Carbon Monoxide & LP Gas Propane Detector

[GarlicDude]

My Atwood Carbon Monoxide & LP Gas Propane Detector, started peeping a couple of days ago. Did a search and they have a 7 year life span. Bought a new one for under $30 delivered.

Might be nice to have a spare in your box of spares so if it were to fail camping you wouldn't be annoyed by the beeping.

 

[craigav]

Where did you purchase it from? I suspect I need to replace mine again, as I did maybe 7 years ago. ~CA

 

[GarlicDude]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/354243591595

 

[RPR]

Check the date sticker on the new one. We bought a 2018 Class C new and replaced our co detector after 5 years. Date sticker on the old one said 2016.

 

[SloPoke-TC]

We tried to replace ours on our 2015 Seneca... The Attwood units installed in our coach were no longer available and not being manufactured anymore... what was left in inventory at some resellers was over 6 years old and only have a few years left. so Buy 3 or 4!

 

[Jerry713]

Some of them have a 7 year expiration period and some 5 year that I’ve seen. Also keep in mind you can’t always go by the year model of your RV to determine the expiration date because it’s based on the manufacturer date of the detector and they may have sat on a shelf for a year or so before being installed. You have to remove the screws and check the sticker on the back of the unit to find the expiration date for most if not all of them.

 

[GarlicDude]

"Carbon Monoxide and Propane Leak Detectors are designed to function effectively for a period of 5 years. For ongoing safety, it is advisable to change the device every five years. Note that the 5-year life cycle starts only when the unit is connected to a 12V DC power source, so the manufacturing date is not a factor in determining when a replacement is due."

 

[gypsmjim]

Might be nice to have a spare in your box of spares so if it were to fail camping you wouldn't be annoyed by the beeping.

But does the spare self destruct 7 years after purchase, or 7 years after put in service? If the latter, maybe its better to wait 5 years before buying it.

 

[Jerry713]

But does the spare self destruct 7 years after purchase, or 7 years after put in service? If the latter, maybe its better to wait 5 years before buying it.

Most of them, at least the ones made for RV’s that I’m aware of have an expiration date. That date begins when it is manufactured. This is why there’s a sticker on the back side of them with a written expiration date. If the expiration date was based on when it was electrically energized the manufacturer wouldn’t be able to include an expiration date on the detector. Maybe things have changed recently but this used to be the way they worked.

 

[gypsmjim]

Most of them, at least the ones made for RV’s that I’m aware of have an expiration date. That date begins when it is manufactured. This is why there’s a sticker on the back side of them with a written expiration date. If the expiration date was based on when it was electrically energized the manufacturer wouldn’t be able to include an expiration date on the detector. Maybe things have changed recently but this used to be the way they worked.

Thanks. Another thing on my list to check in the Spring.

My trailer will be 10 years old this Summer. I replaced the unit once as a PM (can't remember what year), so it may be due.

Regardless, if it goes off while camping, I would have no problem disconnecting it and replacing it later.

 

[Jerry713]

Thanks. Another thing on my list to check in the Spring.

My trailer will be 10 years old this Summer. I replaced the unit once as a PM (can't remember what year), so it may be due.

Regardless, if it goes off while camping, I would have no problem disconnecting it and replacing it later.

Yep I plan to do the same. The way we use our camper it’s not as important to me as some. We have spent well over a hundred nights in it and have only used the furnace once (we don’t use it much in winter), never used the oven or stove (I’m always cooking outside) and I also added a secondary detector.

 

[Retired mountain folk]

Yep, we just bought the replacement from camping world. They had five in stock. We found one manufactured sept. 2023. The others on the shelf were dated 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, and the one we bought. If you don’t check the dates it would probably be out there of date range in the next year or two. I’m surprised when we brought it to their attention they weren’t surprised and never took them off the shelf. So check the mfg date before you buy.

 

[JimD]

Yep, we just bought the replacement from camping world. They had five in stock. We found one manufactured sept. 2023. The others on the shelf were dated 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, and the one we bought. If you don’t check the dates it would probably be out there of date range in the next year or two. I’m surprised when we brought it to their attention they weren’t surprised and never took them off the shelf. So check the mfg date before you buy.

The expiration date does not tick away until you first power on the unit. Or so they say. Who "they" are is unknown.

Copied from the owner's guide:

 

[gypsmjim]

Based on personal experience, plus bad reviews everywhere, I will not deal with Camping World.

When I replaced my unit I bought it off Ebay (lower price anyway) and it was of a current manufacturing date.