Atwood CO detector alarmed

[Patriot]

During our present trip touring the (4) gorgeous Colorado NP’s and a few Service Parks our Atwood CO/LP detector started alarming and would not reset.
Of course it alarmed in the middle of the night. 😄 I removed the detector and saw that it had a manufacture date of 2018. We took delivery of our new OLE2 in June of 2020. So our Atwood detector was actually 5 years old. I called Oliver and asked about purchasing/shipping me a replacement. Mike Sharpe said they are no longer installing the Atwood’s and Oliver is now installing RV Safe model #RVCOLP-2W CO/LP detectors. 

So not wanting to go a day longer without a detector I opted to just buy local and made a call to a local RV dealer in Montrose CO. They said they had plenty on hand. I swapped out the old Atwood and installed the RV Safe and we are back in business with no alarms. The new RV Safe detector comes with a choice of  (2) backing plates. So Pro tip- If you have to replace the old Atwood use the larger backer plate that comes with the RV Safe detector as it will take cover the hole in the hull wall under the dinette that the Atwood required. It’s a pretty straight forward clean install. 
Onward!! 
Patriot🇺🇸

[MAX Burner]

@Patriot:  Sano install, brother!  Enjoy your time in the Rockies - beautiful time of the year to explore them.  Stay safe and press on, regardless!

[Patriot]

39 minutes ago, MAX Burner said:

@Patriot:  Sano install, brother!  Enjoy your time in the Rockies - beautiful time of the year to explore them.  Stay safe and press on, regardless!

Thanks Max! This has been an incredible trip. Wolf Creek Pass yesterday was just beautiful! 🇺🇸🇺🇸

 

[Ronbrink]

23 hours ago, Patriot said:

I removed the detector and saw that it had a manufacture date of 2018. We took delivery of our new OLE2 in June of 2020.

Thanks for he heads up, need to check the date on our 2020 OLEll, 579!

[Rolind]

We had a brief false alarm while in Fruita, CO last week.also in the middle of the night. We have the RV Safe model and the fault cleared quickly. Maybe the air there is different! lol

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Here’s a recent example of why you want to have a working CO/propane detector.

Exploding Northern Lite

In addition to working common sense.

[topgun2]

On 10/10/2023 at 10:48 AM, Patriot said:

RV Safe model #RVCOLP-2W CO/LP detectors

Thanks Patriot!

Straight to Amazon, then to basket and soon to my door.

Bill

[John E Davies]

That is a great detector. I am sorry to see that exploded Northern Light, I like those campers, but not the stick interior so much.

https://olivertraveltrailers.com/forums/topic/6780-how-to-replace-the-propane-co-detector-with-a-gas-only-one-and-a-digital-co-detector/

But the LED is uber bright and needs to be dimmed if you don’t want the underside of your table lit up….

John Davies

Spokane WA

[topgun2]

This might be a good place to bring back an older thread concerning the installation of a mod for the purpose of TEMPORILY stopping that noise in the middle of the night from these "false" alarms.

At about the same time John Davies and I installed a switch on the back side of the propane/co alarm.  This simple on/off switch can be used to turn this alarm off in the middle of the night without having to search for the fuse and can be used while the Ollie is in storage to remove one more parasitic drain off the batteries.  John came up with the idea of being sure to place a ribbon (or something) in a very visible spot to remind you that you have turned this detector off - a good idea.  Anyway - here is mine and JD's looks very similar.  The power wire to the propane detector is cut and placed on a switch that is mounted in the hole in the bracket.  I used epoxy to attach the bracket to the interior of the wall below the aft dinette seat - where the detector is already located.

Bill

2 inch square bracket for propane switch.jfif

 

[dewdev]

3 hours ago, topgun2 said:

This might be a good place to bring back an older thread concerning the installation of a mod for the purpose of TEMPORILY stopping that noise in the middle of the night from these "false" alarms.

At about the same time John Davies and I installed a switch on the back side of the propane/co alarm.  This simple on/off switch can be used to turn this alarm off in the middle of the night without having to search for the fuse and can be used while the Ollie is in storage to remove one more parasitic drain off the batteries.  John came up with the idea of being sure to place a ribbon (or something) in a very visible spot to remind you that you have turned this detector off - a good idea.  Anyway - here is mine and JD's looks very similar.  The power wire to the propane detector is cut and placed on a switch that is mounted in the hole in the bracket.  I used epoxy to attach the bracket to the interior of the wall below the aft dinette seat - where the detector is already located.

Bill

2 inch square bracket for propane switch.jfif 246.65 kB · 0 downloads

 

Bill:

This sound like a good idea, but I am not sure if I follow your explaination of where/how the switch is located other than you siad it was next to the detector. Mine detector is 5 years old so I am not sure how much longer the detector will work without premature alarms. 

Do you have a picture of the detector/switch seen from under the dinette that  you could post?

Thanks

[topgun2]

41 minutes ago, dewdev said:

Do you have a picture of the detector/switch seen from under the dinette that  you could post?

The picture I posted is from under the aft dinette seat between the hulls - there is nothing at all to see from the seating area under the dinette.

In the picture I posted - the "white" area that is behind the aluminum switch holder is actually looking through the hole of the propane/co alarm from the inside to the outside area under the dinette.

Sorry but I don't have any other pics of the "full" installation which would show the actual switch.  However, the switch is simply mounted in that hole you can see in the aluminum mount.

Hope this helps.

Bill

p.s.  here is a better pic taken from JD's post on the subject:

[Townesw]

Read my posts in this thread for a no-drill install of a new CO/Propane detector. 
 

 

[Gliddenwoods]

"This simple on/off switch can be used to turn this alarm off in the middle of the night without having to search for the fuse "

Is there a fuse to shut off when having false alarms. Our sensor is "good" until 2027 but we way too often get false alarms.

[Patriot]

11 hours ago, Ronbrink said:

Thanks for he heads up, need to check the date on our 2020 OLEll, 579!

Ron,

Please post up when you find out the date on your alarm. 
Thanks!

[topgun2]

11 hours ago, Gliddenwoods said:

Is there a fuse to shut off when having false alarms. Our sensor is "good" until 2027 but we way too often get false alarms.

Yes, there is a fuse on the wire(s) leading away from where the wires come out of the back of the propane detector.

The purpose of the switch is that it is a bunch easier to find this switch at "zero dark thirty" than it is to find that fuse and dismantle it when you are still half asleep, the alarm is going off and your significant other is yelling.

Bill

p.s. It should go without saying that in the event anyone decides to deactivate this alarm via either a switch or via the removal of the fuse, they should first determine that there is no actual leak.  And, either the fuse should be replaced in its original position and/or the switch turned back to the "on" position as soon as possible.  Failure to do this could be extremely detrimental to your health.

[Ronbrink]

20 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

the alarm is going off and your significant other is yelling.

I get it, happens often in the house when the smoke detector batteries are low. I always know when I’m in trouble when called out by my birth name, followed by “you can’t hear that?”. Okay, it’s just a high pitched chirp, but the hearing ain’t what it used to be! 

 

36 minutes ago, topgun2 said:

they should first determine that there is no actual leak.

Thanks for the p.s.; regardless of how annoying the situation, the threat assessment is paramount to one’s safety and well-being.

[Steve Morris]

17 hours ago, topgun2 said:

The picture I posted is from under the aft dinette seat between the hulls

Things must have moved in recent years. In our 2023 EII, the detector is attached to the aft face of the forward dinette seat. And the fuse is under the street side bed, tucked way up front toward the aisle, almost under the pantry. It was 3AM for us the first night we owned the trailer when that obnoxious wail occured. OTT replaced it the next morning just in case it was a bad unit.

[topgun2]

36 minutes ago, Steve Morris said:

Things must have moved in recent years. In our 2023 EII, the detector is attached to the aft face of the forward dinette seat.

No problem - your location makes the situation even more interesting at 3am!😁 

But, the switch mod is basically the same.

[dewdev]

21 hours ago, topgun2 said:

The picture I posted is from under the aft dinette seat between the hulls - there is nothing at all to see from the seating area under the dinette.

In the picture I posted - the "white" area that is behind the aluminum switch holder is actually looking through the hole of the propane/co alarm from the inside to the outside area under the dinette.

Sorry but I don't have any other pics of the "full" installation which would show the actual switch.  However, the switch is simply mounted in that hole you can see in the aluminum mount.

Hope this helps.

Bill

p.s.  here is a better pic taken from JD's post on the subject:

Thanks Bill.

The switch looks like a simple toggle type of switch. What type of switch is that and where can it be bought? 

[topgun2]

You can get the type that JD used HERE.  But any single pole 12 volt switch will do - I used one like THIS that I bought at WalMart.

Bill

Edited October 13, 2023 by topgun2
spelling

[MAX Burner]

On 10/11/2023 at 9:02 PM, topgun2 said:

Straight to Amazon, then to basket and soon to my door.

Same here!  Maybe need to add an LED "diffuser tab" as JD mentions...

[topgun2]

7 hours ago, MAX Burner said:

Maybe need to add an LED "diffuser tab"

Or a small piece of electrical tape.😃

[Boudicca908]

On 10/12/2023 at 11:40 AM, Steve Morris said:

In our 2023 EII, the detector is attached to the aft face of the forward dinette seat. And the fuse is under the street side bed, tucked way up front toward the aisle, almost under the pantry

Mine (2022 E2) is the same layout as yours. I have not switched off the fuse. 

[dewdev]

My 2018 Elite II has a Atwood CO/Propane detector that has a 2016 date printed on it. Although the Atwood has not been alarming, I am going to replace it any way before that happens and have ordered the new RV Safe detector from Amazon.

Hopefully Amazon does not have old detectors in their stock. I will be checking its date when it arrives next week.

[topgun2]

48 minutes ago, dewdev said:

Hopefully Amazon does not have old detectors in their stock. I will be checking its date when it arrives next week.

The propane/CO detector I received earlier this week from Amazon had a MFG date of May, 2023.

Bill