Replace CO / Propane Detector

[jgilliam1955]

Is the detector easy to replace? My Casita is put away until spring & the detector is going off. ( Solar panel plugged in. ) It does go off a lot. The date on it is 2019. I pulled the fuse to stop it. What am I looking at with the rear picture? Am I going to have to mess with rivets?

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by jgilliam1955

Is the detector easy to replace? My Casita is put away until spring & the detector is going off. ( Solar panel plugged in. ) It does go off a lot. The date on it is 2019. I pulled the fuse to stop it. What am I looking at with the rear picture? Am I going to have to mess with rivets?

It's for propane (LP gas), not CO. Propane is heavier than air, which is why they place it near the floor. For CO you need a separate detector you can mount on the wall.

I replaced mine in May 2020. Got a duplicate from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Trailer-Campe...OKE_FIRE_ALARM

Price has gone up (mine was c. $50). RV places and places like Lowes/Home Depot might have them, too.

I just drilled out the rivets, and replaced them with sheet-metal screws. Easy job. You will need wire nuts or new crimp caps to connect.

[Donna D.]

Yeah, you're going to need to drill out the rivets. The propane detectors have a life of about 5 years. Since the one you have is only right at three years, when was the last time you vacuumed the face plate? It needs to be done occasionally. More frequently if you have pets.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by Mr Lynn

It's for propane (LP gas), not CO. Propane is heavier than air, which is why they place it near the floor. For CO you need a separate detector you can mount on the wall...

Check the photo.. it says CO and propane detector. Yes, they do make them.

I agree that because of the different characteristics of propane vs. CO that two separate detectors are prefered. So if the OP does replace this one with a propane only model then a new CO alarm is also called for (and not expensive). A CO alarm can run on internal battery. Propane alarms use more power and are wired to the house battery. When the camper is stored for more than about three weeks, its important to disconnect the battery from such "phantom loads" unless you have a battery maintainer.

As to the original question.. its easy to replace if you have some DIY skills. If you don't have the skills, they are not that hard to get. Wiring is Pos to Pos, Neg to Neg, drill out the rivets, use bolts if you can get the back, or glass in some wood and use screws.. many ways to mount it.

Not an issue if you are only replacing one.. but if adding one where there was not one before, use a dedicated circuit.. nothing else on the same fuse. You don't want a short circuit in a light fixture blowing a fuse and killing a potentially life saving device.

[Glenn Baglo]

I move my CO detector from the house to the trailer and back, depending where we are sleeping. On of the advantages of a dedicated carbon monoxide detector with its own power supply ( couple AAs ).

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by gordon2

Check the photo.. it says CO and propane detector. Yes, they do make them.

The one in my 2013 Casita was propane only, as is the replacement I got at Amazon (see the link). Looks like Casita upgraded to a propane + CO detector, which is fine.

Though as Glenn says, a moveable CO detector can be useful, too.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Yeah, you're going to need to drill out the rivets. The propane detectors have a life of about 5 years. Since the one you have is only right at three years, when was the last time you vacuumed the faceplate? It needs to be done occasionally. More frequently if you have pets.

Thanks. I hate thinking about drilling out rivets. (My wife has an eagle eye & she notices every scratch dent & repair,- LOL ) I vacuumed it out in the spring.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I move my CO detector from the house to the trailer and back, depending on where we are sleeping. One of the advantages of a dedicated carbon monoxide detector with its own power supply ( couple AAs ).

Thanks. Good idea.

[CharlesinGA]

Originally Posted by Mr Lynn

It's for propane (LP gas), not CO. Propane is heavier than air, which is why they place it near the floor. For CO you need a separate detector you can mount on the wall.

Read the front of the detector..... its a dual unit, both CO and LP, says so right on the front of it. It is a MTI 35-742-WT. I have installed two of these, one in my motor home (sold) and one in my current trailer. Both in Brown, but the same 35-742. Bigfoot had installed a surface mount MTI LP detector and it was getting ripped out of the wood, plus was expired, so I replaced it with the flush mount combo unit.

Open the trailer up and air it out, then see if it still is going off, I'll bet not.

If the trailer is in storage, it is probably being set off due to high humidity. These detectors are sensitive to that. I also have a ceiling mounted, battery operated First Alert SCO5CN combination smoke and CO detector (identical to the original Bigfoot installed unit.) I found this First alert unit going off the other day and had to pull the battery drawer out on it to quiet it. Its fine now. Not the first time I've had humidity set one off.

First Alert SCO5CN battery combo smoke/CO detector

MTI 35-742-WT

#6 sheet metal screw speed nuts

Since it is riveted in, you will need to drill the rivets, probably 1/8 pop rivets, easy to drill. Reinstall with screws and I'd use metal speednuts that you can find at Home Depot in the unusual hardware drawers. In the aviation world they are known as Tinnerman nuts. I think the unit comes with screws, not sure.

Looks like they used 3M scotchlocks to wire it (horrible choice) but easy to cut wires and splice with butt splices.

Charles

[Mr Lynn]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

Read the front of the detector..... its a dual unit, both CO and LP, says so right on the front of it. . .

Yes, I mistakenly assumed it was the same as the one in my 2013 Casita, which I replaced in 2020, as I said after Gordon pointed out my error.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

Read the front of the detector..... its a dual unit, both CO and LP, says so right on the front of it. It is a MTI 35-742-WT. I have installed two of these, one in my motor home (sold) and one in my current trailer. Both in Brown, but the same 35-742. Bigfoot had installed a surface mount MTI LP detector and it was getting ripped out of the wood, plus was expired, so I replaced it with the flush mount combo unit.

Open the trailer up and air it out, then see if it still is going off, I'll bet not.

If the trailer is in storage, it is probably being set off due to high humidity. These detectors are sensitive to that. I also have a ceiling mounted, battery operated First Alert SCO5CN combination smoke and CO detector (identical to the original Bigfoot installed unit.) I found this First alert unit going off the other day and had to pull the battery drawer out on it to quiet it. Its fine now. Not the first time I've had humidity set one off.

First Alert SCO5CN battery combo smoke/CO detector

MTI 35-742-WT

#6 sheet metal screw speed nuts

Since it is riveted in, you will need to drill the rivets, probably 1/8 pop rivets, easy to drill. Reinstall with screws and I'd use metal speednuts that you can find at Home Depot in the unusual hardware drawers. In the aviation world they are known as Tinnerman nuts. I think the unit comes with screws, not sure.

Looks like they used 3M scotchlocks to wire it (horrible choice) but easy to cut wires and splice with butt splices.

Charles

THANKS! Good advice. I printed this information out.

[richardabush]

Mine started screaming soon after I got Casita.
I bought battery powered sensors as backup and to assure myself I didn’t face an issue.

Put in replacement with no issues.

I disconnect battery and hook to battery tender so the sensor doesn’t drain battery over winter and the battery is also ready for the next season.

[COMSULT]

So mine started acting up about a month ago. occasional chirping and going off without reason. Mine was attached with screws. I pulled it and checked the date, it was about 7 years old. Found the exact replacement on Amazon. Ordered it, and it has arrived. I have to solder splice the new one to the existing wires. I'm going to wait till spring and glue two pieces of wood behind the existing holes in my wall, as they are too worn to hold the screws, then put the new one back into the same location. It's not difficult, just a little time consuming as I have to clamp the new wood to the wall for 24 hours for the glue to set before I screw the new one into place.

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by CharlesinGA

..
If the trailer is in storage, it is probably being set off due to high humidity. These detectors are sensitive to that....

BTW, If the trailer is in storage for a few weeks or more, and not on a battery maintainer, then the propane alarm should not be going off all because it should not have power.

Per the manual: NOMINAL CURRENT DRAW 108 mA (.108 amps).

That is 2.59 amp-hours a day, and 54.4 amp-hours in three weeks.. which is more than the generally accepted 50% discharge limit for the common 100 amp-hour battery which is not immediately going to be recharged.

[jgilliam1955]

Originally Posted by gordon2

BTW, If the trailer is in storage for a few weeks or more, and not on a battery maintainer, then the propane alarm should not be going off all because it should not have power.

Per the manual: NOMINAL CURRENT DRAW 108 mA (.108 amps).

That is 2.59 amp-hours a day, and 54.4 amp-hours in three weeks.. which is more than the generally accepted 50% discharge limit for the common 100 amp-hour battery which is not immediately going to be recharged.

Thanks for your answer. I have a solar panel hooked up & the alarm has been going off & on. I Casita had been parked one day & the propane had been cut off. When I got up the next morning I heard it going off. The date on it is Jan 2019. I bought another one & will replace it in the spring.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by jgilliam1955

The date on it is Jan 2019.

That is not the date that matters. The clock starts when the unit is hooked up to electricity.
I learned this from the distributor when I bought a new one that had a date on it that was six month old.

[computerspook]

I would start and find out if it is bad. As as been pointed out here you could start by vacuuming it. I also would try blowing it out then try vacuuming it again. You probably have at least a 50/50 chance of fixing it that way.