Help! CO detector failure, furnace and generator wont work...

[dustycoyote]

In the middle of the night on our last camping trip, the CO2 detector begin to alarm. I could not get it to stop. The detector manual showed that the alarm was signaling an electronics failure, not a CO2 alarm.

At the same time I noticed that the furnace was not working. It was trying to start up and run but as it would begin its cycle, it would attempt to start over and over but would not fire. It acted as if the pilot light was not working. Interestingly, I tried to start the generator and it also would not work. The furnace and Generator had both been working within several hours time beforehand.

I wondered if there is a failsafe in the RV connected to the CO2 detector. If the CO2 detector is not working properly would that stop the furnace and Generator from running? It seems odd and very coincidental that both the furnace and Generator all of a sudden would not work as soon as that alarm was going off.

I'm sure I need to buy a replacement detector but wondering if you can help understand the generator and furnace issue???
Any ideas?

[bobbecky]

It almost sounds like the 12 volts from the battery dropped down so low that your CO (carbon monoxide) detector wasn’t getting sufficient voltage and maybe that is why your furnace won’t fire and the generator doesn’t have enough juice to crank the starter. I also wonder if you might have turned the battery disconnect off, so the generator had not charged the batteries up while running.

[chuckster57]

Most 12V detectors will “alert” at 11.3VDC, and based on your other failures I am inclined to think as stated above that your battery was discharged.

[JRTJH]

I'm with the previous posters: It's probably your battery charge level.

You said in your initial post, " Interestingly, I tried to start the generator and it also would not work. The furnace and Generator had both been working within several hours time beforehand."

If the CO detector was alarming, the furnace wouldn't start, the generator wouldn't start (assuming its starter is wired to the same battery) then all indicators are the battery was discharged.

Have you got the generator started yet? Or, have you connected to shore power? If so, did the battery recharge? If it did, has the CO detector "reset" ?? Does the furnace run properly? Will the generator start?

[foldbak]

I had the same problem. Middle of the night. I pulled it out and cut the wires. Turned out the furnace was leaking......could have been ugly.

[Ken / Claudia]

What others said, likely all that not working says you lost 12v power. Easy check, get a voltmeter on the battery, check the leads etc. What did the panel show about 12v? Can you plug into shorepower and check again?

[hankpage]

If shore power is not available, connect to your running TV and the alarm should stop and you may get enough power to start generator after a while to charge battery.

[Customer1]

It is CO, not CO2 and all your symptoms point to dead batteries.

[dustycoyote]

Thank you all for your answers.

The detector is a combination CO2 and Propane detector.

I did happen to have some of the lights start to go dim in the camper about the same time so I also thought it might be the batteries. I hooked the camper up to my truck and let it run for a couple hours to charge the batteries. But neither the furnace or generator worked after charging the batteries or while hooked up to the truck. When I hit the switch for the gennie there is no click or attempted start. Just nothing.
We even tried to jump start the gennie directly from my TV but got no response. Wouldn't even click or try to turn over.

I did check the battery disconnect thinking that I may not have moved it all the way to the "connected position and that it may have slipped out but it was in the correct mode...

I tried the gennie again when I got home and hooked up to shore power (I have a 50 amp connection in my garage for the camper).
Still no bueno....

didn't try the furnace.


Per Foldbaks comment, the alarm was showing a detector error/failure, not a gas or CO leak alarm, thank goodness. The Atwood detector manual stated that the beeping/blinking pattern meant that there was a detector fault, not a leak.

I'll try again tomorrow to see if, by chance, it works now that I've had it charging off shore power for several days.

[SummitPond]

... I did happen to have some of the lights start to go dim in the camper about the same time so I also thought it might be the batteries. ...

We had similar issues/behavior several years back; it was the start of the converter going south. It eventually died. Replaced converter and all was well. Others can chime in as how to check for a dying converter (if that is the case); I don't know how to do this.

[dustycoyote]

Tried it again. Still no click or anything when I try to start the generator.

[LHaven]

Nowhere in here do I see that you've reported testing the voltage on your battery. If your battery is up to snuff and your CO detector is still showing a hardware fault, then different diagnoses may be forthcoming. Otherwise, it still looks like a dead battery.