CO Detectors

[buster53]

Ok, I've got 3 on board. As soon as I turn my battery switch off to leave the boat, they all start chirping the low power alarm. Any way I can stop this short of disconnecting them while away from the boat?

[feeez]

They should be on a breaker that by- passes the battery switch. Sounds like u may have a wiring issue or your batteries may be weak. BTW if they are original to the boat they are probably in need of replacement anyway.

Cheers
Fraser

[Lobscouser]

Solution: get battery operated smoke and CO detectors with digital readout. I have five with three near the generator exhaust. You may get readings when no engines are running. The gasses that come from the charging batteries will give readings on some CO detectors. If you are getting a reading the main batteries are nearing the end of their life.

[Ramsport47]

Your batteries are probably getting weak. But, as mentioned earlier, CO detectors are supposed to be replaced every 5 years. I just replaced mine and they now make no chirps..

[mjk1040]

Something doesn't make sense here. Those CO2 detectors should be powered when the battery master switch is off. They should have a separate breaker powering them next to the battery master switch. If the power is supplied from only one of the 2 house batteries and you are on both batteries and when you turn them off the detectors chirp, then you have w weak battery. Then if your OEM battery configuration has been changed, something is not wired right. The possibilities are numerous here!

[Viper]

I agree Mike. For safety reasons, they are supposed to remain powered up even when you turn off the main DC source selector switch. You shouldn't be able to turn them off with the battery switch. Do they still chirp if your battery charger is turned on? If they do, either they are failing, your batteries are bad enough that the charger is shutting down, you have a poor connection, or your charger isn't working.

[buster53]

A lot of good thoughts guys. When I'm on the boat next weekend, I'll play around with them and get back to you.
Thanks.

[bud37]

Source of the post A lot of good thoughts guys. When I'm on the boat next weekend, I'll play around with them and get back to you.
Thanks.

Just a little to add, from someone that has spent years confined space gas testing,testing monitors and recalibrating and calibrating monitors ( nobody died on my watch)........there may be manufacture dates on your monitors, regardless if you do not know when they were changed ( 5 years max i believe for marine) , throw them out and replace with new ones that have some better tech...maybe ones that have a resettable high digital readout. Carbon monoxide monitors have a list interferences and one thing everyone can know ,is if you think your monitors have ever been subjected to high amounts of CO , I would replace them pronto.
I have replaced all mine with the portable ones with readouts, my personal preference, that IMO removes all the doubt about wiring/batteries etc etc......you would be shocked at the numbers you see.You can always get new hardwired Marine specific ones if that is what you want or feel is right for you and your family.There are some nice ones out there now I believe, but do your homework.
Please be safe with this. The more false alarms you get the less you trust your instruments....rant over..

[SanJuanDreamer]

As what Viper and Bud37 said, mine stay on, even after turning off battery.
Check the dates.
My chirped also, until I replace the both CO and dead #1 battery.

[Helmsman]

I had the same issue with the chirping. Battery was weak. I replaced the battery. A week later, began chirping again. This time I replaced the CO monitors. (They were ten years old and were OEM. All chirping stopped, and they work just fine. I replaced with the same type which come with a 5 year life.

Sounds like yours may be a weak battery also.