Heater sets off Carbon Monoxide Alarm

jwjetco · 08-28-2010, 02:40 PM

I have pulled the burner and fan assy out of the box. There are no visible blockages like wasp nest or dirt dobber nest's that I can see. I cant find any cracks, but I have not taken it all apart. What to look for, what to do? Any help will be greatly appreciated!! Wilson & Cathy

oldfart1 · 08-28-2010, 04:44 PM

You might want to check the CO monitor. Never can tell.

TXiceman · 08-28-2010, 05:06 PM

How old is the rig. CO alarms should be replaced every 5 years.

Ken

**"007"** · 08-28-2010, 08:34 PM

84 Chieftain, with the furnace out check all around the burner tubes for rust, holes in tube or splits in tubes. They have replacements but you may want to invest in new furnace.
Could be your detector also.
Welcome to irv2.

RVhauler · 08-28-2010, 09:53 PM

IMO even if the detector is outdated then the fact it alarms when the furnace is operating means that combustion fumes are leaking in somewhere and furnace is suspect

jwjetco · 08-29-2010, 10:04 AM

so you gus think the co monitor just wenyt off after I turned the heater on? It has never gone of before or after the heater was turned on I doubt that it is the monitor.

Luv2go · 08-29-2010, 10:36 AM

Even if it is a bad monitor, CO is nothing to be trifled with. One of my bosses had an interesting story: When he was a kid, his family had a cottage in the 1000 Islands area of NY. One night his dad woke them up and got them out of the cottage fast. The next morning they all had terrible headaches. It turns out the gas heater they used was malfunctioning. He said they were lucky to get out alive. To this day he does not know why his dad woke up and noticed the problem, but he's glad he did!

You can relatively easily replace your CO monitor if you suspect it is bad, you can buy a good one with a display for about $30-$50 and know exactly how much CO is in your RV. We bought one with a display to use along with the one the RV mfr provided as I am very sensitive to CO and get headaches after very little exposure.

Stewart

wa8yxm · 08-29-2010, 10:53 AM

I see three possible methods for CO to enter from the heater, Which by the way should not be producing much CO

1: Cracks, smaller than you can see, in the heat exchanger.. This is the most common path.

2: Bad CO detector.. This (Technically) is not the problem.. My CO Detector started doing the "internal failure" Beep.. Pause.... Beep... Pause.....Beep thing last winter. Had to replace it.. Resetting did not fix it

To check for this reset it, if it alarms again in less than 2 minutes.. You have a CO problem.. If not an alarm problem

Clean and adjust your burner too.. Propane if properly burned burns very clean.
3: Blow back from the furnace exhaust.. Can happen under some conditions. The only cure I know of is to park facing the other way so it blows forward instead of back (Forward being away from your rig)