CO2 detector goes off for no reason

[Tincup]

My CO2 detector goes of occasionally in the middle of the night. Nothing that generates the gas is running, I'm on shore power, it seems just out of nowhere it fires off. Does anyone else experience this? Any suggestions as to what may cause it?

Any and all help is appreciated.

Tincup

[Tincup]

My CO2 detector goes of occasionally in the middle of the night. Nothing that generates the gas is running, I'm on shore power, it seems just out of nowhere it fires off. Does anyone else experience this? Any suggestions as to what may cause it?

Any and all help is appreciated.

Tincup

[Easyrider]

Is your fridge running on gas or electric? Also is the detector battery operated, and if so is it possible the batteries are getting weak? Maybe your detector is just defective?

[TXiceman]

Actually it is a CO (carbon Monoxide) detector, not a CO2 (cardon dioxide) monitor. CO is a by product of burning a gas flame or an engine.

If you are not running anything like a gasoline engine, furnace or stove burner, I'd suspect you have a low battery or faulty monitor.

Ken

[Jimmy Jam]

Yep..after ridin' a few "far trucks" for about 28 years, I agree with TX about your COdetector.

What brand is your detector? I know First Alert had a few problems with their models "falsing" for no reason(s).

Also, and most folks are not aware of this claim by the manufacturers, but smoke and CO detectors have a "shelf life" per se, of about 10 years or so. Based on personal experiences, I think that is part hype and partly true to an extent. Old detectors will false PLUS, and this is MOST IMPORTANT, will NOT even activate at all, depending upon their ages..

Also, and this is a MAJOR reason that we have false alarms, both in private residences and with commercial systems that direct tie-in to alarm answering services, is that detectors unchecked for a long period of time, become dusty and dirty. A simple vacuuming once a month will aid tremendously in alleviating false signals.

Another reason for false signals is insects, spiders are the worst culprits, will make theirselves at home in the detection chamber occasionally, and always at 'Oh-dark thirty", they will trip the sensors, no matter if they are ionzation type detectors but esepcially the photoelectrical ones.

Try giving your detector a cleaning, replace the batteries and see if that alleviates your problem. If it doesn't, toss it and buy another one or TWO...

[M&EM]

My SafeTAlert CO detector just started falsing after 3 years. Tried cleaning but it still falses at odd times. Bought a new one but haven't installed it yet.

[Jimmy Jam]

If you are NOT running any gas at all and your detector activates, try any number of the above mentioned items...

NEEDLESS to say, when the detector trips and you ARE using any gas devices, GET OUT immediately and notify the local fire dept to come out and check the area with a CO monitor.

Fire Depts do this all the time for the citizens. But most importantly, DO NOTDO NOT open the doors and windows to ventilate the possible CO!! The reason is very simple. If you ventilate the CO that may be present, when the Fire Dept or gas company, attempts to obtain an accurate reading of your contamination, ventilating it previously defeats this whole purpose. By not ventilating, the CO moniotrs are better able to trace back to the source the problem, since readings will be higher (usually) nearer the problem source.

CO is colorless, tasteless and odorless. It's nothing to mess around with.

[alvinc]

CO or Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas. It is the by product of burning and is not from exhaled air.

There are two ways to look at your CO monitor.

1) It is detecting something and you should determine where it is coming from.

2) It is faulty and needs to be replaced.

Which alternative is safer for you? Is the CO monitor of a 2005 RV going to be failing already?

Get someone else involved that has a CO sniffer, or at least purchase or borrow another CO monitor and see if it detects the same thing.

It's not going off for "no reason", there is one and you need to figure out what it is. (Does anyone hear the engineer in me speaking?)

[full-timer]

I had a CO detector like yours that would go of in the middle of the night. After checking everything I replaced it with a new one and had no problems. Some of them are so fine tuned they go off for no reason.

Joe

An Indian and a Gypsy

[YosemiteBobR]

Yep, I figured it is part of the life of motor homing - just about everything needs changing at one time or another, kind of like owning a home. Kidding aside, I had to replace mine last summer for the very same reason.

[RV Roadie]

Safe T Alert gives a five year limited warranty on their detectors.

The industry recommends that CO alrms be replaced at 5 years whether they appear to work or not. This is because the sensors lose the ability to sense by that time. Even though some brands will still test the electronic circuits when pushing the test button, most brands don't test the actual sensors, thus the recommendation to replace every five years at most.

Since your's is less than five years old I would contact them for troubleshooting/replacement directly.

Their website main page online is here:
http://www.mtiindustries.com/default.asp

Their toll free number is:
1-800-323-0269

[RV Roadie]

Tincup,
Did you get a resolution?

[Kiwi]

I hate to make this confession, but I had a pair of tennis shoes that stunk so bad it set off the detector. I moved the shoes and the problem went away.

Walt

[RV Roadie]

LOL! Walt!