Safety miss by Heartland, my dealer, and me

[SeattleLion]

I learned a new lesson today. We're getting ready for our first trip next weekend. I decided to replace all of the smoke and CO detector batteries. When I got to the CO detector, the test button did nothing. I was replacing the battery anyway, so no big deal. I opened it and discovered that the Heartland installer inserted the battery (9volt) backwards with the positive terminal of the battery on the negative of the detector. I replaced the battery with a new one correctly oriented. Unfortunately, the detector was not working, probably due to the reversed battery.

The problem here is that no one, including us, checked the detectors before delivery. Yet, these small items can save lives. It's discouraging that Heartland QC doesn't make a point of doing a full safety inspection prior to delivery. This would have been discovered and corrected long before it got to the dealer. Of course, the dealer doing the PDI, which they charge a lot to do, should have caught it. They didn't. No surprise. We should have checked on our walkthrough. Other things were on our mind, namely the numerous, larger quality problems, so we didn't either. Mea culpa.

The trailer is out of warranty (expired in March), so Heartland isn't likely to want to help. We went to Home Depot and bought a new combination smoke/CO detector and installed it.

This isn't about money. It's about the consequences of such a miss. It's not about the poor workmanship on the part of the Heartland fabricator. It's the risk I took by not checking on the walkthrough and the lack of concern for safety on the part of Heartland and my dealer. If the battery were installed correctly, I would have shrugged and replaced the detector figuring it just died. That can happen. But with the battery reversed, I know it never worked and no one, especially me, bothered to check. I won't make that mistake again. Will Heartland? Will my dealer?

 

[avvidclif]

A big THANK YOU for a wake-up call. I hope everyone is listening.

 

[SilverRhino]

Thank you X2!

 

[bighorn3370]

That's a very good point. Add one more thing to the PDI list. I do have to wonder if Heartland puts batteries in. They do not supply the main house battery. Just my two cents. Ernie

 

[danemayer]

I haven't been very good about testing my alarms/detectors, but I have tested them a few times, changed batteries, and replaced the CO detector which became flaky after 4 years. This is a good reminder to test them more frequently.

 

[jimtoo]

I think all detectors have a "Test" button on them and I test mine quite often. I also replace the batteries in all detectors when the daylight savings time occurs. Small price to pay for a little protection.

JimM

 

[MikeR]

Boy, that's hard to do since 9v batteries have male and female connectors on the same end.

 

[SeattleLion]

Boy, that's hard to do since 9v batteries have male and female connectors on the same end.

It's easy. Flip the battery and the poles are reversed.

 

[JohnD]

When we did our PDI three days ago on our new Prowler, all of the detectors were part of the check list, and the CO detector didn't have a battery in it . . . but did before we drove away!

 

[dieseldogsdad]

It's easy. Flip the battery and the poles are reversed.

I think what MikeR is referring to is most 9 volt connectors look like this

and the battery terminals would not plug into this connector backwards. Your CO detector must have some type of slip in blade setup.

 

[JohnD]

I think what MikeR is referring to is most 9 volt connectors look like this

and the battery terminals would not plug into this connector backwards. Your CO detector must have some type of slip in blade setup.

I've actually had some 9-volt battery items (radios, microphones and such) with this type of connector where the battery would fit backwards into the contacts.

Seems strange, I know . . .

 

[JohnDar]

Has it been ascertained that Heartland installs the batteries in the detectors. If a rig sat on a dealer's lot for months, with the detector active, the life of the battery would be diminished by the time it's sold.

 

[TxCowboy]

That's why you change out the batteries after the PDI. They must work for the PDI but change them out for fresh batteries as soon after delivery as possible. Then you KNOW when they were installed.

I change mine out on my birthday every year in both the SnB house and the RV.

 

[SeattleLion]

Has it been ascertained that Heartland installs the batteries in the detectors. If a rig sat on a dealer's lot for months, with the detector active, the life of the battery would be diminished by the time it's sold.

Since the batteries last at least a year, and they usually come with the detector, I am pretty sure that the factory installs them, not the dealer.

 

[BouseBill]

Our new 2015 came with batteries installed.....now the kicker....they had a thin plastic film between the terminals and detector so the detector would not have gone off in the event of a fire....or the wife's cooking LOL.

This thread reminded me I did not do the one in the bedroom. AND it was the same as the hall. Notice the plastic between the terminals/detector.

I'm not a lawyer, but I would think in the event of a fire and a person could prove the fire detectors were disabled from the factory..........the manufacture, Heartland and the selling dealer would be in a world of hurt.

 

[SeattleLion]

Our new 2015 came with batteries installed.....now the kicker....they had a thin plastic film between the terminals and detector so the detector would not have gone off in the event of a fire....or the wife's cooking LOL

That plastic means the batteries were factory installed by the detector manufacturer. This is a relatively recent technique. Usually there is a sticker advising you to pull the plastic out. It's a way to assure the batteries aren't exhausted before you actually use the detectors.

 

[BouseBill]

Bob, you are correct, but one does not know the plastic is in there unless you take the cover off. Which "I" should have done. The warning to pull the plastic is written on the plastic..if you look closely you can see the writing on the plastic..which is under cover

 

[SeattleLion]

Bob, you are correct, but one does not know the plastic is in there unless you take the cover off. Which "I" should have done. The warning to pull the plastic is written on the plastic..if you look closely you can see the writing on the plastic..which is under cover

There was probably a label advising you to do that. I bet that either Heartland or your dealer removed that label in an attempt to give your trailer a "finished" look.

 

[MikeR]

Exactly. Also, normally the battery area for a 9v is only large enough for a properly connected battery to fit into the area (box). Don't forget a 9v battery and steel wool makes a great fire starter.

I think what MikeR is referring to is most 9 volt connectors look like this

and the battery terminals would not plug into this connector backwards. Your CO detector must have some type of slip in blade setup.