CO2 Monitor

[john eagle]

Hi can anyone please tell me if my 2017 California has a CO2 monitor built in or do I need an external one. Same question for an LPG monitor

 

[WelshGas]

Hi can anyone please tell me if my 2017 California has a CO2 monitor built in or do I need an external one. Same question for an LPG monitor

Its a CO, Carbon Monoxide Monitor, and it doesn't have one built in.

LPG monitor would be a waste of money as LPG is heavier than air so the monitor would have to be on the floor to be of any use. You would smell the Aromatic chemical that is included in the LPG cylinder way before you get any levels of LPG that would be dangerous. Also, the cylinder is in a Gas Safe that vents below onto the ground.

CO monitor - YES, LPG monitor - if you like wasting money.

 

[bigmac77]

Do you mean carbon monoxide? If so no it doesn’t, it doesn’t have a CO2 monitor either or one for LPG.

 

[flying banana]

You can buy a fire angel for about 30 quid. Most don't bother. I don't. I do keep the van well ventilated especially cooking.

 

[flying banana]

I don't get why people worry about this. Gas is heavy and will drop to the floor. If your cooking and you collapse on the floor then your an idiot for not opening a window. Motor homes etc don't have them. Your over thinking and worrying about nothing. It's like the spare gas bottle thing. Oooh you should have a gas locker. I just chuck it in the boot and I'm sure most people do the same. Stop fretting and enjoy

 

[MattBW]

I would always recommend a CO meter if you burn any fuel in an enclosed space, for about 12 quid you can't go wrong. We've had a previous van where the exhaust was faulty and leaking into the vehicle and we would not have known if not for our CO alarm.

As someone who works in the gas industry, I always get frustrated when folks are flippant about gas and make out it's not dangerous. Ultimately LPG that we use in our vans is a lot more dangerous than the gas that is piped to our houses because LPG is heavier than air.

For Natural gas, if the percentage of the air is between 5 and 15% it can ignite, any lower or higher, nothing will happen. If we come across a leak but with LPG in our industry the risk scoring pretty much doubles, because it will pool and drop down meaning there is less mixing with the air but with a chance of ignition, I think it can ignire at as little as 2% in air for propane and 1.8% for butane. Having a window helps for CO but might not necessarily help for LPG gas leaks. As it is heavier than air, if there isn't a good breeze and the gas is all pooled inside your cupboard it's going to stay there.

In an Ocean its correct it's in a locker with the required vent to let the gas drop outside the vehicle. Doesn't help if the cooker or connection starts leaking outside the locker. It has a very strong smell so you should notice it, but if you have poor sense of smell (some folk have none at all) then an detector is a must.

However as above be careful, check your pipe work annually and take care of the system and you should never experience a leak. I don't have an LPG detector but then I'm confident I would smell a leak.

 

[Rianscott]

Yes to carbon monoxide. If you have stripped down one of those diesel auxillary heaters you would know there is only one little rubber o ring between you and the burn chamber which on failure would happily and powerfully fill your camper with carbon monoxide whilst operating. For 12 quid I wouldn't risk it. The hob is not a major danger as far as I'm concerned, you're awake usually when using it but the espacher, webasto or even an lpg propexheater are often used while sleeping and I wouldn't allow it on in my camper without a safety backup.
The wood burning stove in our living room has better seals than diesel heaters and the law states I must have a detector for that.
P.S I don't have a Cali but dream of one (with a co detector)!

 

[bigmac77]

I would always recommend a CO meter if you burn any fuel in an enclosed space, for about 12 quid you can't go wrong. We've had a previous van where the exhaust was faulty and leaking into the vehicle and we would not have known if not for our CO alarm.

As someone who works in the gas industry, I always get frustrated when folks are flippant about gas and make out it's not dangerous. Ultimately LPG that we use in our vans is a lot more dangerous than the gas that is piped to our houses because LPG is heavier than air.

For Natural gas, if the percentage of the air is between 5 and 15% it can ignite, any lower or higher, nothing will happen. If we come across a leak but with LPG in our industry the risk scoring pretty much doubles, because it will pool and drop down meaning there is less mixing with the air but with a chance of ignition, I think it can ignire at as little as 2% in air for propane and 1.8% for butane. Having a window helps for CO but might not necessarily help for LPG gas leaks. As it is heavier than air, if there isn't a good breeze and the gas is all pooled inside your cupboard it's going to stay there.

In an Ocean its correct it's in a locker with the required vent to let the gas drop outside the vehicle. Doesn't help if the cooker or connection starts leaking outside the locker. It has a very strong smell so you should notice it, but if you have poor sense of smell (some folk have none at all) then an detector is a must.

However as above be careful, check your pipe work annually and take care of the system and you should never experience a leak. I don't have an LPG detector but then I'm confident I would smell a leak.

Totally agree with this and just be glad you don’t own a canal barge with a gas cooker.

 

[WelshGas]

Yes to carbon monoxide. If you have stripped down one of those diesel auxillary heaters you would know there is only one little rubber o ring between you and the burn chamber which on failure would happily and powerfully fill your camper with carbon monoxide whilst operating. For 12 quid I wouldn't risk it. The hob is not a major danger as far as I'm concerned, you're awake usually when using it but the espacher, webasto or even an lpg propexheater are often used while sleeping and I wouldn't allow it on in my camper without a safety backup.
The wood burning stove in our living room has better seals than diesel heaters and the law states I must have a detector for that.
P.S I don't have a Cali but dream of one (with a co detector)!

I don't Disagree with fitting a CO monitor but the Gas Stove is more dangerous than the Diesel Parking heater for producing CO due to incomplete combustion. If the connection to the Burn Chamber fails then the likelihood is that the Heater will fail and not function, not so the Gas Cooker which is very dependant on adequate air flow and ventilation for correct function. Very easy to mess this up by not keeping clean or cleaning using the wrong method.

I have no experience of the Gas powered Heaters.

 

[s2bear]

The trouble with CO Alarms is
If you own one but don’t need it you’ll hear nothing.
If you need it but don’t own one, you’ll hear nothing.

It’s £20 so your MAX DOWNSIDE in purchasing one is £20. I think they last for about 5 yrs and I found a fire angel one in black too. The kids push the button on it every so often and it makes me jump outta my skin but in a strange way, that feels like value for money!

Gas is pretty smelly.







Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Rianscott]

There's a video on YouTube of a guy who cuts the front off the burn chamber of a Chinese copy of the diesel heater and it still runs! Maybe the espacher had some safety feature but somehow I doubt it. Point taken about the hob though. Get a detector please, diesel heaters don't work on compression like a diesel engine where a leak will cause it not to start. Once they are hot they will continue to run if fuel is provided, maybe not as efficiently but that only means more carbon monoxide.

 

[PAPPA J]

I’m also a gas engineer and agree lpg monitor I wouldn’t bother with the gas has a strong odour and is heavier than air unlike natural gas,
The carbon monoxide alarm is well worth the money, costs very little and if your cooking in the van or awning or tent accidents can happen with incomplete combustion and poor ventilation ,

 

[MattBW]

I don't Disagree with fitting a CO monitor but the Gas Stove is more dangerous than the Diesel Parking heater for producing CO due to incomplete combustion. If the connection to the Burn Chamber fails then the likelihood is that the Heater will fail and not function, not so the Gas Cooker which is very dependant on adequate air flow and ventilation for correct function. Very easy to mess this up by not keeping clean or cleaning using the wrong method.

I have no experience of the Gas powered Heaters.

General rule of thumb we advise is if the flame is burning orange or red its burning inefficiently and thus producing CO, often see this if the burners are dirty.