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Old 11-24-2015, 08:45 PM   #1
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Carbon monoxide alarm going off

So this is a new one to me.

Came home from the gym and heard some beeping coming from the van. I opened the door and noticed the co2 or whatever that alarm is was beeping. It was not beeping to let me know the battery was low, or that it was expired. It was beeping to let me know that the van was filled with bad gas! However the van has been off and I don't even have a stove.

The only thing I've done today, is plug my van in to shore power 15a from home, turn on the inverter, and turn on the fridge.


Would one of these things cause my alarm to go off?

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Old 11-24-2015, 09:38 PM   #2
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

That usually means you have low battery voltage. Did you turn on the Inverter or Charger, not sure what unit you have . But it sounds like you are not charging battery.

I guess I should have read your post better, how do you know the voltage is OK, how old is the sensor.


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Old 11-24-2015, 10:28 PM   #3
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

Quote:
Originally Posted by Scalf77
That usually means you have low battery voltage. Did you turn on the Inverter or Charger, not sure what unit you have . But it sounds like you are not charging battery.

I guess I should have read your post better, how do you know the voltage is OK, how old is the sensor.


-greg

I was charging on shore power. Cheap amazon volt meter said 14+ volts.

Don't know how old it is, the po were very good with maintenance so I'm assuming it's fresh.

I pulled the fuse which reset it. I'll see how it is tomorrow AM
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Old 11-25-2015, 06:34 AM   #4
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

I'd suggest pulling the CO2 detector and checking the build date, which is usually stamped on the back, to see if it needs to be replaced. The PO of my van was also very good about maintenance, but the detector was way out of date when I bought the van. Many people don't know that they have a finite life.

I'm having a different problem: my fairly new detector is flashing the "end of life" code and won't stop. I think it got dust in the sensor after driving some very dusty roads in California on our trip last summer. I've tried blowing it out with compressed air, but no joy. Not excited about having to spend another $50 or so after such a short time. We are an all-electric van, so CO2 is not really much of a worry.

As an aside, the Sportsmobilestore.com site has the detectors at a pretty good price ($50): http://www.sportsmobilestore.com/carbon ... -detector/
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Old 11-25-2015, 08:24 AM   #5
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

DerPo: What year is your van? The CO sensors have about a 6 year life......as mentioned there is a date inked on the back.....
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Old 11-25-2015, 09:22 AM   #6
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

Quote:
Originally Posted by BrianW
I'd suggest pulling the CO2 detector and checking the build date, which is usually stamped on the back, to see if it needs to be replaced. The PO of my van was also very good about maintenance, but the detector was way out of date when I bought the van. Many people don't know that they have a finite life.


As an aside, the Sportsmobilestore.com site has the detectors at a pretty good price ($50): http://www.sportsmobilestore.com/carbon ... -detector/
I will pull it off and check when I get home from work.

Thanks for the link!
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Old 11-25-2015, 09:23 AM   #7
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

Quote:
Originally Posted by boywonder
DerPo: What year is your van? The CO sensors have about a 6 year life......as mentioned there is a date inked on the back.....
Its a 99. Ill report back with the date code. We'll add this to the list of things you can tell me about when I come over one of these days!
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Old 11-26-2015, 08:02 PM   #8
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

I experienced the exact same thing. I have two Trojan 6 volt house batteries inside the van living space. The batteries are in a box, but it isn't sealed the best. The box has a hole through the floor that helps vent while driving and these batteries normally charge via the alternator and an isolator. After some heavy weekend use, I came home and the batteries were low, so I connected my battery charger to the house batteries while in my driveway. During this time the only thing on in my van was the charger sitting in the van on the floor. The next day I heard beeping and went out to look. It was the carbon monoxide alarm and it was around 400, which is crazy high. This detector is about 3 years old. I opened the van doors and moved the detector close to the window and it quickly started dropping. I attribute this to the batteries outgassing during the charging and my poorly sealed box letting the outgassing into the living space.

A quick Google search indicated batteries outgas hydrogen, but not carbon monoxide. Perhaps the meter was tricked by the chemical composition, but either way it didnt seem good. My takeaway is to make sure my battery box is sealed better.
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Old 11-26-2015, 08:09 PM   #9
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

Another quick Google search gave me more info:

http://hawkenvironmental.com/hydroge...noxide-alarms/

http://www.firehouse.com/article/105...lf-cart-hazard

It seems the CO detector does indeed react to high levels of hydrogen.

For me, I'm thinking:
1. I need to seal my battery box better.
2. During normal charging of house batteries while driving, I believe any gasses are exhausted out the floor vent hole due to the vacuum developed.
3. Consider mounting batteries to exterior in my next build.
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Old 11-26-2015, 11:05 PM   #10
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Re: Carbon monoxide alarm going off

DerPo: Are your batteries in the living space as well?
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