Smoke detector warning!!

twohappycampers

Well-known member
Hi all! Just a reminder to check your smoke detectors. I read a post that said theirs had a piece of plastic between the battery and the terminals(?) rendering it inoperable. Checked ours, and sure enough! Scary! This is something that should be checked and removed by the dealers or on inspection or something. If you go to press the test button and nothing happens, check for that, okay? Maybe right now!?

I know it's an easy thing to put off - regularly testing our smoke alarms - it took us 4 months! assuming that something must be in working order just because it's new, not a good idea. I'm just very thankful that I'm a member of this forum and people here take such good care of one another with warnings and reminders.

Take good care! Lorna
 

codycarver

Founding Wyoming Chapter Leader-retired
What a great forum!! Just checked ours and sure enough our detector had the factory installed pull tab in place.
 

Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
The pull tab is there for a reason... It makes it easy to pop out the battery, just pull the tab. Not sure it is the greatest invention in the world as it can get in the wrong position when replacing the battery, just gotta be careful and test the unit after reinstalling the battery. Certainly no harm in removing it if you so desire.
 

caokgafamily

Well-known member
I thought this clear plastic with red writing was there to make the battery inop untill somebody buy's and is sleeping in the camper?
Steve
 

codycarver

Founding Wyoming Chapter Leader-retired
Printed on my tab is "REMOVE BATTERY PULL TAB TO INSTALL* ALARM WILL NOT OPERATE WITH PULL TAB IN PLACE * SEE USERS MANUAL FOR INSTRUCTIONS." while I was at it I checked my carbon monoxide detector and it had no batteries.
 

Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
Just checked mine, has no writing on it, just clear. I removed it anyway just to be safe.
 

twohappycampers

Well-known member
The pull tab is there for a reason... It makes it easy to pop out the battery, just pull the tab. Not sure it is the greatest invention in the world as it can get in the wrong position when replacing the battery, just gotta be careful and test the unit after reinstalling the battery. Certainly no harm in removing it if you so desire.

We're not talking about the pull tab. We're talking about a piece of clear plastic between the battery and the terminals (?) that blocks the connection.
 

twohappycampers

Well-known member
I thought this clear plastic with red writing was there to make the battery inop untill somebody buy's and is sleeping in the camper?
Steve

That's what we figured. This should be removed by someone before the camper is used. The new owner should be made aware to check it out!
 

twohappycampers

Well-known member
Our smoke detector is in the hallway leading to the bathroom/bedroom. There is also one in the bedroom that I assumed was a smoke detector, but on closer inspection this morning I noticed it was a carbon monoxide detector. Shouldn't it be a smoke detector?? What do you have in the bedroom, a smoke detector or a carbon monoxide detector?

Also, did your camper come with detector of whatever kind in the living room at the very back of the camper? I seem to remember there's one back there, but I'm unable to see it because we have a big heavy sofabed there now that I can't pull out by myself. It's probably pretty useless like that, being so blocked off. We should move it.

I'm a little nervous now, thinking that we had an inoperable smoke alarm for 4 months! A good wakeup call to do monthly checks on things that instruct us to do monthly checks!

I just read that the detector at the back of the trailer is an LP detector? I don't remember what LP is. Please inform?!
 
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codycarver

Founding Wyoming Chapter Leader-retired
Ours has and LP detector near the floor aft, a smoke detector on the ceiling above the stairs and a carbon monoxide detector on the ceiling in front of the bedroom closet. I checked the smoke detector after reading your post and then checked the carbon monoxide detector and found it didn't have any batteries so you may want to check that also. BTW thanks for starting this thread.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
Making the detectors operational is something the dealer or seller should do but it is on the buyer to double check them.
 

2psnapod2

Texas-South Chapter Leaders-Retired
While doing my research I added check the alarms to my PDI sheet. It was on the list and I checked them. I guess my dealer did what there where suppose to do. They worked.
 

wdk450

Well-known member
"I just read that the detector at the back of the trailer is an LP detector? I don't remember what LP is. Please inform?!"

LP is an abbreviation for "Liquid Propane". This detector is at the rear of my trailer under the large window, near the floor. Kind of far from any LP device. It is hard wired to the 12 volt supply and has no internal batteries, but can run down your 12 volt batteries over long periods of trailer storage. We had an LP leak at the kitchen slide you could smell and the detector never went off. The internal test was OK. The internal test button on these alarms (Smoke, CO and LP) doesn't test the detector sensor itself. At my hospital the smoke detectors were regularly tested with a special spray.

The CO (Carbon Monoxide) detector is in the bed area because: 1) Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer that mostly overwhelms people as they sleep - in fact it will cause you to unknowingly go to sleep never to awaken if you are awake when exposure starts and 2) One of main sources of Carbon Monoxide is the optional internal combustion generator which is installed in the front compartment by the bedroom in Heartland 5th wheels. CO can also be emitted by any improperly adjusted/vented propane flame device in an RV - Furnace, refrigerator, oven, stovetop.

Of course the smoke detector is on the ceiling somewhere (mine is above the internal steps). I had to replace the original one with a household unit after it started continuously chirping (low battery signal) even with a new battery.
 
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twohappycampers

Well-known member
"I just read that the detector at the back of the trailer is an LP detector? I don't remember what LP is. Please inform?!"

LP is an abbreviation for "Liquid Propane". This detector is at the rear of my trailer under the large window, near the floor. Kind of far from any LP device. It is hard wired to the 12 volt supply and has no internal batteries, but can run down your 12 volt batteries over long periods of trailer storage. We had an LP leak at the kitchen slide you could smell and the detector never went off. The internal test was OK. The internal test button on these alarms (Smoke, CO and LP) doesn't test the detector sensor itself. At my hospital the smoke detectors were regularly tested with a special spray.

The CO (Carbon Monoxide) detector is in the bed area because: 1) Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer that mostly overwhelms people as they sleep - in fact it will cause you to unknowingly go to sleep never to awaken if you awake when exposure starts and 2) One of main sources of Carbon Monoxide is the optional internal combustion generator which is installed in the front compartment by the bedroom in Heartland 5th wheels. CO can also be emitted by any improperly adjusted/vented propane flame device in an RV - Furnace, refrigerator, oven, stovetop.

Of course the smoke detector is on the ceiling somewhere (mine is above the internal steps). I had to replace the original one with a household unit after it started continuously chirping (low battery signal) even with a new battery.

Thanks so much for all this information! I felt bad after asking, something I could easily have researched on my own - just being lazy. I tried to delete but it wouldn't work. I know how to delete, it's just not working for me lately for whatever reason. Lorna
 

twohappycampers

Well-known member
"I just read that the detector at the back of the trailer is an LP detector? I don't remember what LP is. Please inform?!"

LP is an abbreviation for "Liquid Propane". This detector is at the rear of my trailer under the large window, near the floor. Kind of far from any LP device. It is hard wired to the 12 volt supply and has no internal batteries, but can run down your 12 volt batteries over long periods of trailer storage. We had an LP leak at the kitchen slide you could smell and the detector never went off. The internal test was OK. The internal test button on these alarms (Smoke, CO and LP) doesn't test the detector sensor itself. At my hospital the smoke detectors were regularly tested with a special spray.

The CO (Carbon Monoxide) detector is in the bed area because: 1) Carbon Monoxide is a silent killer that mostly overwhelms people as they sleep - in fact it will cause you to unknowingly go to sleep never to awaken if you awake when exposure starts and 2) One of main sources of Carbon Monoxide is the optional internal combustion generator which is installed in the front compartment by the bedroom in Heartland 5th wheels. CO can also be emitted by any improperly adjusted/vented propane flame device in an RV - Furnace, refrigerator, oven, stovetop.

Of course the smoke detector is on the ceiling somewhere (mine is above the internal steps). I had to replace the original one with a household unit after it started continuously chirping (low battery signal) even with a new battery.

Valuable information! Thanks! Our LP detector also didn't go off when we had a gas leak at the stove. I was in the unit all day and didn't notice, I guess because I got used to it? I'm normally very sensitive to smells. But when my husband got home from work and opened the door he noticed it immediately! And so did anyone else coming in.

This special spray to test for propane that you write about - where can one buy it? Is there any way to test the CO detector? I somehow thought that the test button was to see if the detectors were operating, now it sounds to me as though the buttons only test that the battery is still okay.

- Lorna
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
Valuable information! Thanks! Our LP detector also didn't go off when we had a gas leak at the stove. I was in the unit all day and didn't notice, I guess because I got used to it? I'm normally very sensitive to smells. But when my husband got home from work and opened the door he noticed it immediately! And so did anyone else coming in.

This special spray to test for propane that you write about - where can one buy it? Is there any way to test the CO detector? I somehow thought that the test button was to see if the detectors were operating, now it sounds to me as though the buttons only test that the battery is still okay.

- Lorna

You test a CO detector with Carbon Monoxide. Don't take it to the exhaust pipe of the truck and try it there because you'll only ruin it. Normally, a certified concentration of the gas is used to be sure it sets off at the lowest level. Heating companies normally have the stuff to test them.

In regards to the LP smell, your nose is highly sensitive to the mercaptan odorant they put in it, same as natural gas in the home. The level you can smell it is below the level the LP detector will detect actual flammable gas.

This is some general info on when CO detectors will alert:

The alarm points on carbon monoxide detectors are not a simple alarm level (as in smoke detectors) but are a concentration-time function. At lower concentrations (e.g. 100 parts per million) the detector will not sound an alarm for many tens of minutes. At 400 parts per million (PPM), the alarm will sound within a few minutes. This concentration-time function is intended to mimic the uptake of carbon monoxide in the body while also preventing false alarms due to relatively common sources of carbon monoxide such as cigarette smoke.

This is an example of the detector sensitivity of an LP detector:

ALARM TRIGGER < 25% of the LEL of Propane and Methane

What does this mean? LEL means lower explosive limit. Propane and methane are similar to natural gas. The explosive range for them is 5 - 15% concentration in air. Above 15%, or below 5%, and nothing happens (other than maybe oxygen deficiency, another matter). In the range, a spark can set it off...KABOOM! Now, 5% is the same as 50,000 parts per million. 25% of that is 12,500 ppm. The detector may actually start to sound below that concentration. So, unless you have a large leak filling the room quickly, you will have a large window of safety to get out, shut off the tanks, and air out the place.

This is some info on the methyl mercaptan odorant: "The threshold for human detection is as low as one part in 2.8 billion parts of air." That's parts per billion, not parts per million. A huge difference.

Be cautious and alert, but don't get paranoid about it. Just because you smell it inside does not mean you're in eminent danger. It does mean you need to check your propane system and appliances for possible leaks or stove knobs knocked askew. If you smell it for a period of time and then it fades away, then you may be getting desensitized to it and you've got a problem if you haven't checked things out.

After posting the above, I remembered that you were running off an external 100 lb. propane tank. Try checking around the connections between it and the rig, as well as the lines running along the frame rail. A loose fitting or nicked hose outside may be releasing just enough gas that you're getting the smell inside.
 
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jpajax

Well-known member
After scanning over these replies I didn't see were it was mention that they have an expiration date. Learned this at the SC rally at Willow Tree rally by a firewomen inspector that was ask to give a talk on fire safety by Southern Knights. See Sam I was listening.
 

JohnDar

Prolifically Gabby Member
After scanning over these replies I didn't see were it was mention that they have an expiration date. Learned this at the SC rally at Willow Tree rally by a firewomen inspector that was ask to give a talk on fire safety by Southern Knights. See Sam I was listening.

The expiration date (if it has one) is usually on a tag on the back. Most are 5 to 7 years, maybe 10. But they can go bad before that if the sensors get contaminated with aerosol sprays, vehicle exhaust, etc. Being stored in a closed up trailer during summer heat for prolonged periods can also shorten the life of them. The outgassing of the plastics, insulation, and everything else synthetic inside can pollute the sensor. Got that from Atwood when they replaced one in our TT after only a year...for free.
 

happycampernc

Well-known member
While at the VA Fall Rally I found out that our smoke detector worked just fine when I was using the oven and the stove at the sAme time.
 
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