Disconnecting Carbon Monoxide Monitor

[Rob Culver]

Hello all,
I put in a trailer battery disconnect switch and I noticed that when the battery was disconnected it caused my CO monitor to beep intermittently. When I unscrewed the unit from the wall it appeared that the monitor was not battery powered but powered from the two wires going in to it. See my attached pictures. My question is, when you look at the picture with the two wires, should I be able to pull on those wires and that will detach them. Thus disconnecting the monitor? It looked like that might be possible. But I was afraid to pull for fear that I might break it.
Thanks in advance to anyone who may have already crossed this bridge!

[Shane826]

It will still beep. It has an internal capacitor or something to hold a bit of power to make it beep when power is low or cut off. Mine used to even beep when the battery was disconnected but the trailer was plugged into shore power.

[Rob Culver]

Originally Posted by Shane826

It will still beep. It has an internal capacitor or something to hold a bit of power to make it beep when power is low or cut off. Mine used to even beep when the battery was disconnected but the trailer was plugged into shore power.

Thanks Shane,
I supposed it doesn't matter then if I disconnect it but just for reference is it possible to pull those wires apart and disconnect? When disconnected I could then put the monitor in a box or something to muffle the sound. Thanks!

[Shane826]

No those are crimp connectors... If you pull the wires out you’ll need new connectors. If this is something you’ll do regularly maybe get a two circuit quick connector from the auto parts store and wire it in? Then you could plug/unplug as often as you like.

Just be aware if you ever have an issue and an insurance company sees a quick connect on that detector they will probably question it like there is no tomorrow. It’s a liability that you forget to reconnect/reinstall it.

[Bill]

Assuming that when you disconnect the battery, you also unplug the Bargman cord from your tow vehicle and the campground power cord from the power post, I don't think you need to do anything.

If you collapse the bathroom walls, which lets the silver push-button switch rise, it should cut off the CO detector immediately. Mine always gives one last squeak as the wall comes down.

If yours is wired differently, then it may squeak for a few seconds using the residual stored power in the caps that Shane mentioned. (These caps are in the converter.) But this power will dissipate in several seconds and the squeaking will stop.

Why don't you add your TM year and model to your signature, like mine below? Since different TM models and years have small differences, it helps us a lot if you tell us what you've got, as we try to answer your question. Thanks.

Bill

[Rob Culver]

Originally Posted by Bill

Assuming that when you disconnect the battery, you also unplug the Bargman cord from your tow vehicle and the campground power cord from the power post, I don't think you need to do anything.

If you collapse the bathroom walls, which lets the silver push-button switch rise, it should cut off the CO detector immediately. Mine always gives one last squeak as the wall comes down.

If yours is wired differently, then it may squeak for a few seconds using the residual stored power in the caps that Shane mentioned. (These caps are in the converter.) But this power will dissipate in several seconds and the squeaking will stop.

Why don't you add your TM year and model to your signature, like mine below? Since different TM models and years have small differences, it helps us a lot if you tell us what you've got, as we try to answer your question. Thanks.

Bill

Thanks for that info Bill (and Shane),
Didn't realize that lowering the bathroom walls would cut it off also.
And I went ahead and added my TM model and tow vehicle to my signature as you suggested.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by Rob Culver

Didn't realize that lowering the bathroom walls would cut it off also.

Please confirm it - my 2020 TM works this way.

And I went ahead and added my TM model and tow vehicle to my signature as you suggested.

Many thanks - it helps.

Bill

[Shane826]

The CO/LP monitor and I think radio & antenna now run through that switch. It’s a new addition in the last few years. I don’t thinkk they run the rear roof lights through that switch anymore. Bill can you confirm?

And good call about the capacitors being on the converter, didn’t even think of that.

[jagizzi]

i sure as heck don't want to contradict anyone here but, to me, the connectors in question look to be barrel connectors, which would make it possible to disconnect the wires. I guess since the one I am contradicting is Shane it's ok ;-) And I could be wrong

[Bill]

Originally Posted by shane826

The CO/LP monitor and I think radio & antenna now run through that switch. I don’t think they run the rear roof lights through that switch anymore. Bill can you confirm?

You've got it right, Shane. I have confirmed that the shower wall switch no longer controls any lights. I should note that my 2020 TM was built in the midst of a number of upgrades and changes, so not everything on the wiring diagram agrees with reality yet. But according to the wiring diagram, that switch now controls
o CO/LP monitor
o water heater ignition
o radio antenna (but not the TV antenna panel, which presumably sends power to the amplifier in the Jack AM/FM/TV antenna.) I'm not sure what radio antenna is being referenced here, since my TM does not have the black rod with the red light on the rear edge of the front shell.

In my TM, there is an "All lights off" rocker switch near the fire extinguisher, just inside the entry door. As of my 2020 Owner's Manual, this switch does not appear on the wiring diagram, but in practice it controls all lights - front, rear, and outdoor. Very handy - I like it, although I would prefer that it did not control the outside lights (porch, hitch area, utility hookups, etc).

My TM is in the garage just now, so I can't positively confirm some of this, but it all agrees with my memory.

Bill