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Old 09-30-2013, 06:27 AM   #1
roy
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Default Another trip another problem

This time the LP warning squealer all but refused to quit alarming us all night of an LP leak that didn't exist. I assume its the battery that suddenly failed again up in the smoke alarm. At least that is what it did about 10 months ago. Of course I didn't have a 9 volt battery on hand at midnight. I sourced a battery the next morning and so far no more false alarms.

The whole alarm system in this thing seems a bit sketchy to me. About like the rest of the camper. I will be changing this battery every 6 months from now on. No more sleepless nights with a squealing alarm.

I knew it was not a real LP leak because the valves were closed on both LP tanks. We were on shore power all electric.
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Old 09-30-2013, 04:58 PM   #2
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Whoa. That's unfortunate that you weren't carrying a spare battery. But sounds like you were right that it was the battery wearing out that started the alarm going off. I just replaced the old 12V hardwired CO detector in my T160 with a battery operated unit. I'm making a note to self to make sure I have fresh spares along after this. Do you think the batteries wear out faster in the camper detectors than they do in the house ones?
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Old 09-30-2013, 09:35 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LG
Whoa. That's unfortunate that you weren't carrying a spare battery. But sounds like you were right that it was the battery wearing out that started the alarm going off. I just replaced the old 12V hardwired CO detector in my T160 with a battery operated unit. I'm making a note to self to make sure I have fresh spares along after this. Do you think the batteries wear out faster in the camper detectors than they do in the house ones?
LG
It lasted about a year I guess. Still not 100% sure this was the problem both times it happened. I plan to check the camper battery tomorrow but it's on ya of a year old. The camper is plugged up to 30 amp all the time when not in use. Water level in battery is always good when I check it. I do know the pink stuff used to winterize will set it off. The door rug at the location the detector is located could have had something to do with it. Wife had washed the rug and I noticed a chemical smell coming off it. Does not seem to take much to set these things off.
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Old 10-01-2013, 07:24 AM   #4
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I wasn't aware the LP detectors ran on a 9 volt battery.

Mine has never gone off but the little green light does light up.
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Old 10-01-2013, 07:41 AM   #5
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There are battery operated lp detectors although my trailer came with the kind you describe. Little green light - hardwired to the 12V - beeps when i disconnect the battery. Have not had the kind of trouble described here. Maybe that battery operated one is just defective or too sensitive to be useful. My neighbor had a home unit that was not only a CO detector but also a "gas" detector. The thing was in the bedroom and it would go off when she sprayed her hairspray in the bathroom. She moved it to another room and it stopped but it shows how some of those things are so sensitive it's sometimes ridiculous.
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Old 10-01-2013, 08:14 AM   #6
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Roy:

I have the same problem, but it only seem to happen at night. If I press the tab near the red light it will silence the alarm. I then open the vent above the bed and turn the fan on. Within about ten minutes the green light comes on, problem solved.

I then either leave the vent on or lower the temperature on the ac unit.
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Old 10-01-2013, 09:36 AM   #7
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Roy:

I have the same problem, but it only seem to happen at night. If I press the tab near the red light it will silence the alarm. I then open the vent above the bed and turn the fan on. Within about ten minutes the green light comes on, problem solved.

I then either leave the vent on or lower the temperature on the ac unit.
Greg,

That is exactly what I did to stop it. I still don't understand what's causing it. It as too cool out to run the AC that night. It actually got cool in the camper with roof vent open. I think its a flaw in the design where this thing is located. I am still going to check the camper main battery today. It may have been low that evening since we rolled in to the racetrack paddock in the dark. I had the rear room lights on, front storage light and front cap lights on to get setup before I could plug us in to shore power. Never thought in an you I'd drain the camper battery. Didn't even look at the panel to see if it was low once plugged in. Even if that's the case the charger should have been picking the battery back up I would think. I do recall hearing the thing running once plugged up to shore power and we still had all those lights on.

Really disappointed in this units overall electrical design and build quality. It just seems inadequate for this size unit.
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Old 10-02-2013, 08:49 AM   #8
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My thinking is that if it gets cool at night and the AC is on a higher setting (75) the air inside the trailer does not circulate and this is what causes the unit to alarm. Each time it has happened in my xt276, the conditions are as I have described. I have never had this happen with the AC set lower then 74. The only thing I use propane for when on shore power is the water heater, and I turn that off at night.
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Old 10-26-2013, 08:03 AM   #9
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Last week we were watching the news after dinner. All of a sudden the LP detector went off. Man is that thing loud. We started checking and I guess one of us, working in the kitchen, must have bumped one of the stove top knobs and it was open just a bit. Good detector, we had a couple of windows open too. The thing really works.
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Old 10-26-2013, 10:02 AM   #10
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A low battery will cause the propane the detector to go off. But other than that only prooane or butane should set it off. (You can test them with a butane lighter) You might check the connections to make sure they aren't loose or corroded. There's only 2 wires.

These things also wear out. They have a lifetime of about 5 years or so. (Smoke alarms are 10 years.) There should be a date stamp on it somewhere.
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Old 12-02-2013, 06:57 AM   #11
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Ordered a replacement LP/CO2 alarm from camping world this morning. On sale for $84.97 so I couldn't pass it up. Model in my camper is the 35-742 safe T alert. Luckily it's the easiest one in my camper to get to. Hopefully the false alarms at midnight are a thing of the past.
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