I believe there was a thread about this not too long ago but have been unable to find it. I added a battery (double A) CO2 detecter to our 2017 13' Scamp in July, for added security. It is a Kidde Night Hawk and sits on the counter behind the sink/stove. The camper has not been used in two months, gas off at the tank, gas off at the stove, gas off at the heater. I plugged the camper in to shore power two days ago and several hours later heard the detector beeping. I removed the unit from the camper and took out the batteries. Later I put it back in the camper and within hours it was beeping again. The unit that comes installed in the camper is not beeping so I am not sure if this is a gas leakage situation or something else setting off the Kidde detector. Has this happened to anyone else? Any advise? Anthony!
Sun, 09/30/2018 - 10:14
#1
Co2 detecter beeping?
First, you need to be more precise about the unit that is alarming. CO2 is Carbon Dioxide and you dont have a detector / alarm for that. If you meant Carbon Monoxide then that alarm will not detect propane gas leakage, unless it is a combo unit (CO and Propane).
Second, while your trailer is a 2017 you dont say how old this supplemental device is... it could be at end of life and that might be why it is beeping.
We have a Cruise America outlet and generally it’s a low battery that will make the sensor beep
Geno
I think you are correct Gene. I put new batteries in and it stopped beeping. Usually, when the batteries are low on my other house detectors, the beeping is intermittent. This one was continual so I wasn't sure it was the battery.
Anthony Memoli
Yes, it is a CO detector and it was purchased in Canada 3 months ago. So using the propane gas stove could theoretically produce CO in the burn process, but I was under the impression that the burn is so efficient that CO is not produced. If there was a gas leak somewhere, it wouldn't be CO because fuel isn't being burned. There must be something else unrelated to CO that is setting this unit off?? Any idea what?
Anthony Memoli
Well you have ruled out anything related to propane use since the tank is off and nothing is lit.
You are on shore power but that alone will not produce CO.
A number of things are know to set off cheap CO alarms. Might it be related to a vehicle passing nearby or other petro-fuel device in operation and slightly bad air coming in the window? Does it alarm in other areas of the camper? Outside the camper? Are the batteries old - perhaps its signaling low voltage? Or it could just be a defective unit.
I agree if the gas is shut off at the outside tank its not a propane issue at least from the trailers systems. Plugging in starts charging the battery which if off gassing can set off detectors but the battery is outside on the tongue. You dont have a window cracked where the hydrogen gas could be coming in?
Is there a dog staying in the trailer? Dog farts can set off detectors....
CO2 detectors are notorious for going off if dirty. You need to take a vacuum and thoroughly vacuum the front plate then see if it solves it. Also they can just plain go bad, even though this one is fairly new I’d call kidde and have them see whats up and maybe theyll replace it.
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It's parked 400' down the driveway on a class 4 road, so it is not emissions from other vehicles. All the windows are closed so it is not the battery gas entering through an open window. The dog sleeps in the house so she is innocent! It could be the batteries so I replaced them even though the unit was not beeping as it does when the batteries need changing. I put it back in the camper and also brought out my house CO detecter and plugged that into my Paxess portable solar generator! I'll see if either, neither or both of them go on now. Am I correct in assuming that if there is a real CO buildup in the camper that the onboard integrated unit would sound? Thanks for the brainstorming session!
Anthony Memoli