Troubleshooting 12 Volt CO Detector That Goes Off When 120 Volt Does Not

Question:

It goes off for co and sometimes clears itself, I bought another co detector from lowes and plugged in near by and its not going off, any ideas ?

asked by: Greg M

Expert Reply:

When I hear a complaint about a CO detector going off when there is not likely any CO in the air the first thing I recommend checking is the power going to the unit. On a detector like the 2-Wire RV Propane Gas and Carbon Monoxide Detector # RS54FR the power wires are ran directly to the battery bypassing any 12 volt disconnect switches. This is a safety device that should always see 12 volt power. This may cause the battery to be drained or rodents to find the wire since it has power going to it at all times.

You will want to use a Multimeter # PT89ZR to test the voltage going to the detector to ensure that it is getting the power it needs. The CO detector that you got from Lowes is likely a 120 volt detector that uses a different power system and not affected by the 12 volt power on your camper.

If the voltage is low check the current at the battery as well to determine if there is a faulty power converter, bad battery or damaged wiring.

expert reply by: Bud M