CO alarm randomly goes off?

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by mzak

I gave up on the factory detectors with the false alarms and purchased a First Alert generic detector. No more false alarms. Tested it by turning on two gas burners for about 10-15 minutes with windows and vent closed and it did then alarm as it should.

Seems like that is a little slow ???

[mzak]

I got tired of the false alarms with the factory detector and bought a First Alert generic detector. Tested it by turning on two burners on stove for about ten minutes and it did then alarm as it should but no more false alarms!

[mzak]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

Seems like that is a little slow ???

Burners were on low and I'm still here and had no symptoms of co poisoning. They work in homes why not in trailers?

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by mzak

Burners were on low and I'm still here and had no symptoms of co poisoning. They work in homes why not in trailers?

The ones at home tend to only be a CO detector. In the RV is often both a CO and a Propane detector (some one combo unit, some separate).

[mzak]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

The ones at home tend to only be a CO detector. In the RV is often both a CO and a Propane detector (some one combo unit, some separate).

Tend to yes but they also make combo units or just use one of each. They are not that big or just put up with false alarms from factory unit. Not promoting it just saying it works for me.

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by mzak

Burners were on low and I'm still here and had no symptoms of co poisoning. They work in homes why not in trailers?

As long as you are happy with it,,, that is all that counts !!!
Just seems to me like it should not take 10 minutes to detect propane ???

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by Wolverine 1945

As long as you are happy with it,,, that is all that counts !!!
Just seems to me like it should not take 10 minutes to detect propane ???

Home CO detectors do NOT detect propane. CO does not immediately build up to dangerous levels. And the threshold for danger changes with time - the longer you are exposed to raised CO levels, the lower the CO level you can tolerate. So CO detectors aggregate low CO levels over time before alarming.

If you want to test what I am saying, get a CO detector that gives numeric readouts.

Home use propane detectors are harder to come by than CO detectors. Current codes allow the odor agent added to natural gas (and propane) to suffice as an alarm, so a natural gas/propane detector is not required in houses using natural gas/propane appliances. Your nose is the detector. CO is not detectable by odor or sight, so most modern building codes require CO detectors in a closed room or structure where there are open flames.

Here in Colorado, a good house inspector will check air infiltration if the furnace does not have an outside air intake. In other words, you want a certain amount of outside air leaking in if you cook, clothes dry, water heat, or heat with natural gas.

Since we were camping in pop-ups before CO detectors existed, we have always ensured some ventilation as a precaution. Having the vent and at least one window cracked in even the coldest weather also helps prevent condensation.

When we had a propane leak in our A-frame (just outside the front wall), we detected it by smell - the propane alarm did not go off. On the other hand, the first time we used the water heater the alarm went off, but never after that.

One other experience - I heard the alarm "chirping". Evacuated, turned off the propane, ventilated the camper. The alarm would not be silenced, so I finally cut the wires. And the chirping was still there. Looked up and the smoke alarm was chirping. Learned the hard way to replace the smoke alarm battery every year in the Spring.

just our experiences
Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan

[mikel68]

On our old TT, when the battery was low it would go off. It drove me crazy before I found out.

[colourful64]

Lol you only have to haul the fuse not cut the wires

[pgandw]

Originally Posted by colourful64

Lol you only have to haul the fuse not cut the wires

Don't blame you for laughing at my foibles.

In my A-frame, the CO/propane detector has an internal fuse. To get at the internal fuse, I have to remove the detector - which meant cutting the wires. When I reinstalled the detector and put in the new converter/distribution panel, I cleaned up the wiring rat's nest. I put in a bus bar for all the 12V ground wires, and put in a small bus bar for positive side of the "everything else" circuit. From the factory, all the wires had been joined with a series of crimp-on clear wire-nuts.

In my A-frame, the CO/propane detector is on the general "everything else" DC circuit. In addition to the CO/propane detector, this circuit powers the stereo, tongue and porch lights, the interior night light, and I have since added the fridge fan and voltmeter to this circuit. At the time of wire cutting, I didn't even know what was on what circuit.

Just my experiences - some great, some not so great. But I have learned.
Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[JArry]

Late addition to this thread, but I had a major problem with false alarms - once it alarmed in the middle of the night for no apparent reason. The dealer tested it, found it defective, and replaced under warranty. No problems with the new one. I assume this is the same detector your unit has.

[mdough6]

Not sure if this is helpful or not but I recently had my CO alarm act up too. It was set off even with nothing running. Solidredlightwith 4 beeps every 5 seconds. My propane tank was even empty. Unjustly we opened all the windows and screen door to let the wind blow through and clear it. Didn't help. I did some reading and saw all the other things that could set the alarm off. Ends up it was dust from a road we are traveling on. To clear it I disconnected power from the battery and touched the two cables together. Then, leaving the battery disconnected I went and blew on the sensor strongly a few times to clear dust out. Then I went and reconnect power and my battery. My alarm was silent with a gen blinking light while it reset. After 10 minutes or was sold green and good to go. A quick fix that can be done in the field when in dusty conditions.

Again, not sure if this is helpful but it was my experience.

[Oksourdough]

Had my co2 detector sound off a few times this trip. Finally figured out that it would go off when I had the water heater and my roof fan going at the same time. Believe that the roof fan is so strong that it pulls water heater exhaust inside the trailer from below. As soon as either the fan or water heater was shut off there was no more issue.

[JArry]

Originally Posted by mdough6

Not sure if this is helpful or not but I recently had my CO alarm act up too. It was set off even with nothing running. Solidredlightwith 4 beeps every 5 seconds. My propane tank was even empty. Unjustly we opened all the windows and screen door to let the wind blow through and clear it. Didn't help. I did some reading and saw all the other things that could set the alarm off. Ends up it was dust from a road we are traveling on. To clear it I disconnected power from the battery and touched the two cables together. Then, leaving the battery disconnected I went and blew on the sensor strongly a few times to clear dust out. Then I went and reconnect power and my battery. My alarm was silent with a gen blinking light while it reset. After 10 minutes or was sold green and good to go. A quick fix that can be done in the field when in dusty conditions.

Again, not sure if this is helpful but it was my experience.

I think I'd be most concerned about having so much dust come inside the trailer that it set the alarm off!

[mdough6]

Boondocking those Montana back roads and found some sluffy ones. [emoji2]

Originally Posted by JArry

I think I'd be most concerned about having so much dust come inside the trailer that it set the alarm off!

[glarior]

The dust idea is worth a try. Im still having the same issue. Camper been sitting for about 3-4 months with propane disconnected. I'm planning on going camping soon and decided to do a full camper clean out. Hooked the camper to 30amp grid and worked on cleaning it on and off for 5 hours. Out of no where the alarm was going off. This time I looked at the lights and the co2 was green but LP was flashing red. The LP not been connected for months. On top of that I was replacing the line but didnt have the right fitting. So, there is no way propane is leaking lol. Going to check the owners manual and see if it suggest anything.

[Alben]

My CO/propane detector went off for no good reason a few days ago. I was getting the camper ready for the next camping trip. One of the things I do is run about 5 gallons of water into the fresh water tank a couple of times and pump it through the both the hot and cold water systems to clear out stale water. After the water pump was on a few minutes, the CO/propane detector started alarming. I shut off the pump and about a minute later the detector stopped alarming. I turned on the pump and, again, about a few minutes later the detector started alarming. Odd, as the propane is turned off. Can vibration from the pump cause the CO/propane detector to start alarming?

[lmiken]

Check the lights on the alarm and check the pattern to the manual. It could be a low voltage (less than 10.2v from the battery). My detector manual says it should be on its own circuit but mine is hooked on the circuit with the refridge fan. Occasionally the fridge fan will power on and the voltage will drop causing the low voltage alarm to go off.

[ard58]

I have a KS TT and our beeper went off out of the blue last December when we were camping. Of coarse we shut off propane, opened trailer, it was 36 outside at the time, and after about 5 minutes all was ok. I have read threads here about them so I purchased a battery operated one and installed in place of the original. Last weekend when we were coming home from camping 3 days we stopped for lunch and I went into trailer to use the bathroom. Had to move livingroom slide out to get to bath and when I put it in the beeper went off. Stopped after about 30 seconds. Came home and we unpacked and when I put slides in to move it went off again for about 30 seconds. So what sets it off is anybodys guess.

[JArry]

Originally Posted by lmiken

It could be a low voltage (less than 10.2v from the battery). My detector manual says it should be on its own circuit but mine is hooked on the circuit with the refridge fan. Occasionally the fridge fan will power on and the voltage will drop causing the low voltage alarm to go off.

X2 - Mine sometimes starts beeping (at a long interval) if the refrig. is on 12V and the battery is not being charged (i.e. when I am parked during travel from one place to the next).