CO alarm came on on our last trip

[macjack39]

We have a Rockwood A192HW Hardside. We purchased it last May, made a 5700 mile trip last summer and all systems performed magnificently. However, went on a short trip several weeks ago and one day the CO alarm came on. Thank God it was in the middle of the day and not at night. Anyway, did what you are supposed to do, open doors and windows, turned off gas, etc. The problem was with the water heater. It had failed to ignite and after three attempts, it locks out indicated by the Red light. Later I tried it again, and it did ignite and ran for an hour or so before the alarm came on again. This time I turned it off and certainly was not going to run it at night after we went to bed. I tried it again the next day, and it seemed to be okay as the alarm did not come on again.

However, until I understand better what may have been going on, I would be real skittish about having it on at night when we are sleeping. Has anyone else had this problem and how did you resolve it.

Macjack

[mlsa3]

Mine has done the same thing. The last couple of trips it didn't happen.

We don't use the propane much so it's not a major problem for us although I want everything working correctly in case we do use it.

I checked for propane leaks and found nothing. Like I said I tried it on each trip just to see if it would go off again and nothing so hopefully whatever it was has cleared up.

[RPAspey]

Something that could be your problem is a blocked jet or combustion chamber. It seems that mud wasps and spiders like to build nests or webs in those areas. Oh, same thing could happen in the fridge and water heater. I'd check it out before taking to dealer.

[speedjester]

Are we talking just he CO2 alarm or the co2/propane combo unit?... The plain Jane Co2 units should not be set off by leaking propane....(CO2 is a product of combustion ).... Try replacing the detector..

[beechjet16mf]

Our propane/ CO alarm has been going off all by itself. Nothing was on in the trailer. No propane, no burners, nothing, and it would only silence for 2 minutes. I had to dismantle it to stop it. I am going to buy a good one, not something made overseas.


2009 Suburban
Flagstaff 27RLWS
Phoxie Lou, the cat that runs the show
97 Nights and counting 2014

[RichardEB]

We had the same problem. It turned out to be altitude related. It happens the more you go over 4500 feet. Dealer can adjust the water heater so it won't happen at high altitude.

[dcheatwood]

Mine does it in the driveway occasionally. I first tried resetting it several times. Finally went inside the house and ignored it. Went back out an hour or so later and it had reset. Both lp tanks were empty. I refilled and no more alarm yet. Thinking it may be connected to lp appliances trying to start when tanks are empty. ??? Good luck.

[BigTJohn]

Many times it is the connections on the back of the unit. Remove the unit, look at the connections with a magnifying glass and check for any loose wires. Remove the connections and clean the connection points. Re-install the wires and make good, solid contact. Removing power from the unit will also re-set it.

[TGR]

As BigTJohn shared, CO detectors are sensitive to voltage issues. Anyone who has let their batteries run down too far while dry camping will get a reminder from their CO detector that the trailer's battery's voltage is too low. Any poor electrical connections to the alarm may also cause the CO detector to alarm.


My only caution is that you should not jump to the conclusion that it's an alarm problem too soon as CO is colorless, odorless and dangerous. Until you are sure poor combustion isn't actually occurring, be cautious.

[RPAspey]

The OP's problem is with the furnace. The alarm was an indication of a malfunction. If the furnace tried 3x to light,then lockout, gotta be a propane or ignition problem. Hopefully the OP will get us an update.

[macjack39]

Originally Posted by speedjester

Are we talking just he CO2 alarm or the co2/propane combo unit?... The plain Jane Co2 units should not be set off by leaking propane....(CO2 is a product of combustion ).... Try replacing the detector..

I have the SafeTAlert Combination CO and Gas Alarm. It was definitely the CO alarm as the Red CO LED was flashing and not the Gas LED. After I pressed the TEST button, the Red CO LED stayed on until the CO had cleared out I guess. When I tried it the next day, the alarm did not go off.

MacJack

[speedjester]

... I would not rule out there they could be an issue.. (Maybe blockage of nozzle, air in line or blocked flue)With the water heater... But I had a similar problem.. As my CO detector would go off periodically.. I would air out the unit and shut everything off... After about the 10th time..I pulled the unit and brought it into my house.. Sure enough the detector went off... I replaced and reinstalled with no issues..I also installed a plug in digital co detector.. And I have never seen it register anything but 00..

I really don't understand how the combo units work in my coach it's about 3" off the floor... I thought propane was a heavy gas so would tend to settle low.. And Co was lite and would tend to go straight up...

What ever you decide don't be lax and ignore it...

Good luck and stay safe..

[JLeising]

After a few alarms, which I rationalized (neighbor running generator, neighbor's campfire, etc) I replaced with separate propane monitor and CO detector. "False" alarm issue solved. I think the 5 year life on these may be overstated - and that false alarms is a sign of detector deterioration. Note: all my "false" alarms were for propane, not for CO.

[Long Leaf Piners]

Yup! While checking for real reasons is important; once you've done that, take your vacuum and clean the grill plate of your unit.
The CO monitors (had one on a TrailManor that did this occasionally) are sensitive to dust, dirt, animal hair; and a wiser man than me said, vacuum the thing--clean it--before you go buying a new one.
He was right.
Never happened again.
So give that a try; we try to keep ours clean on our rig now.