carbon monoxide detector

wiesenbornk · 09-23-2012, 01:04 PM

Our carbon monoxide detector keeps going off. It seems to happen on the first day of every trip. Seems like it coincides with using hot water. Anyone else have this issue?

DF5.4 · 09-23-2012, 01:10 PM

Ours started acting up after about a year. It would go off for no reason. The camper could be sitting at home with nothing on and it would go off. I got it replaced under warranty and it hasn't gone off since.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiesenbornk

Our carbon monoxide detector keeps going off. It seems to happen on the first day of every trip. Seems like it coincides with using hot water. Anyone else have this issue?

Check the seal around the hot water heater. (where it joins the camper's wall).

I seem to recall a thread a few years ago where this was happening and there was no (or little) caulking between the metal of the water heater and the wall of the camper.

This allowed un-burned propane to enter the camper. The way the system works is there is a 15 second purge of propane before the spark occurs. If that spark fails to ignite the propane for any reason, the 15 second purge starts again. It will "purge/spark" 3 times before it locks out and you have to turn the switch on and off to start it over again.

This purge could allow propane to seep past a bad seal and enter the camper. The detectors are sensitive and if your detector is near the water heater it may be detecting the purge gas. If it seems to be taking a long time for the "reset" light to go out (30 seconds or so) the heater could be having issues getting a light initially. Check the flue in that case for spider webs that could be burned out after it finally lights.

http://www.eco-rv.com/scripts/pdfretail/get.php?id=344

MotocrossCamper · 09-23-2012, 02:36 PM

You have to remember that these cheap detectors they put in rv's can never be reset to 0. Every time it detects any PPM's it stores it and then continues to add to the total.

For example, if it detects CM totaling 15 ppm on your first trip it will store that number. Then on your next trip lets say you run a generator and the wind blows some exhaust fumes inside and it detects CM totaling 25 ppm, well now your detector thinks there is 40 ppm because it adds that to what it detected on the last trip. Once you reach dangerous levels it will go off anytime it detects any carbon monoxide even if it's in small amounts.

Everybody should have one that plugs into an outlet and has a digital readout. You can get them at wal-Mart and they are fairly inexpensive considering the peace of mind they give. This style will always self adjust to the actual ppm that's in the air, never any guessing.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotocrossCamper

You have to remember that these cheap detectors they put in rv's can never be reset to 0. Every time it detects any PPM's it stores it and then continues to add to the total.

For example, if it detects CM totaling 15 ppm on your first trip it will store that number. Then on your next trip lets say you run a generator and the wind blows some exhaust fumes inside and it detects CM totaling 25 ppm, well now your detector thinks there is 40 ppm because it adds that to what it detected on the last trip. Once you reach dangerous levels it will go off anytime it detects any carbon monoxide even if it's in small amounts.

Everybody should have one that plugs into an outlet and has a digital readout. You can get them at wal-Mart and they are fairly inexpensive considering the peace of mind they give. This style will always self adjust to the actual ppm that's in the air, never any guessing.

Wow. Never heard that one. Is that in a manual somewhere?
I would love to have that in the Herkbrary.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 02:50 PM

Here is the manual for mine.
Note the section on the difference between a propane leak from a fitting and a diluted leak from an open burner.

MotocrossCamper · 09-23-2012, 02:51 PM

I can try and find the actual paperwork we got on it. We were taught this at a refresher class I took for our volunteer fire department. This was after VFD had to start responding to so many CM scares. When ours starting going off every night and scaring the crap out of us I finally went and bought the digital one and when it read 10 ppm our little white plastic one would start going off.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MotocrossCamper

I can try and find the actual paperwork we got on it. We were taught this at a refresher class I took for our volunteer fire department. This was after VFD had to start responding to so many CM scares. When ours starting going off every night and scaring the crap out of us I finally went and bought the digital one and when it read 10 ppm our little white plastic one would start going off.

Thanks. It sounds like something that I should have in my folder.

rockfordroo · 09-23-2012, 04:26 PM

There's a difference between the PROPANE detector and the CARBON MONOXIDE detector. On my Roo19, the Propane detector is down at floor level by the electric converter and battery disconnect switch. (Propane is heavier than air.) The CM is up on the wall over the sofa. (CM is lighter than air.) The original post was regarding CM, not Propane.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 05:12 PM

Yikes, I am so sorry!
No idea how I missed that.

My CO detector is on the ceiling as well.
Let me look into this further.
Lou

fanrgs · 09-23-2012, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

There's a difference between the PROPANE detector and the CARBON MONOXIDE detector. On my Roo19, the Propane detector is down at floor level by the electric converter and battery disconnect switch. (Propane is heavier than air.) The CM is up on the wall over the sofa. (CM is lighter than air.) The original post was regarding CM, not Propane.

There is no difference in my trailer. I just checked it last week and it is a Safe-T-Alert combined CO and gas (propane) detector. It is located just above the floor and right under the refrigerator (which is located at the rear of the trailer). With the mass of CO at 28.01 g/mole and the mass of air at 28.9 g/mole, CO from incomplete combustion in my furnace or oven (located in the center of the trailer) could theoretically rise to the level of our bed (located at the front of the trailer) without ever reaching the CO detector.

The trailer is so small that it is not a likely scenario. However, my first boss after college died from CO poisoning in a pickup camper. So, I am not taking any chances and installing a battery powered CO detector near the head of the bed.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 05:26 PM

I have a CoStar CO Detector (only) and the manual is less than informative as to the nuts and bolts of its operation.

It does say not to mount it within 5 feet of any appliance or furnace.

**Herk7769** · 09-23-2012, 05:32 PM

I found what I think you were talking about.
**********************************************
Carbon monoxide detector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The alarm points on carbon monoxide detectors are not a simple alarm level (as in smoke detectors) but are a concentration-time function. At lower concentrations (e.g. 100 parts per million) the detector will not sound an alarm for many tens of minutes. At 400 parts per million (PPM), the alarm will sound within a few minutes. This concentration-time function is intended to mimic the uptake of carbon monoxide in the body while also preventing false alarms due to relatively common sources of carbon monoxide such as cigarette smoke.
************************************************

This does not mean the detector does not "reset" to zero after detecting CO. It means that it is "always" detecting some level of CO over a period of time and as long as the exposure over time is below the alarm setting; it will not go off. That is why a low level of CO over a short period of time will not set it off and a higher level, even briefly, will.

rockfordroo · 09-23-2012, 07:09 PM

Whoops, my mistake, also. You're right. Both the Propane and CM are near the floor near the converter. It's the smoke detector that's on the wall over the sofa. (Sorry, I've only had this Roo for a few months and we've only been out two weekends. And my home CM is on the ceiling with the smoke detector.)

OswegoLion · 08-15-2016, 12:40 PM

So if I turn off 2 propane tanks at the tank we should be safe until we can get it checked Nothing else can be harmful?

rockfordroo · 08-15-2016, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OswegoLion

So if I turn off 2 propane tanks at the tank we should be safe until we can get it checked Nothing else can be harmful?

I would think so. Can't have a propane leak if it's shut off and can't have CO if there's no propane to burn.

HeatherV · 10-02-2016, 05:10 PM

My co2 and propane detector is the same I beleive and it's down near the floor.

It recently started going off and will not shut off until I turn the main battery off for the rv.
We had a week long trip with no issues, now it's sitting the the driveway, I was working in it when it started going off.

Shut everything down and all was good. Few days later was in showing friends the new rig, was in maybe 10 min and then it started going off again. Only way to make it stop is to go out to the battery cut off switch and turn it off.
Help!
Propane tanks are off, stove checked...

Wolflack 315 pack 12 2017 model

wharfrat48 · 10-03-2016, 09:34 AM

Propane detector will "chirp" when battery power is low.

Rodski · 10-04-2016, 03:20 PM

Agree with wharfrat48 about it chirping when the battery is low. I learned this the hard way camping in Yellowstone in AUGUST and the temp fell to 29 degrees and snow one night, and we weren't connected to electricity. The battery started depleting quickly with the furnace running, and eventually the detector starts chirping to alert you that the battery is running low on juice. So even though it still had enough juice to power the furnace a little longer, it chirps to tell you that the battery is getting lower on power. THANKS!!! It flashes a different pattern or color I believe, which in the manual states was the low battery indicator, not the CO2 detection.

I eventually had to disconnect the battery completely to stop the damn thing from chirping LOUDLY which meant no heat and its 29 degrees outside in Summer. :-) Oh and it was 2:00 am in the morning when all this decides to go down.

**bikendan** · 10-04-2016, 06:41 PM

Rodski, did you get a second battery, generator or solar after that experience?

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