Replacement gas detectors- what do I want?

I can't recommend exactly, but I can tell you a few things to watch for, as you get advice.

I was in the same situation, and decided to move quickly, to avoid forgetting and being sorry later. Lots of affordable options for the smoke detector. I puzzled over the CO and gas choices on the RV supply websites. They all seemed expensive, but at least I could get replacements for my current built-in models. It was a while before it dawned on me that there would be non-RV applications and availability, so I then quickly picked up a CO detector at a drug store on my second trip, for a very reasonably price less than $25. Home Depot has several affordable models also. What I have not been able to figure yet, and I will watch here for answers, is why I can find $25 models and $90 models where I cannot tell much difference. Not sure if price equals reliability and quality or not. But if you are like me, you want reliability for your safety, but since there are other RV goodies to shop for, you don't want to throw money away. If I find something better than my drug store CO detector for the RV (which is a good brand, and not a piece of junk), then I will move that into my house and get the replacement model for the RV.

Good Luck

You do NOT want a combo gas/co........they have different mounting requirements due to density of the element.

Now if you meant SMOKE/CO ...then OK
That comb unit can be mounted on wall 1 foot down from ceiling and function quike well

LP Detector needs to be at floor level

Battery operated are good. Just get into routine of changing batteries like July 4th and Dec 25th cause us AZs don't do the clock changing routine :B

Brand.........basically all the same. Sensor/alarm...rest is just bells/whisltes

Hi,

There are two basic types or styles of smoke detectors. One is ultra sensitive to smoke, and it is ion type. The other is photo type, and requires more smoke to set them off, but will not likely be set off by a toaster set to dark bread.

Photo detectors use a red LED and photo receiver, when there is enough smoke to interrupt the light, then it goes off. IT is suitable for a RV, because the smoke detector will be within about 10 feet of the stove or cooking device. It just will not go off due to the engine running, or something like that.

CO detector can be the home style, but the battery can go dead while the RV is in storage, and you will not know it because nobody can hear it. Most RV's have a 12 volt system with inputs from both the engine and coach batteries.

I would do a online search for 12 volt CO detectors, and hopefully find one the same size.


Good luck,

Fred.

Thanks- I was wondering about the combo gas/co detector and mounting height
gas heavier than air...but I think the CO is soluable/ same density as air and evenly distributed.

MTI safe T alert says 4 to 20 " off the floor for their combo unit.

I do like hardwired into 12 volt for the gas/CO.


some other CO makers say that mounting location high/low/ceiling doesn't really factor...but to stay away from corners due to stangnant air flow

Mike

A few things to keep in mind when replacing CO detectors. Those intended for home application are quite different from those designed for RVs. One major difference is the range of operating temperatures (where you will actually be protected). Home units have a narrow range typical for a home, RV units have a much wider operating range as expected in a RV. You have to check the small print in the technical specifications of the unit you are considering. There is also a difference in tolerance to shock and vibrations (home units are not tested) and to operating voltage as a standard RV unit is fed from the coach battery (from high charging voltage to low discharged battery).
I went through the research when my CO detector went past its expiration date. I used a battery operated home unit to have some protection until I could find a proper RV unit (not cheap by any mean and hard to find compared to the home unit).

What is needed is a dual chamber detector that will detect CO and smoke from a slow smoldering fire such as may start in a R/V because of electrical fires and fast burning smokeless fires.

After a lot of research and talking to Kidde, they assured me that this one would work in a home and also A RV,there is no difference.

This is what I found.
A Kidde KN-COSM-XTR-BA Nighthawk
That seemed to be best suited for this kind of application.

Like This

They now can be bought at Home Depot, also At Amazon.

Home Depot

Amazon

I suggest you read all the info and make your decision on this but I replaced the ones in my Class C with this one.They are rated for 10 years
and most are only rated for 5,If your RV is older than 5 years old and they haven't been changed they are most likely no good. Mine needed to be replaced so this was a good deal for me, I had a hard wired one and I chucked it for the battery powered ones, they can be checked before each trip by pushing the test button in the center of the unit.

mkquitar, I will skip commenting on the Fire, Smoke and CO detectors and limit my comments to the LP detector area.

I personally prefer the Safe T Alarm brand with the solenoid operated shutoff valve, BUT, I think you are better off with a single function alarm such as the STA #30 series replacements for CCI detectors if you don't want to install the solenoid valve. The #30 models are exact replacements for the single function CCI models. They have a MSRP of $79.99 and are $41.00 dollars cheaper than the combo unit. You can buy one heck of a CO, Smoke/Fire detector for $40.00 and place it in an appropriate place for CO detection.

I have very little experience with placement of CO detectors but I looked up the specs for CA and find that high on a wall is preferable and they are not to be installed on the ceiling, this basically tells me a combo LP/CO detector is not the best choice.

I hope this helps and good luck in your choices.

Here's what I've decided, for ease of mounting and wiring ( 12 VDC) a combo safeTalert which will fit in the hole I already have down low in teh cabinetry adjacent to the furnace, fridge and piping.
about $80 on amazon.

my smoke detector is mounted to the ceiling just aft of drivers seat- I think I'll replace that with a combo smoke/ CO- 9 volt battery.

Then I have 2 CO detectors...1 high, 1 low.
- various specs and codes for CO seem not so much to contradict, but it seems that mounting is less specific as CO is soluable in air.

CO not as much a concern as we don't use the genny ( as least so far)-

Thanks, Mike

Hi Folks.

Great discussion on alarms. I just want to add something. Most alarms are useless to me when I have my hearing aids out. I don't wear them when I am sleeping. As a result, I am scared to run the gas heater while I am sleeping.

Anybody come across alarms with very loud noise that can be heard without hearing aids? I am not alone.

Heapie

i think to recall that some residential alarms can be outfitted with a powerful flashing light. I don't know if that is feasible far a RV alarm.