carbon monoxide detector

[1mtnman]

I have a 2014 Northstar truck camper and have been getting alarms of a steady beep now and then. The red warning light come and remains on until I depress the test button. I have checked each propane connection with soap and water and no sign of any leaks. I have also checked the tank and the alarm occasionally goes off even when the tank is turned off. The detector is hard wired into the batteries and the batteries are above 13 amps at all times as they are solar powered. I have purchased a First Alert 10year detector and placed it very near the hardwired one and it does not alarm at all. I'm thinking the that even though the hardwired detector that is OEM is only 2 years old it may be bad. I have purchased a OEM and hopefully that will correct the problem.
What say you?

[SmittysRV]

Hello, I have a COSTAR Carbon Monoxide Detector that is both hard wired and batter backed up. It has two red and one yellow wire connecting it to the coach for power. I need a replacement and am wondering what is the best out there? I found the same detector for $95 however there are several negative reviews regarding this particular detector. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thx!!!

Here is what I currently have. Its beeping twice every 30 seconds and the code indicated replacement. Its 5 years old.

[JimK-NY]

loggenrock wrote:
This is why I hate combination detectors - can't tell which "side" has activated or is at fault......

My combo detector indicates which side has alarmed.

[Dranoel]

I have ruined two propane alarms, that beeped, by not disconnecting the 12v dc when equalizing the batteries.

[loggenrock]

This is why I hate combination detectors - can't tell which "side" has activated or is at fault... As others stated, it is often the PROPANE side that alarms from various sprays, since the propellant is often a butane base (cousin of propane). The hard-wired CO detectors do tend to alarm under a low-voltage issue. I like your idea of a separate CO detector - I have a battery-powered Kidde unit that has an LCD display showing actual PPM readings of CO - that way I know if I have an issue or not. CO can also originate from an outside source - nearby exhaust from an adjacent engine/generator/etc. If it activates, it doesn't mean it's an error - no other way to detect CO, so I like the redundancy of 2 units. At least with propane, in the event of a gas leak, the second detector is noses - at least you can smell propane! ST

[JimK-NY]

My LP gas detector is also a carbon monoxide detector. It is always the Lp side that fails.

[Old-Biscuit]

1mtnman wrote:
Thanks to all. I have disconnected the detector in question, reconnected and allowed it to cycle back on. It has not alarmed since that action. My grand children and especially my great grand children will be using it and I don't feel I can be too safe in their behalf.

So which detector is it??

CO (carbon monoxide-----detects issues with poor combustion)

OR

LP (propane------detects raw propane leaks)

[davehultin]

This is a timely thread for me. We brought our camper home from storage last night and I hooked up the battery (and shore power) when I was at home over lunch. I got back to the office and my wife called to let me know of the constant beeping. I thought she was talking about the smoke detector, but when I got home it was the carbon monoxide detector.

Our dealer doesn't have any service openings until June 19 (it's still under warranty) but we're going camping this weekend. YIKES!

So my general question is: Are carbon monoxide detectors user-replaceable?

(More specific question: ...replaceable on a Shadow Cruiser 282 BHS?)


===========

Update: Turns out it was a circuit breaker that had tripped. So even though it seemed like the trailer was hooked up to the shore power, the particular run that controlled the detector wasn't getting any electricity. Therefore, the beeping was a reflection of the low battery, just like so many others have pointed out already.

[1mtnman]

Thanks to all. I have disconnected the detector in question, reconnected and allowed it to cycle back on. It has not alarmed since that action. My grand children and especially my great grand children will be using it and I don't feel I can be too safe in their behalf.

[jarata1]

SusanDallas wrote:
I had the same problem with my travel trailer. I called the dealer and he told me that my battery was low. I told the dealer that my battery still showed that it was 3/4 charged. The dealer told me to plug back up to shore power and see if the carbon monoxide detector stopped beeping. It stopped beeping so now I keep my trailer plugged in.

+1

[GizmosMom]

Yes, ours goes off when we spray any aerosol spray. We have to be very careful because it will upset our 11 year old dog, Smudge. He shakes for a long time after it goes off.

[delwhjr]

We found out that ours was sensitive to anything we sprayed that had any type of gas propellant. Was using a can of Dust-Off and it went nuts. Also, items using iso-butane as a propellant set it off.

[SusanDallas]

I had the same problem with my travel trailer. I called the dealer and he told me that my battery was low. I told the dealer that my battery still showed that it was 3/4 charged. The dealer told me to plug back up to shore power and see if the carbon monoxide detector stopped beeping. It stopped beeping so now I keep my trailer plugged in.

[JimK-NY]

In 7 years I had to replace mine twice. I also had to disconnect it for a great many weeks while a serious amount of bathroom caulk set and stopped giving off odors.

[rbrand]

Propane detectors get very sensitive as they get older. Ours went off with a wine spill, when it went nuts over a dog fart I decided to replace it.