Carbon Monoxide alarm goes off

[markhale10]

We went away for the weekend in our campervan this weekend equipped with the brand new Carbon Monoxide alarm for added safety.

Both mornings I cooked up some bacon with the two top windows in our high top open.

Both mornings the alarm went off and I had to dismount it and remove the battery to stop it. This will be a pain each time.

Have I mounted it in the wrong place or is something likely to be wrong with the cooker?

It is mounted at head height on the opposite side from the cooker.

Thank you.

[BOXY]

It's not a combined CO & smoke alarm is it? The only time I've had a CO alarm go off was when the van's engine was running in a garage with the side door open. The smoke alarm however goes off as soon as the toast starts going brown.

[markhale10]

No it's just a single carbon monoxide alarm. I bought it in Tesco for £16 so not a desperately cheap version.
I can understand a smoke alarm going off.

[BOXY]

The gas ring & grill in the camper will produce carbon monoxide even when working normally so the fact your alarm is going off isn't that surprising. Maybe your alarm is really sensitive or your windows aren't letting the CO vent quickly enough. I normally cook with the roof vent open even in the winter. My alarm is mounted above the rear seat, it's got a digital read-out but because it's never gone off while cooking I haven't noticed if the PPM reading goes up or not.

[fairwynds]

1) have you fitted the CO alarm at the correct height in relation to your appliance/s?
2) although a new unit, if it's battery powered, it may alarm with a low battery (mine is battery powered and I leave it in van, switched on, all the time. Went off one night, scared the crap out of me, and turned out to be battery alarm!)
3) do you know a GasSafe engineer who could test your 'leisure side' for the price of a couple of pints?
4) does your hob/rings burn clean blue? Are you using Propane (red cylinders) or Butane (blue cylinders) - propane flame is not quite as 'clean' as butane (and burns at a slightly lower temperature apparently, for what that's worth....)

FW

[frenchwesty]

Just be careful if it is carbon monoxide it is deadly. However you need to ensure you have read the detectors instructions clearly and make sure it is correctly placed eg not to close to the hob and grill and correct height etc. The hon and grill will produce some CO but your van should have sufficient ventilation to provide enough air to allow the burners to burn correctly, they should be blue not yellow, however with grills they do produce CO yellow tips a little when they touch the mesh in there. Make sure flames are nice and blue and if not are you using correct gas, is the gas regulator working ok providing correct pressure of gas, 28mbar butane 37mbar propane do not use propane with butane regulator and vice versa.

Does it go off when the door is also open? Could show problem is lAck of ventilation into the van/camper?

Could be many things but probably faulty detector or in correctly located. If in doubt i would check with a gas engineer as said is deadly and high enough concentrations can kill in minutes, symptoms usually nausea, head aches etc... Better to make sure it ok rather than dead!! 3 people were killed last week in cornwall i think in a static mobile home by carbon monoxide, although i bet more a dodgy blocked boiler or gas fire.

[markhale10]

Thanks for all your comments.
I have the detector fitted at head height above the side sliding door (opposite side from stove).
I use butane gas.
Detector is brand new with brand new batteries.
Unfortunately I don't know anyone who is Gas Safe registered, but I'll ask around.
I appreciate the risks involved in confined space hence my concern and questions.

Based on your comments it was -2 deg on Sun morning so only had small hightop windows open (above detector). We also had grill on and both rings. Kettle, bacon and fried eggs.
Also gas bottle was almost done so flame was low.

I think I am starting to answer my own question here. I will try detector again with new gas bottle, one ring (hob) and large window open.

Out of interest where does everyone recommend I fit carbon monoxide detector in van? Instructions are very 'house' specific.

Thanks again,
Mark

[fairwynds]

Out of interest where does everyone recommend I fit carbon monoxide detector in van? Instructions are very 'house' specific.
Mark

CO mixes readily with air, so you would imagine that you could fit it anyway in the van eh? No so, as we are sleeping in a much more confined space than your average two bed semi! If you fit it too high, you can cause issues with effective operation of the unit, primarily due to the cooking fumes (mixture of steam, airborne fats, hob exhaust gases etc). Too low and it risks getting damaged, blocked by dirt or accidently covered by discarded clothing etc. (Note the gas analyser/sensor is rather delicate). Fitting the unit 'in the sleeping area' is recommended, as primarily you would be affected by CO poisoning (to fatal levels) when asleep. So find a spot on a unit wall, in an area where it won't get knocked or covered during the night, at roughly pillow height (but don't get too worried being exact, as stated CO mixes evenly with air.
Top tip is to sleep with some ventilation being used (without compromising security, I know...)

You've made the first step in protecting you and your friends/family. Bet many people don't even have a CO detector in their vans!?!
Too many sad accidents not to IMHO....

[markhale10]

Thanks very much for your advice, some good points to think about.
I think I will move the location based on your comments, combined with the other points I stated above.
I agree that everyone should have one; way too many tragedies recently.
Thank you everyone for ideas and comments.

[uniB]

Last time I was out in our van the carbon monoxide detector went off in the middle of the night - quite a way to wake up! Not entirely sure why, hopefully a faulty detector, I can't see any reason it would go off if nothing had been on for a few hours, the Propex had been off for 4-5 ours. Could anything else cause carbon monoxide causing them to go off? It's all very scary!

[frenchwesty]

You would be surprised being next to another camper or caravan with a heater on pumping out dodgy CO through it flue or exhaust could affect you possibly and as some find out to there peril eg death a BBQ Also produces CO and so e people when wet try to BBQ inside a tent or something to keep dry or leave in the tent after cooking on it and still produces CO, go to sleep then too late dead in your sleep by CO poisoning, is odourless, clear and deadly.

[fairwynds]

Last time I was out in our van the carbon monoxide detector went off in the middle of the night - quite a way to wake up! Not entirely sure why, hopefully a faulty detector, I can't see any reason it would go off if nothing had been on for a few hours, the Propex had been off for 4-5 ours. Could anything else cause carbon monoxide causing them to go off? It's all very scary!

Is yours a battery powered (ie: NOT powered by the vans battery) unit? When mine went off it was a low battery alarm. SAME alarm as CO but different colour LED - not that I looked as I flung the van door open in the middle of the night double quick!

[uniB]

Is yours a battery powered (ie: NOT powered by the vans battery) unit? When mine went off it was a low battery alarm. SAME alarm as CO but different colour LED - not that I looked as I flung the van door open in the middle of the night double quick!

It is battery powered yes - just you bog standard detector from Sainsburys - obviously I didn't read the instructions so don't know what the flashing lights meant. I'll change the battery before I go away next weekend!

After I'd recovered from the shock of alarm going off 2 foot from my head in the middle of the night - I also opened the door, I daren't go back to sleep for about 2 hours after!