usual for them. Called twice to the manufacturer of the alarm and never got any returned phone calls. Bunch of crap from all concerned.

I walked into a Campers World and bought one after we had unhooked the faulty alarm so we could get some sleep, Then had a scare of leaving propane burner on, unlit, when we were not in the camper and almost blew up the whole rig. I tell you dealing with anything RV related makes me feel like I am in some third world country. Spotty service and manufacturing, can't count on anybody to really be on your side and fulfill their obligation. GOOD LUCK!!!

[bclemens]

This makes me tear up a little.

[RamblerGuy]

Bclemens,

What brand LP/CO detector does FR install in Class C's now?

[cbconway]

At the FR rally in Goshen this past August, we were located right next to the busy train tracks. When the wind was just right, passing trains would set off the alarm. We were also told that Lysol would do the same. Go figure.