The chirping is driving me NUTS

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,


We have a 2014, 3818 toy hauler.


I am sure you know that when the batteries are going dead or are dead in your smoke detectors how they "chirp", well maybe you folks can help me with this problem. I can change the batteries, leave the batteries out, take the detectors off the ceiling and the chirping continues.



It sounds like its coming from the ceiling but I don't know for sure, we have looked in the bedroom, the bath room, all over the kitchen-living room and the garage and can't find any detectors other then the two in the ceiling of the kitchen-living room and the one on the near the floor in the kitchen-living room.


So if anyone knows where another detector might be hiding I sure would appreciate your telling me about it. Thanks.


Dave

[dougs2]

Had that happen once I'm trying to remember but I think it was coming from the level up controller in the storage area. I don't recall exactly why but I pushed enter and off and it quit.

[ATCguy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

...can't find any detectors other then the two in the ceiling of the kitchen-living room and the one on the near the floor in the kitchen-living room.

Dave... I’m betting that you’ve already found it: the one near the floor.



This is your propane detector, and I’m betting that the light on yours... instead of being a bright green... is an amber yellow. If so, it has reached its “End of Life” mode, and needs to be replaced.

This is from the manual for it:

Once end-of-life mode has been entered, it is permanent, even after a power out cycle. If the reset/test button is pressed during end-of-life mode, the audible alarm will be silenced for 12 hours before being automatically reactivated. The LED will be flashing Yellow. The audible alarm will chirp every 30 seconds.

It is Atwood part number 36719 (or 36720 with the outer case housing)... and is easily replaced by simply removing the 4 small screws along the outer case, pull it out from the wall... unscrew the wire nuts on the old one... connect the new one... then reinstall into the wall. Takes all of about 5 minutes.

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy Tom,


I have taken the two ceiling detectors that I can find OUT of the trailer, I have removed the propane detector and have a new one ordered as it was 6 years old. The chirping continues, we are leaving soon for a three month trip, there is no way I am going to be able to live in this trailer for three months unless I can find and eliminate that god awful chirping.


Dave

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by dougs2

Had that happen once I'm trying to remember but I think it was coming from the level up controller in the storage area. I don't recall exactly why but I pushed enter and off and it quit.

Howdy dougs2,


I checked the level up, its not the source of the chirping, really don't know what to do.


Dave

[rafi]

sins the propane is heavier
then the air, the gas detector is mounted close to the floor,

[ATCguy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

Howdy Tom,


I have taken the two ceiling detectors that I can find OUT of the trailer, I have removed the propane detector and have a new one ordered as it was 6 years old. The chirping continues, we are leaving soon for a three month trip, there is no way I am going to be able to live in this trailer for three months unless I can find and eliminate that god awful chirping.
Dave

Wow... ok. Thought sure the LP sensor would be your issue, but I guess not.

My only other suggestion now is to either call a mobile tech to come out & find it... or take it to the shop. Maybe they can determine what it is by its sound & tone, or just figure out where it is.

Good luck, and be sure to come back and update us when you find it.

[dougs2]

Dave, could it be the installers decided to play a trick and tossed a smoke detector into the belly or behind the storage area wall and now the battery is going dead? Might be worth a look.
Doug

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by dougs2

Dave, could it be the installers decided to play a trick and tossed a smoke detector into the belly or behind the storage area wall and now the battery is going dead? Might be worth a look.
Doug

Howdy Doug,


I have tried but I can't pin point where the noise is coming from, it sounds like its coming from the ceiling right where the two detectors are that I took completely OUT of the trailer. As to a joke by those who threw this thing together I won't call it a build, I wouldn't put it past them, they installed the slide over ride control box behind a wall in the basement under the floor where the water tanks are mounted. So anything is possible at this point.


Dave

[sundancer 87]

Originally Posted by dougs2

Dave, could it be the installers decided to play a trick and tossed a smoke detector into the belly or behind the storage area wall and now the battery is going dead? Might be worth a look.
Doug

What an evil thought but not out of the question for a disgruntled blind installer.

[Randy]

Try using a stethoscope.

[ATCguy]

Much easier said than done...

Remember, the damn thing only chirps once about every 30 seconds, so there's a lot of down time just waiting on it. And then, since it's a higher-pitch tone, that too makes it harder to pinpoint to a single area... much less a precise location.

I don't envy the job...

[Randy]

Well, Dave will be in the trailer for the next 3 months. Should be plenty of time to find the chirping nuisance, provided they aren't driven mad before they do.

[dsol]

I say find some friends, as many as possible and position them all throughout your trailer and maybe they can help pinpoint. And because high pitched noises are harder for older adults to hear than kids I would suggest involve some young ones.

[franktafl]

If you disconnect the battery and all power, does it still chirp? When the battery (?) finally dies, it will most likely stop.... maybe

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,


Up dating this thread. I found the source of the chirping. Doing some more research I discovered that carbon monoxide detectors like propane detectors have a limited life span and should be replaced after 5 years-7 at the most. The chirping noise I was hearing came in bursts of three chirps, then silence for about a minute then another three chirps and so on.


A single chirp every minute or so is telling you the battery is low and needs to be replaced, three chirps every minute or so tells you that the detector is MALFUNCTIONING, five chirps is telling you that the detector has out lived it functional life span and needs to be REPLACED.


As my trailer was built in June of 2013, all of the detectors NEED to be REPLACED. Hopefully this is useful information to the rest of the group.


Dave

[walker1]

I went through the same thing last year and members here were trying to help me out. Pulled my co2 sensor even though it showed green. Pulled both smoke detectors, disconnected batteries.....

Turned out there was a loose smoke detector unhooked but with a dying battery hid in behind one of the drawers in kitchen. Drove me nuts!