Carbon dioxide

[rickhise]

Have u ever had your CO detector go off because of a neighbor s generator exhaust.
Is there a recognized rule of thumb for yardage for a safe distance?

Even if weather conditions are at the very worst so the CO doesn’t dissipate?

Our discussions camper to camper was regarding this issue, lots of variables
Including the efficiency of the generator along with the exhaust system obviously weather. Along with openness of the area.

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts or theories.

[wa8yxm]

Oh forgot to add. Yes I have had a neighbor's generator set off my CO alarm.

I run with a Gen-Turi (ONe of the above responses shows it) and can run my Generator all day and night (And have on occasion) no BEEP BEEP . Before I added the Gen-Turi it was 2 hours and BEEP BEEP BEEP.

[dieseltruckdriv]

Another thing to look at is how leaky is your rv? I can put my generator under my slide and have zero CO inside.

I have tested the CO levels of both my newest detector and my generator in a closed area, which is a single stall garage. On startup, my Hondas emit enough CO to set off the gas tester, but when they warm up to operating temperature, I have to hold the gas tester nearly in the exhaust stream to set it off. I do not know how the knock off generators compare, I don't have any of them.

Edited to add: The gas tester I use is a Drager X-am 2500, if anyone was curious.

[rockhillmanor]

DFord wrote:
In my opinion, the generator exhaust stack should be mandatory anytime RVs are parked in close proximity as at rallies. I use mine but all the diesels around me choke me out. At least there should be a stacks only area I could park at.

The problem with CO is that it kills without warning. Your body does not react to CO and it continues to build up replacing the oxygen in your blood without any warning until it kills you. With CO2, your body reacts - you start breathing rapidly trying to get more oxygen in your blood and you know somethings wrong.

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide - the Silent Killer

X2
It also at lower levels cause headaches. I do a lot of sporting events and end up crashing on the couch. I always seemed to have headaches but wrote it off to all the excitement/work of the day.

Then I had to buy the Genturi Pipes because they were "required" at a CG in Montana where I was going to stay. I ended up using the pipes all the time and the headaches completely stopped.

Duh, The gen exhaust is right under the window by the couch.:R And when I installed the genturi I noticed that on almost all RV's the dang generator exhaust pipe is even with the wall of the rv which sends he exhaust right up the side and into the weep holes in the window. That is where the headaches were coming from and no I no longer have. I also noticed that the inside of my MH no longer smells like exhaust after a 3 day weekend running the gen.

[Chum_lee]

rickhise wrote:


Have u ever had your CO detector go off because of a neighbors generator exhaust.
Is there a recognized rule of thumb for yardage for a safe distance?

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts or theories.

Not to be a smart #ss, but, you answered your own question.

If your CO detector is going off, a source of CO is too close. That's what the CO detector is telling you. Depending on ambient conditions, it can happen 20', or more, away.

To answer your question, YES, it's happened (to me) many times. Having any vehicle/engine too close in "cold start/warm up mode" can easily do it. Range top burners/BBQ's that are out of adjustment can too. The same is true for your propane detector which is the same thing as an "unburned hydrocarbon" detector.

Chum lee

[DFord]

In my opinion, the generator exhaust stack should be mandatory anytime RVs are parked in close proximity as at rallies. I use mine but all the diesels around me choke me out. At least there should be a stacks only area I could park at.

The problem with CO is that it kills without warning. Your body does not react to CO and it continues to build up replacing the oxygen in your blood without any warning until it kills you. With CO2, your body reacts - you start breathing rapidly trying to get more oxygen in your blood and you know somethings wrong.

The Dangers of Carbon Monoxide - the Silent Killer

[4x4van]

If a neighbor's generator is setting off your CO detector, it is time to ask (demand) that the neighbor do something about it; either turn off the generator or install/use a Genturi or other diversion device. There is no "set" distance because conditions can and do vary the results (breeze, distance, proximity, temperature, etc). As you said, lots of variables, but none of them matter when your detector goes off.

[Horsedoc]

Carbon monoxide will bind with iron in the hemoglobin of the blood and cause the blood to become unable to carry oxygen to the cells in the body. This happened to my dad when I was a small child and his company had a gasoline driven welding machine running in what they thought was a vented building. He turned cherry red and luckily one of the other guys noticed him getting stumbling and slurring words and got him to the fresh air and a hospital. This has remained with me for all these many years.
That said, the CO detector is a VERY important item in closed environment like an RV.

[rockhillmanor]

rickhise wrote:
Have u ever had your CO2 detector go off because of a neighbor s generator exhaust.
Is there a recognized rule of thumb for yardage for a safe distance?

Even if weather conditions are at the very worst so the CO doesn’t dissipate?

Our discussions camper to camper was regarding this issue, lots of variables
Including the efficiency of the generator along with the exhaust system obviously weather. Along with openness of the area.

Would be interested in hearing your thoughts or theories.

Yup! There is an answer for that! 🙂
And IMHO it should be mandatory. Albiet it is already mandatory in quite a few CG's in the west.

Gen-Turi


Exhausts generator up and over MH. patented Pipe is cool to the touch. Comes apart in 3 pieces storage bag included.
https://www.campingworld.com/camco-gen-turi-generator-exhaust-venting-system-14041.html

[wa8yxm]

It is CO not CO2.. CO2 is very common and non-toxic. Oh a high enough concentration and you are in trouble but you exhale it every time you exhale.

CO on the other hand is much nastier stuff. a relatively low concentration of CO and you will be Late.. as in "The late ___(Your name here__".

[rickhise]

When will the new iPhone s have built in CO2 detector’s
Come on shark tank dreamers?