Carbon Monoxide det. Keeps going off!!!

[Kathryn8518]

Our stove has been running great since we got it up and going again,now for some reason our carbon monoxide detectors keep going off. We have one in the basement that I have moved to at least the ten foot away mark but it continues to go off. Last week in the middle of the night the one upstairs started going off. The stove is cleaned almost daily so it's not from being dirty. We have taken the pipes off and cleaned them out as well. The only difference I have noticed is it does seem to be burning HOT however it has been warmer out the last couple days so that could be the issue as well. We have different pellets but I don't remember if we got them at the same time or not....

We haven't had any head aches , no symptoms that we have noticed... UGH With all the hassle we have had with this thing over the last couple months it had BETTER cut our bill in half for heat this year...

Any suggestions?

 

[TimfromMA]

Whatever you do DO NOT operate the stove until you get this problem resloved. CO is nothing to mess around with.

 

[Kathryn8518]

Whatever you do DO NOT operate the stove until you get this problem resloved. CO is nothing to mess around with.

I just Went down and shut if off again. The first couple times I shut it down and figured maybe it was because it was dirty, so I cleaned it out and everything seems to run fine, but today it's going off again and I know it's clean.

 

[Peterfield]

I just Went down and shut if off again. The first couple times I shut it down and figured maybe it was because it was dirty, so I cleaned it out and everything seems to run fine, but today it's going off again and I know it's clean.

This is where Darwinism can rear it's ugly head. You can either call your local fire department and they will come out and check the air and determine whether your detector is bad or your stove is leaking or we can read about you in the paper soon.

 

[Kathryn8518]

This is where Darwinism can rear it's ugly head. You can either call your local fire department and they will come out and check the air and determine whether your detector is bad or your stove is leaking or we can read about you in the paper soon.

I am smart enough to shut my stove down and ventilate my house. I haven't turned the stove back on and the detectors haven't gone back off. So pretty certain it's coming from the stove and our detectors are working properly.

 

[Peterfield]

I am smart enough to shut my stove down and ventilate my house. I haven't turned the stove back on and the detectors haven't gone back off. So pretty certain it's coming from the stove and our detectors are working properly.

Very glad to hear that!! Most fire departments will send someone out with a high-end detector to trace down the source of the leak. Let us know how this turns out.

 

[jackman]

I just Went down and shut if off again. The first couple times I shut it down and figured maybe it was because it was dirty, so I cleaned it out and everything seems to run fine, but today it's going off again and I know it's clean.

Perhaps it's a source other than the pellet stove. Do you have other combustion devices, e.g., water heater, stove, or oven with pilot lights?

It may also be bad detectors. The detectors do have an expiration date typically 7 to 10 years. I've had them go bad.

Certainly do not ignore the problem.

 

[TimfromMA]

There is a leak somewhere. Exhaust gasses are escaping into the house. Check your exhaust vent and possibly your heat exchanger.

 

[fire245]

Very glad to hear that!! Most fire departments will send someone out with a high-end detector to trace down the source of the leak. Let us know how this turns out.

We send out a fire line officer with a co/gas meter. I would STRONGLY recommend a call to your local FD

 

[Kathryn8518]

Perhaps it's a source other than the pellet stove. Do you have other combustion devices, e.g., water heater, stove, or oven with pilot lights?

It may also be bad detectors. The detectors do have an expiration date typically 7 to 10 years. I've had them go bad.

Certainly do not ignore the problem.

Anything else that would go off would be upstairs. The stove is the only thing down stairs that sets it off. Our detectors are new... Only 2 months old... When the detector downstairs goes off and I bring it upstairs it stops, I take it back down to the stove area and within 5 min it starts going off again.
Are there things or reasons on the stove itself that causes carbon monoxide leaks? Short of cleaning everything we haven't tried anything else. It was cleaned this morning and ran fine allay, same as yesterday .. Seems to take a while for it to set off the alarm .

 

[Peterfield]

Anything else that would go off would be upstairs. The stove is the only thing down stairs that sets it off. Our detectors are new... Only 2 months old... When the detector downstairs goes off and I bring it upstairs it stops, I take it back down to the stove area and within 5 min it starts going off again.
Are there things or reasons on the stove itself that causes carbon monoxide leaks? Short of cleaning everything we haven't tried anything else. It was cleaned this morning and ran fine allay, same as yesterday .. Seems to take a while for it to set off the alarm .

I don't think cleanliness is the issue, it's a gasket or seal or seam that has failed and needs to be addressed. Do you have any other fuel burning device down there like an oil burner or natural gas furnace, etc?

 

[Bioburner]

Does the stove have an OAK installed? What make and model? I've seen a pellet stove draw enough that propane heaters and such leak back into structures. Basement installs can be really bad.

 

[boo boo]

Anything else that would go off would be upstairs. The stove is the only thing down stairs that sets it off. Our detectors are new... Only 2 months old... When the detector downstairs goes off and I bring it upstairs it stops, I take it back down to the stove area and within 5 min it starts going off again.
Are there things or reasons on the stove itself that causes carbon monoxide leaks? Short of cleaning everything we haven't tried anything else. It was cleaned this morning and ran fine allay, same as yesterday .. Seems to take a while for it to set off the alarm .

I read three times above to call your fire department have you done this yet please do so.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

Call your fire department.

 

[tjnamtiw]

It could also be something as simple as your batteries are dying! Yes, there ARE batteries in even the ones that plug into the outlet (at least mine does). Mine went after 3 years. Replaced the battery and it's good to go.

 

[Ranger72]

Are all seems in exhaust pipe RTVed? Any cracks in heat exchanger. (as stated above). Is your basement 'tight' with a furnace and/ or hot water heater down there? Has anyone removed the combustion blower recently?

 

[ken372]

Call the fire co. And get out of the house

 

[709GADE]

CO detectors alarm for a reason, the reason you bought it...get out of the house and have a professional check it out. Fire Department worthy call for sure.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

It could also be something as simple as your batteries are dying! Yes, there ARE batteries in even the ones that plug into the outlet (at least mine does). Mine went after 3 years. Replaced the battery and it's good to go.

Yes that is very true, however if you can't tell the battery low signal from the alarm, err on the side of staying alive, call the fire department and get into fresh outside air.

The fire department would rather educate the owner in what is what, than transport someone to the hospital or even worse call the coroner.

 

[Jason845845]

For god's sake, next time it goes off, DO NOT GO INTO THE CONFINED SPACE OF YOUR BASEMENT AND DIE. Go outside and call 911.

 

[CenterTree]

Very glad to hear that!! Most fire departments will send someone out with a high-end detector to trace down the source of the leak. Let us know how this turns out.

We send out a fire line officer with a co/gas meter. I would STRONGLY recommend a call to your local FD

I've always been curious about that. Do FDs charge a fee for doing that service?

 

[Old Spartan]

For 100 bucks one can acquire their very own basic meter to measure Carbon Monoxide levels.

Those who have some perceived "reason" to avoid calling the Fire Marshall should at the very least equip themselves with one.

 

[SmokeyTheBear]

I've always been curious about that. Do FDs charge a fee for doing that service?

It is an included service for which I pay for as part of my taxes.

Call and ask yours, likely it is a no charge service that they are more than willing to do as it sure beats all alternatives.

 

[Bioburner]

Some do some don't. When I was on we did not charge for any emergency calls. Where I moved they charged when my house caught fire. Should have saved the video. Could have won 100k on AFV.

 

[Jason845845]

Our gas company responds to co calls.