Propane Detector

[Tranquilty1]

The hard wired Safe Alert propane detector began beeping five years from manufacture date. The only way to stop the noise was to cut the wires. None of the several RV shops I've gone to carry a replacement. I'd rather not order one online since there is no way to know the manufacture date. Anyone have any ideas or experience the same issue?

[chuckster57]

Get a replacement at your local RV parts store, that way you can check the date.

[Tranquilty1]

I've been to three different RV parts stores, Walmarts, and even Home Depot, no one seems to carry the Safe Alert propane detector. A battery powered detector would be much easier then clipping wires and soldering new ones.

[chuckster57]

No need to solder the wires, we use crimp connectors on a regular basis.
For what it's worth, the ones we have ordered have been less than 6 months old.

[rnkburg]

Why can't you just change the battery or reset these. Seems kinda strange to me to be forced to chance them out.


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[chuckster57]

Why can't you just change the battery or reset these. Seems kinda strange to me to be forced to chance them out.


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Propane detectors don't come with batteries, they are all 12V hard wired.

Tranquility1: we stock both styles, can you post a pic? I can get you a P/N

[rnkburg]

So what makes the lifespan of these only 5 years. What goes bad inside them that deems them not to work anymore?


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[Cajunhog]

So what makes the lifespan of these only 5 years. What goes bad inside them that deems them not to work anymore?


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I would like to know that as well. Saturday night my Propane and Carbon Monoxide detectors went crazy. No propane was on in the camper. Tanks were shut off. When I looked at the date in the back it was 5 years old almost to the day. I believe it says replace at 5/23/17 & it was the 27th when it went crazy.

The CO2 detector has a 9 bolt battery replacement but is also hard wired


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[chuckster57]

I'm not sure what expires in 5 years, but I can tell you mine didn't make it that long.
Cajunhog: there are no CO2 detectors in RV's CO2 is carbon Dioxide, normally what we as humans EXHALE and plants use to live. Your thinking CO- Carbon Monoxide which is odorless and deadly. Most associated with combustion as a byproduct.

[Retirednotdead]

Most of the gas and oxygen detectors have sensors that only work for 5 years or less.
I worked in the telephone industry and used many gas detectors and their sensors only lasted a year or two.
Basically the sensors get used up then eventually stop functioning.

[JRTJH]

The detector sensor is a very delicate device. Over the years (about 5 for Safe T Alarm brand) the manufacturer has determined that the coating on the sensor will have deteriorated enough to no longer be reliable. Essentially, when LP gas comes in contact with the sensor coating, part of it is corroded away in the detection process. The change in resistance of the sensor causes the alarm to sound. Even if there is not enough gas present to cause an alarm, any "gas substance" that comes in contact with the sensor will cause it to function and to deteriorate in minute amounts. So, the pooch walking by and passing gas, the burner on the stove being lit, hairspray, spray deodorant and many other substances including "human flatulence" will cause a reaction in the sensor but it will only alarm if the level is higher than a preset amount.

I know some people who use a "propane match stick" to test their detector. They pull the trigger, blow out the flame and put it next to their detector. This causes it to trigger an alarm. They don't realize that doing this actually shortens the detector sensor lifespan. So use your LP monitor manual and test the device according to directions contained in the manual. That way you'll preserve your detector as long as possible.

[JRTJH]

I would like to know that as well. Saturday night my Propane and Carbon Monoxide detectors went crazy. No propane was on in the camper. Tanks were shut off. When I looked at the date in the back it was 5 years old almost to the day. I believe it says replace at 5/23/17 & it was the 27th when it went crazy.

The CO2 detector has a 9 bolt battery replacement but is also hard wired

If your LP detector is a SAFE T ALARM brand, near the end of it's sensor life it will trigger an alarm. If the red and green lights are flashing, GREEN GREEN RED RED in sequence, you can press the reset button and it will turn off the alarm for 72 hours. Then it will alarm again. You can keep resetting it for up to 30 days (10 resets) after which it will no longer turn off the alarm. (Sort of makes you change it out). The only way to shut it off after the resets have been used is to cut the wires and disable it.

Most CO detectors in RV's are hardwired to the trailer 12 volt system. The 9 volt battery is only a backup for when the trailer system fails. That's one of the reasons that the trailer battery cutoff switch does not remove power to the LP and CO detectors. If it did, the 9 volt battery would only last a few days and then you'd be without the ability to monitor for LP and CO.

There are some "dual detectors" that monitor LP and CO, but most that are used in RV's are single units. The LP detector usually doesn't have a battery backup. LP is "odiferous" and you'll know it if you've got a leak, but the detector will warn you earlier than you can smell it, so no battery is "required"... CO on the other hand, is odorless and colorless. You can't tell it's present, even when it reaches deadly levels. So, the battery backup is a necessary part of protecting your family when you are camping and the furnace runs down the trailer battery and the detector stops getting "trailer power".... That kind of situation, low voltage, a furnace trying to work, maybe a leaking heat exchanger and a dead battery could set you up for a real problem. That's why the CO detector has a battery backup, to protect your family when all the chips are down......

[rnkburg]

Well that explains a lot. Now let's see if we can expand the life of the sensor. So I have to replace it. We know that. What happens if I put a disconnect plug on the unit taking its power totally away when not in use? Would that help expand the life of the sensor. If this is gonna be something that I gotta change every so often. I might as well put one of those two prong trailer type plugs on it so I can change them out easier. Would this help?


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[JRTJH]

Well that explains a lot. Now let's see if we can expand the life of the sensor. So I have to replace it. We know that. What happens if I put a disconnect plug on the unit taking its power totally away when not in use? Would that help expand the life of the sensor. If this is gonna be something that I gotta change every so often. I might as well put one of those two prong trailer type plugs on it so I can change them out easier. Would this help?


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Most people trade their RV in 4 or 5 years, very few keep them past 10 years, so by the time you replace the first one, chances are that someone else will own the trailer when that one needs replacing. As for switches and prolonging the life of the sensor, if you think about it, the sensor coating is going to react to any gas that comes in contact with it whether it's powered or not. The only difference is that the bridge circuit that turns on the alarm won't be operating. So you're probably fighting a losing battle trying to preserve the sensor life. It's going to deteriorate whether it's powered on or not.... But hey, it'll be somebody else's problem "next time" (if you're like most of us) and you'll be in a new RV......

[SmittysRV]

The detector sensor is a very delicate device. Over the years (about 5 for Safe T Alarm brand) the manufacturer has determined that the coating on the sensor will have deteriorated enough to no longer be reliable. Essentially, when LP gas comes in contact with the sensor coating, part of it is corroded away in the detection process. The change in resistance of the sensor causes the alarm to sound. Even if there is not enough gas present to cause an alarm, any "gas substance" that comes in contact with the sensor will cause it to function and to deteriorate in minute amounts. So, the pooch walking by and passing gas, the burner on the stove being lit, hairspray, spray deodorant and many other substances including "human flatulence" will cause a reaction in the sensor but it will only alarm if the level is higher than a preset amount.

I know some people who use a "propane match stick" to test their detector. They pull the trigger, blow out the flame and put it next to their detector. This causes it to trigger an alarm. They don't realize that doing this actually shortens the detector sensor lifespan. So use your LP monitor manual and test the device according to directions contained in the manual. That way you'll preserve your detector as long as possible.



A lot of great info here!!! I have a COSTAR Carbon Monoxide Detector that is both hard wired and batter backed up. It has two red and one yellow wire connecting it to the coach for power. I need a replacement and am wondering what is the best out there? I found the same detector for $95 however there are several negative reviews regarding this particular detector. Any recommendations would be much appreciated. Thx!!!

Here is what I currently have. Its beeping twice every 30 seconds and the code indicated replacement. Its 7 years old.

13412

[JRTJH]

SmittysRV,

I don't have access to the negative reviews you mentioned, so I don't know what "substance" is in those reviews. Reading reviews on this forum, on Amazon and on many other "consumer sites" on the internet, I've found that most of the "negativity" stems from things like: The alarm is too piercing, the color doesn't match the rest of the room, the battery door is too hard to open, the wiring is confusing, I had to assemble it and the instructions are confusing, and a host of other comments that really have nothing to do with the function or the protection that the device provides.

So, I suppose my only suggestion would be to look for a replacement with the same features as the original and that meets the requirement that it work in a "cold, wet environment". Most CO detectors are designed to operate in a "warm, dry home environment" which is not what an RV interior provides. If you think about the moisture and condensation that's in an RV during the winter (when most CO would be produced) the replacement really needs to be certified to protect in the RV environment. That eliminates some of the cheaper units and significantly reduces the list of suitable replacements.