Heaters and carbon monoxide monitoring

Cisco kid · Veteran Member

Heaters and carbon monoxide monitoring

Mike Harding · Guru

Two people in a tent died in Omeo, Vic a few months past through CO poisoning.

In my opinion, like smoke alarms, CO detectors should be a mandatory fitment in caravans. I suspect part of the reason they are not is that there in no Australian Standard for CO detectors so when buying one I ensure it is compliant to the European standard EN50291 as this one is:

Bunnings CO detector $30

From time-to-time I reset mine by removing the batteries for 10 minutes, replace then and then sit the alarm downwind of my campfire to ensure it produces a reading, test buttons are all well and good but nothing is a good as a real test.

They should also be replaced every 10 (I think it is) years.

Cisco kid · Veteran Member

Yes Mike
Another point is using heater to warm up your van but NOT turning on heater when you intend to sleep

Possum3 · Guru

My Delta CO Alarm is CE Compliant, to EN50291-1: 2010. 10 year warranty.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Cisco kid wrote:
Another point is using heater to warm up your van but NOT turning on heater when you intend to sleep

Why should a properly installed heater be any different from a properly installed gas hot water service or a properly installed gas fridge?

If they are designed for RVs and are installed correctly, all are suitable to run all night if you wish.

Any of those which are not properly installed can and will kill you.

Using a heater with an open flame will kill and should not be run inside an RV under any circumstances, irrespective of if you are asleep or awake.

Cheers,

Peter

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

All should work and be fitted correctly ! I bet these are not installed or used in correct matter ? There is a reason why vents are fitted also !!!

Bicyclecamper · Guru

I can still remember the kero heater, Dad had one, and when I got married and moved back to the country, 1st stint of army over, we had one as well. It was our heating in the flat. I never heard of anyone dying for using an unflued kero heater in a house. We also used to take it camping in our canvas tent, and never ever thought about a problem, nor did we have a problem.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Bicyclecamper wrote:
I can still remember the kero heater, Dad had one, and when I got married and moved back to the country, 1st stint of army over, we had one as well. It was our heating in the flat. I never heard of anyone dying for using an unflued kero heater in a house. We also used to take it camping in our canvas tent, and never ever thought about a problem, nor did we have a problem.

You were lucky. They do kill people.

The fact that you had no problem is not justification for believing it is OK.

Cheers,

Peter

Whenarewethere · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
Bicyclecamper wrote:
I can still remember the kero heater, Dad had one, and when I got married and moved back to the country, 1st stint of army over, we had one as well. It was our heating in the flat. I never heard of anyone dying for using an unflued kero heater in a house. We also used to take it camping in our canvas tent, and never ever thought about a problem, nor did we have a problem.
You were lucky. They do kill people.
The fact that you had no problem is not justification for believing it is OK.
Cheers,
Peter

Probably a bit like in primary school when the students filled the kero heaters, we all took turns filling it, usually the boys as the girls couldn't lift the 5 gallon drum of kero, lit it & closed all the windows to keep warm. There was a strong draft through the floor boards which probably saved us.

oldbloke · Guru

"There was a strong draft through the floor boards which probably saved us."

That's all you need really. Houses years ago had vents in the walls. Thats what they were for. No longer have them.

If your worried don't use the van stove or oven. Neither are flued.

-- Edited by oldbloke on Tuesday 2nd of November 2021 10:02:35 AM

PeterD · Guru

Bicyclecamper wrote:
I never heard of anyone dying for using an unflued kero heater in a house. We also used to take it camping in our canvas tent, and never ever thought about a problem, nor did we have a problem.

That does not prove that there were no deaths resulting from their use. The deaths were not common, but there were some. That sort of thing also was not reported very well in the press in those days. This is one of the reasons that the NSW housing commission prohibited their tenants from using them. The other main reason was the number of fires they caused.

Derek Barnes · Senior Member

How sensitive are caravan CO monitors? We have a house CO monitor in our caravan which sounds an alarm if we leave the windows shut in the caravan when using the gas cooktop burners. We always have to have at least one window open or it sounds. Usually we cook using two induction cooktops if we are staying in a caravan park so we normally do not use the gas burners. Do you think we should have the gas burners checked?

Mike Harding · Guru

Gas flame colour

I suggest you spend $30 and buy the CO monitor from Bunnings I link to in a previous post, it is EN50291 compliant and should not false trigger. My CO monitor has not false triggered in five years which is why I test it with the camp fire occasionally.

Even with all doors and windows shut there is a legal requirement for caravans to have good airflow so you may wish to check the vents

Tony LEE · Guru

1 Been cases in America where people have died in a motorhome with top hatches open while parked next to a motorhome running a generator fitted with a genturi 2 In two different rigs we have ended up with 400ppm CO inside due to strong side winds forcing exhaust from refrigerator, furnace and hws (at different times) into the mh via minute openings in the seals. (we have CO, smoke and propane alarms fitted) 3 A modern tent covered with dew is virtually airtight. 4 properly installed gas heaters in houses have been implicated in deaths when exhaust fans caused downflow in gas heater flues

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

In US and cold areas you can die from exposure to cold too ! -40* .

oldbloke · Guru

Aus-Kiwi wrote:
In US and cold areas you can die from exposure to cold too ! -40* .

And if you get lost in the Desert you could die of dehydration. I'm never going anywhere without carrying 5 litres of water. To be sure, to be sure. Lol

And a life jacket incase it rains a lot. :)