Introduction
Your RV should be your home away from home, the place you go to find peace, explore the world, and, most importantly, have fun.
Yes, an RV should be a place that feels like an oasis to you and the one place that you can get away from all the troubles and stresses and worries of the world.
That is why it is so annoying and concerning when your carbon monoxide detector in your recreational vehicle starts beeping and doesn’t stop.
At first, you may be concerned about a beeping carbon monoxide detector. But after you discover that nothing is really wrong, then you’ll just be annoyed because the beeping noise will quickly get under your skin and start driving you nuts.
Why is your carbon monoxide detector beeping? How can you make it stop? And are you really sure that you’re safe? There are easy answers for all of these things.
What Is Carbon Monoxide?
Before we can discuss why your carbon monoxide detector is beeping insistently and how to make it stop, we should first describe what carbon monoxide is and why it really does pose a threat to you.
Yes, carbon monoxide is no joke and there is no doubt that you want to make sure none of it gets into your home or recreational vehicle. It is essentially a dangerous gas that usually comes from the incomplete burning of materials such as natural gas, kerosene, wood, coal, and gasoline.
Inhaling carbon monoxide is very dangerous and can lead to death. The scariest thing about it is that it is tasteless and odorless so you may not even know when there is carbon monoxide leaking in your residence or RV.
Hence, the need for a carbon monoxide detector. These helpful devices will alert you when you’re unsafe.
The Sounds Your Carbon Monoxide Detector Makes
1. Carbon Monoxide
Of course, this is the most dangerous and serious reason why your carbon monoxide detector might be beeping. Yes, if there really is CO in your recreational vehicle then your detector is going to be making a ton of noise.
How do you know if there is carbon monoxide in your RV? Unfortunately, you and the people staying with you will be feeling very unwell if there is CO in your ride.
The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Brain fog
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Flu-like symptoms
- Dizziness
- Headaches
These are the most common symptoms of inhaling carbon monoxide but they’re not the only ones. Generally, people complain of feeling generally unwell.
Even if your detector isn’t going off, you should definitely check in with a doctor if you are feeling these symptoms while you are in an RV or car.
Since this is the worst reason why your detector is going off, it needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Since there are a few reasons why your RV might have CO in it, there are also a few things you will need to do to take care of this deadly, dangerous issue.
Solution
The list of appliances and RV items that could be spewing carbon monoxide into your home are numerous and each will need to be checked to keep your space safe.
Here are some items that can leak carbon monoxide into your RV:
- Portable Generators
- Built-in Generators
- Gas Ranges
- Gas Ovens
- Gas-powered heaters
- Portable camp stoves
This problem requires that you first shut off the propane in your RV and ensure that nothing is burning inside. Typically, generator fumes that find their way into a car or RV are the biggest culprit for carbon monoxide.
2. The Battery Is Dying
Like smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector will start to beep at times to alert you that the battery is dying and it is time for a replacement.
Typically, a detector’s battery should be switched out twice a year at least. If it isn’t, the detector will definitely be letting you know in the most annoying way possible.
You have probably heard a sound like a dying battery before. It usually sounds like a sporadic chirp that occurs sometimes every 30 seconds or even a few minutes. The frequency of the beep depends on the model of the detector that you have.
Either way, when you hear your detector beeping at odd, random times, that is a strong sign that the batteries are dying. Thankfully, the solution to this problem is simple.
Solution
Read the instruction manual of your detector and figure out what type of battery is needed and how you switch it out. Get to it! The sooner you do it, the sooner the beeping stops.
3. Malfunction
Sometimes, your detector might not be working as it should. When that happens, it might lead to annoying beeping that is happening for seemingly no reason. The truth is that there isn’t a valid reason, the detector is just malfunctioning.
If your detector is still under warranty, it can easily be replaced. But you might have to take a few more steps to solve this problem
Solution
To find out if it is malfunctioning, you should check the batteries, replace them, contact customer support for the business that created your CO detector, and then replace the unit if it still isn’t working.
A malfunctioning detector is a huge pain in the neck and it’s very important that you replace it as quickly as possible because if you are using a faulty CO detector, you are putting yourself and your family at risk.
Conclusion
Carbon monoxide is no joke!
You should make sure that your RV is always safe and always free of carbon monoxide. That means that a detector in your RV is always a smart idea. But if it starts to beep, you need to know what is causing it and how to address it.
The good news is that a beeping carbon monoxide detector is probably harmless and just annoying. The other good news is that the solutions to stop the beeping are fairly simple and easy.
And by following the steps listed above you can keep yourself, your family, and anyone in your RV safe.
