Carbon Monoxide and Propane Gas alert going off ?????

Dakota 1120

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2011
Messages
3,757
Found the carbon monocide and propane gas alert sensors going off every time I stopped to gas or eat today.
At first, I thought maybe it was gas fumes from the Honda Generators in the garage area of the toy hauler...even tho the fill caps were set on 'locked' so I moved them to the bed of the pickup.
But .. the sensors were going off at the next stop too ... open the doors and let it air abit and they go silent.
I was running the refrigerator (set on auto) on propane while traveling, it was very windy and the temp was 100 - 102 for awhile ...... mostly in the high 90's all afternoon.

Now that we've stopped for the evening, the refrirgerator is set to propane only, powered up the generators to run the A/C and in 3 hours, all is fine.

It can't be gas leak from the Harley in the garage as all is fine there (the bike is still in the garage) and besides the HARLEY DOESN'T LEAK GAS OR OIL!!!

You thoughts please?
 
Yes -- very often, a low battery will set off the alarms. This can happen in the middle of the night while you are sleeping soundly in a formerly-silent campground. Please do not ask me how I discovered this fact.
 
Yup probably low battery. Although these things do wear out and need replacing every 5 years or so. Assuming you have separate ones and not a single unit with bother sensors it's highly unlikely they would both wear out at the same time.
 
A low battery ??

They are powered with the single 'house battery' for the whole camper and no, don't have a low battery.

I installed a brand new/fresh AGM Optima deep cycle battery a month or so ago that tested perfect.....and dry camping two nights had lights, etc. on the 12 volt system worked fine.

Anyway, I switched the refrigerator from auto to propane only and made sure the front and rear roof vents were completely closed ~ they haven't gone off since.....not at all yesterday afternoon, or all day today on the road.

The wind was under 15/20 mph and temps much lower, in the low 70's to a high in the mid 80's.

I'm thinking having the roof vents partially open caused the sensors to go off.

??
 
I still would guess low battery...the clue: you switched from auto to propane on the fridge.
 
Replace them had the front one going off at midnight everytime we used thè hauler. Replaced it with a new one no more false alarms.
 
Thanks for the responses.

Will be keeping an 'ear' for them triggering an alarm and see how things go for now.

If they give problems .. will replace them.

Pretty nice here in Glacier National Park....on the west side by the Flathead River.

Will venture the Going to the Sun road on the Harley tomorrow or next day. It's not open all the way yet due to the fire on the east side.
 
If you had the vents open it could be some level of exhuast fumes getting in. These things will go off at levels much lower than what your nose can dectect.

Another thought. Check the connections to the alarms, if they are loose the motion while traveling could jiggle the wires enough to cause a temporary bad connection and that could set them off.
 
Yes, thanks for the reminder so I checked the wire connections and they are tight.
 
Eagle said:
Yes, thanks for the reminder so I checked the wire connections and they are tight.

My front one got so bad one weekend I just cut the wires to it. Ordered a replacement from camping world once back home and it has not been a problem since. Back one will occasionally go off loading my racebike with the rich exhaust fumes it puts out. And it doesn't like me topping off the fuel tank with it back there either. Very sensitive but doesn't go off any other time in the rear room.

I think it was on sale when I bought for about $85 bucks at camping world and very easy to replace.

My other complaint on the alarms on the XT276 is the placement of the smoke alarm right at the door so any smoke from a grill right outside sets it off.
 
Bad Detector?

I agree with Roy. We had our poison gas detector (original) on the 2012 210UDS would go off every once in a while at night. Blamed the dogs! LOL - In 2013 and 2014 it would go off more frequently - always at night, with or without heat on. Blamed it on poor ventilation - opened windows - scolded dogs. Then while stored in our garage (2014 winter) the alarm just started sounding - cut the wires, ripped it out and cursed at it.
Ordered a replacement - installed and during our 2 month 2015 camping/road trip, it didn't sound once.
I'd go with bad/defective alarm. . . ?
 
Our smoke alarm goes off incredibly easy. With all the windows and door open it goes off the minute water begins to come to a boil on the stove even though I can't see actual steam in the air. I can open the outside vent and run the range hood fan and the smoke detector will go off regardless of what or how I'm cooking. I simply remove the battery before I cook any meal and then replace it when done. I guess it's hyper-sensitive.
 
The wife said she smelled sewer in the camper ~ my 'smeller' don't work very well.

I suppose that could have triggered the alarms both in front and back w/roof vents open a bit and air circulating around inside.

Poured in some Aqua Chem toilet treatment and no sewer smell.
 
UPDATE:

Since the first posting ........ haven't had the sensors go off at all while moving from camp ground to camp ground and traveling hundreds of miles.

I"m thinking it was because of the sewer smell 'cause I didn't treat the black water tank adequately.

All is good. 8)
 
Eagle, your situation reminds me of a friend whose geriatric dog used to sleep in front of the sensor. Every so often, the sensor would go off. They moved the dog's bed to a different spot in the trailer. Problem solved. ;)
 
profdant139 said:
Eagle, your situation reminds me of a friend whose geriatric dog used to sleep in front of the sensor. Every so often, the sensor would go off. They moved the dog's bed to a different spot in the trailer. Problem solved. ;)

There's my laugh for the day :LOL: Thanks
 
profdant139 said:
Eagle, your situation reminds me of a friend whose geriatric dog used to sleep in front of the sensor. Every so often, the sensor would go off. They moved the dog's bed to a different spot in the trailer. Problem solved. ;)

:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

The wife didn't like the smell at all ....... maybe I'm lucky my 'smeller' don't work so good :!:
 
carry a spare propane regulator!

My propane sensor kept going off as well; took it apart and noted it was 5 years old so I have decided to replace it. However, in the mean time last trip using the trailer, the propane regulator stopped working. To make a long story short, I know plan to carry a spare propane regulator with me forever (and apparently that is a suggested spare part you should always have - who knew). I don't know if the sensor was actually detecting something with the regulator or not; dealer things it was a pure coincidence. But I learned the hard way about having a spare regulator - its a super easy fix if you can get the part (this was a Sunday - no RV's shops open where I live..grrrrrr).
 
All been great since properly treating the black water tank.

No problems with the sensors going off so all is good.

8)
 

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