Home » Public Forums » GMCnet » [GMCnet] CO Alarm
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230146 is a reply to message #230145] |
Mon, 18 November 2013 09:59   |
Steve
Messages: 506
Registered: September 2013
Location: East Greenville, Pa
Karma: 1
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I use the same one and have been happy with it. Very good price as well.
One thing I would note so that it is a wall mount unit as opposed to a ceiling mount that some might prefer.
1978 GMC Royal
Eastern Pennslyvania
1968 Chevrolet C20 396 Camper Special
1969 Chevrolet C20 Camper Special
1985 Buick Electra Park Avenue
1992 Camaro 25th Anniversary Heretage Edition Black
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230149 is a reply to message #230146] |
Mon, 18 November 2013 10:19 |
scott cowden
Messages: 170
Registered: February 2004
Karma: 0
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Good morning, everyone;
Have been reading the posts the last few days after a couple of years, 'off-list,'
When it comes to alarms in the RV application, I suggest a couple of things to both simplify things and improve the overall level of protection:
For what they cost and the protection they provide, I generally recommend the installation of combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. These are about the same price as the mid-level CO-only units [about $40 in Canada, your experience may vary]. Here is a good example of that:
http://www.kiddecanada.com/utcfs/Templates/Pages/Template-53/0,8062,pageId%3D2765%26siteId%3D463,00.html
I personally also have in my own coach a propane/natural gas alarm. In my experience, there are more gas leaks RV's than most people would be aware of and the sensor provides an early warning of a safety issue. As I recall, there were several occurrences and two fatalities in Canada over the past year or so related to gas leaks and resulting explosions and fires in RV's. Mine is something like this one: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/safe-t-alert-propanenatural-gas-alarm-surface-mount/15692 . The beauty and challenge with this alarm is that it's 12VDC, which for me seems to run down the coach battery in about 2 months of inactivity with the coach.
Related information: The effective service life of a smoke alarm is ten years. Until the past year or so when new designs were released, the effective service life of a carbon monoxide alarm has been about 7 years.
Scott Cowden
1974 ex-Glacier
Newmarket, ON
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> From: sjadams@ptd.net
> Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 09:59:41 -0600
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm
>
>
>
> I use the same one and have been happy with it. Very good price as well.
>
> One thing I would note so that it is a wall mount unit as opposed to a ceiling mount that some might prefer.
> --
> 1978 GMC Royal
> 1968 Chevrolet C20 396 Camper Special
> 1969 Chevrolet C20 Camper Special
> 1985 Buick Electra Park Avenue
> 1992 Camaro 25th Anniversary Heretage Edition Black
>
> _______________________________________________
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230406 is a reply to message #230395] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 06:44 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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""I bought a CO alarm at one of the RV Surplus stores in Elkhart and when I turned it over I noticed that the manufacture date was
1998. Something in my memory tweaked about these detectors having a shelf life. Was this a CRAFT incident or am I correct?
Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
USAussie - Downunder
""
They do have a limited life, but I'm not sure if it is shelf life or in-use life. I'm on my 3rd one. You need to test them regularly and even though all the lights may be on, all of a sudden they stop sensing gas--of course mine may be beyond it's design duty cycle 
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230408 is a reply to message #230406] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 06:52 |
scott cowden
Messages: 170
Registered: February 2004
Karma: 0
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It's my understanding that the useful life is 7 years for Carbon Monoxide alarms from the date of production. the sensor simply ages out.
Since about 2012, I have seen advertising from Kidde and possibly one other manufacturer claiming a ten year life span, but of course haven't seen ten year old units still working yet.
I saw the note yesterday of the recent purchase of an alarm that was produced in 1998. This should be returned to the retailer and not put into service at all.
The confusing part is that if you 'test' the unit using the button on the front of the unit it will in all likelihood sound normally. the 'test' button, only tests the battery and the alarm section of the unit, not the CO sensor itself and in this context provides a false sense of security to the owner.
Scott Cowden
> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
> From: NEXT2POOL@AOL.COM
> Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 06:44:31 -0600
> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm
>
>
>
> ""I bought a CO alarm at one of the RV Surplus stores in Elkhart and when I turned it over I noticed that the manufacture date was
> 1998. Something in my memory tweaked about these detectors having a shelf life. Was this a CRAFT incident or am I correct?
>
> Regards,
> Rob M.
> The Pedantic Mechanic
> USAussie - Downunder
> ""
>
> They do have a limited life, but I'm not sure if it is shelf life or in-use life. I'm on my 3rd one. You need to test them regularly and even though all the lights may be on, all of a sudden they stop sensing gas--of course mine may be beyond it's design duty cycle :)
> --
> Bob de Kruyff
> 78 Eleganza
> Chandler, AZ
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230424 is a reply to message #230408] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 09:15 |
GMC_LES
Messages: 569
Registered: October 2009
Location: Montreal
Karma: 0
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The kidde CO alarms i recently purchased for my home have a pre programmed 7 year life span. When you first activate it you need to enter the date of activation and it then counts down, giving an error warning (chirps) at the end of it's life. The instructions do not allude to a "shelf life" prior to activation, so i wonder if the effectiveness of the sensor would have changed on a new unit that sat on a shelf un-activated. I would assume that if this was important that it would be mentioned in the instructions.
Best to confirm this sort of info with the manufacturer before trusting your life to an old unit.
Les Burt
Montreal
1975 Eleganza 26ft
A work in Progress
On Nov 20, 2013, at 7:52 AM, scott cowden <scottyforsail@hotmail.com> wrote:
> It's my understanding that the useful life is 7 years for Carbon Monoxide alarms from the date of production. the sensor simply ages out.
>
> Since about 2012, I have seen advertising from Kidde and possibly one other manufacturer claiming a ten year life span, but of course haven't seen ten year old units still working yet.
>
> I saw the note yesterday of the recent purchase of an alarm that was produced in 1998. This should be returned to the retailer and not put into service at all.
>
> The confusing part is that if you 'test' the unit using the button on the front of the unit it will in all likelihood sound normally. the 'test' button, only tests the battery and the alarm section of the unit, not the CO sensor itself and in this context provides a false sense of security to the owner.
>
> Scott Cowden
>
>> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
>> From: NEXT2POOL@AOL.COM
>> Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 06:44:31 -0600
>> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm
>>
>>
>>
>> ""I bought a CO alarm at one of the RV Surplus stores in Elkhart and when I turned it over I noticed that the manufacture date was
>> 1998. Something in my memory tweaked about these detectors having a shelf life. Was this a CRAFT incident or am I correct?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Rob M.
>> The Pedantic Mechanic
>> USAussie - Downunder
>> ""
>>
>> They do have a limited life, but I'm not sure if it is shelf life or in-use life. I'm on my 3rd one. You need to test them regularly and even though all the lights may be on, all of a sudden they stop sensing gas--of course mine may be beyond it's design duty cycle :)
>> --
>> Bob de Kruyff
>> 78 Eleganza
>> Chandler, AZ
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>
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Les Burt
Montreal
1975 Eleganza 26ft
A work in Progress
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230452 is a reply to message #230408] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 11:46 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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""It's my understanding that the useful life is 7 years for Carbon Monoxide alarms from the date of production. the sensor simply ages out.
Since about 2012, I have seen advertising from Kidde and possibly one other manufacturer claiming a ten year life span, but of course haven't seen ten year old units still working yet.
""
Sorry--I switched gears and was talking gas alarms (like propane)not CO. I think the gas alarms have a shorter life than CO.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230454 is a reply to message #230424] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 11:52 |
powerjon
Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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Rob,
As other have typed, most CO alarms are 7 year some are 5 year and that is from date of mfg.
JR
On Nov 20, 2013, at 10:15 AM, Les Burt <gmc.les@gmail.com> wrote:
> The kidde CO alarms i recently purchased for my home have a pre programmed 7 year life span. When you first activate it you need to enter the date of activation and it then counts down, giving an error warning (chirps) at the end of it's life. The instructions do not allude to a "shelf life" prior to activation, so i wonder if the effectiveness of the sensor would have changed on a new unit that sat on a shelf un-activated. I would assume that if this was important that it would be mentioned in the instructions.
>
> Best to confirm this sort of info with the manufacturer before trusting your life to an old unit.
>
> Les Burt
> Montreal
> 1975 Eleganza 26ft
> A work in Progress
>
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2013, at 7:52 AM, scott cowden <scottyforsail@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It's my understanding that the useful life is 7 years for Carbon Monoxide alarms from the date of production. the sensor simply ages out.
>>
>> Since about 2012, I have seen advertising from Kidde and possibly one other manufacturer claiming a ten year life span, but of course haven't seen ten year old units still working yet.
>>
>> I saw the note yesterday of the recent purchase of an alarm that was produced in 1998. This should be returned to the retailer and not put into service at all.
>>
>> The confusing part is that if you 'test' the unit using the button on the front of the unit it will in all likelihood sound normally. the 'test' button, only tests the battery and the alarm section of the unit, not the CO sensor itself and in this context provides a false sense of security to the owner.
>>
>> Scott Cowden
>>
>>> To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
>>> From: NEXT2POOL@AOL.COM
>>> Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 06:44:31 -0600
>>> Subject: Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ""I bought a CO alarm at one of the RV Surplus stores in Elkhart and when I turned it over I noticed that the manufacture date was
>>> 1998. Something in my memory tweaked about these detectors having a shelf life. Was this a CRAFT incident or am I correct?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Rob M.
>>> The Pedantic Mechanic
>>> USAussie - Downunder
>>> ""
>>>
>>> They do have a limited life, but I'm not sure if it is shelf life or in-use life. I'm on my 3rd one. You need to test them regularly and even though all the lights may be on, all of a sudden they stop sensing gas--of course mine may be beyond it's design duty cycle :)
>>> --
>>> Bob de Kruyff
>>> 78 Eleganza
>>> Chandler, AZ
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> GMCnet mailing list
>>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> GMCnet mailing list
>> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
>> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan
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| Re: [GMCnet] CO Alarm [message #230468 is a reply to message #230454] |
Wed, 20 November 2013 12:45 |
 |
USAussie
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Thanks everybody!
Glad it was only $15!
Regards,
Rob M.
The Pedantic Mechanic
-----Original Message-----
From: John Wright
Rob,
As other have typed, most CO alarms are 7 year some are 5 year and that is from date of mfg.
JR
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Regards,
Rob M. (USAussie)
The Pedantic Mechanic
Sydney, Australia
'75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428
'75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
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