CO Detector

[cousin01]

From an earlier thread which is now closed...

"We all seem to experience the alarm when plugged into shore power - a condition necessary for battery overcharging and outgassing to occur."

I am rekindling this thread to add some additional info and solicit some suggestions to prevent the hydrogen gas alarms.

I recently had a progressive industries converter installed. When I got the coach home, the coach batteries had been switched off for about a week and a half. As a result the battery was in need of charge.

fyi - I have 2 group 27 Trojan batteries.

I topped off all of the cells and connected to shore power. Not long after, the CO alarm went off.

The Progressive Dynamics converter has a pendant that indicates charge mode. At the time it was in "bulk" mode, meaning it was delivering max current to the batteries to shorten the charging time.

In an attempt to better ventilate the battery box to the outside I drilled a couple of additional holes near the top of the box at the end near the gas detector. I then resumed charging in bulk mode. Again it alarmed a short while later.


After resetting the alarm, I got a small hand held fan and propped it up in line with an existing 2 inch hole on the outside of the battery box. ( near the bottom with fan facing under the coach exhausting air from the box).

Now the bulk mode charging did not set off the gas alarm.



Next, I removed the fan and used the pendant to manually select "normal" mode charging which lowers the charge voltage and current to the battery.

Now no gas alarm.

So now I am in pursuit of a way to provide positive ventilation of the battery box. I ideally it would only be active when the charger is active. We don't need any more parasitic drains.


An additional footnote to this ventilation thing. I think it has something to do with the airflow near the battery box. If its fairly windy i think the holes in the battery box for the battery cables provide enough ventilation, but when the wind stops the hydrogen, which is lighter, than air can collect under the step and be released to the gas detector.

Any ideas?

[JamesR]

I have a similar issue but no clue on the cause. The alarm goes off randomly. As you suggest it must be proximity to the battery? Very annoying....



Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[RamblerGuy]

I thought about a fan, too, but hydrogen gas is extremely explosive. A fan could provide a spark. Think it through.

[cousin01]

Thinking about a brushless motor. Solid state commutator.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[cousin01]

I bought the parts to add a small fan but before I installed it I happened to motive that the co detector was marked with a replacement date of June 2014.

I ordered a replacement and installed it.

I have not had an alarm from the detector on any charge mode since the replacement.

We'll see.......


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[Mikegjax]

Mine sounds when someone is taking a shower. Weird!

[RvBill3]

Mine has also gone off after a shower at least twice.


2012 Forest River Sunseeker 2300 Chevy

[bclemens]

A nice 12V computer fan would do the trick.

[Evereddie]

bclemens, in another thread about this on-going false alarm issue you said you were having a representative from the manufacturer of these detectors to come into this forum and gather information on what is going on. You said at the time we would have a direct contact link, access to, the manufacturer to send these defective units in for replacement. Forest River dealer will not help me in any way. I have had to remove it, we couldn't live with it anymore. My defective unit is in my trailer I got a year ago May. So is there a contact or do I need to just start with a blind call to them.

Thanks for any help.

[bclemens]

1. I actually said they asked me for a link to the site. I was not actually directing them to the forum.

His exact words "Can you send me a link to the forum where complaints are being made. Perhaps I can have our engineer post something to better educate the consumer on care procedures to eliminate false alarms and make them aware that we stand behind the units 100%. We will both test and replace any bad units."

I'd have to go back and see what I said, but I think I was hoping that they would step in and have a direct link.

Part of the issue is are we seeing false alarms or overly sensitive devices. As was stated earlier in here...battery gases are also setting these things off. That is not a problem that you typically have on your home CO2 detector.

My recommendation is that you contact the mfg on the back of the detector. Maybe if they hear it enough they'll look into a little harder.

[Evereddie]

Thank you. I should have looked back on the exact thing you said. I will contact them.

BTW, mine goes off when the propane has been turned off for days and the lines evacuated. Batteries are outside on the front of my trailer. No sprays, chemicals or other. Just people sleeping in the middle of the night.

[bclemens]

No worries. I just feel like no matter what we say/do they will just come back with the whole "how to prevent false alarms" stuff.

We saw the same thing with Hehr windows...when we finally started calling them directly, amazing the response.

[tommyb]

I got tired of false alarms, and bought an aftermarket unit. It was under $20 at Wally Mart.

A year later, still no false alarms.

[RamblerGuy]

Does anybody know of a similar LP detector that I could use? I gave up on my Safe-T-Alert and bought a CO detector, too, but can't find an LP detector.

[tommyb]

search amazon or wal-mart for CO and LP alarms. They both have several ranging from $14 to $80...

[cousin01]

Tommy

Your original has the same replace by date as the one that gave me trouble. I bought an up to date unit an no false alarms.

Btw. Your new unit may not detect lp leaks




Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[tommyb]

Yeah, but it was a year ago that I replaced it. A full year before the replacement date.

[mckenziecb]

If I turn off the 12 volt switch by my entry door to my motorhome when plugged into 30amp power, will the 12 volt batteries still charge? Just thought this might be the easiest way to eliminate the alarm going off. All the lights still work when the switch is off when plugged in

[RamblerGuy]

No. Switch isolates batteries from the rest of the coach's 12 volt system so will not charge if in off position.

Switch does not isolate the lp/co detector. It gets 12 volts from either the batteries or the converter. Must remove the detector from the wall and remove in line fuse to kill it.

[cousin01]

Curious why you want to silence the alarm. Are you sure it is a false alarm? They also alarm with low battery voltage but if it does it when plugged in to shore power (and you are certain that charging voltage is getting to the battery) then you need to rule out actual conditions that should set off alarm.

If you are certain that it is spurious I would like to know what the "replace by" date is on the unit.

Mine was overly sensitive when the batteries were being charged and it has a date of June 2014.


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums