CO2 Issues (Carbon Dioxide)

[johnnyb91311]

I called Grand Design regarding this issue and they indicated there are no outstanding fixes. My mobile repair has contacted Suburban regarding their furnace their exhaust from the furnace is under the air intake for the furnace. Looking at the input vent, you can see there is a space around the intake pipe which is a problem.

We bought our 2019 Grand Design Solitude new and we have it permanently located in middle desert in between LA and San Diego and use our Class A to travel in. This fall when we turn on the furnace (propane gas) the CO2 level will rise to 1250+ To get a better understanding I have purchased an AirKnight 9-in-1 Indoor Air Quality Monitor.
Which Monitors Indoor Portable CO2 Monitor | VOC Sensor | Formaldehyde Detector AQI PM2.5 + 4 More Home Monitoring | Air Quality Tester - Confined Space Clean Air Monitor​

250-400ppm Normal background concentration in outdoor ambient air
400-1,000ppm Concentrations typical of occupied indoor spaces with good air exchange
1,000-2,000ppm Complaints of drowsiness and poor air.
2,000-5,000 ppm Headaches, sleepiness and stagnant, stale, stuffy air. Poor concentration, loss of attention, increased heart rate and slight nausea may also be present.

To lower the CO2 we run the ceiling fans to move the air around. I also have 2 propane monitors 1 in the bedroom and 1 in the living room

Another item in the bed room at night we have the same problem, but we do not sleep with the furnace on. I was told that the high reading 1000 + could be from the battery in the front belly. I was told even though we do not us the inverter the battery is still being charged. I have put a small fan where the battery is located. We have a skirt around the front of the 5th wheel to keep the cold Southern California Desert winds out. Has anyone had the same experience with CO2 levels

Any feedback is welcome.

John

[txarsoncop]

Just for clarification purposes your issue is with Carbon Monoxide (CO) and not CO2. Personally, I would be VERY skeptical of ANY readings from that device since the manufacturer doesn't understand the difference. I also have a problem with their measurement "parameters". It claims to measure "CO2" from 400 PPM to 5000 PPM, but carbon monoxide is dangerous in much lower levels if you are exposed to it over time. The OSHA permissible exposure limit (PEL) for CO is 50 parts per million (ppm) averaged during an 8-hour time period.

It may very well be testing carbon monoxide levels but if they can't get the nomenclature right on the device, the website or the documentation that is worrisome to someone who responds to carbon monoxide incidents and uses professional, high quality instrumentation to monitor air quality.

I'd trash that "air quality" monitor and spend a little more money on an actual CO detector/meter if you're truly concerned about CO levels in your RV.

YMMV.

[geotex1]

Toss that monitor in the trash if you cannot return it. Then you have three choices: 1) contact the local Fire Department and ask them to bring their multigas meter and measure the ambient conditions outside and then inside with the furnace first off and then running. Sounds like you may be too remote for this. 2) Contact a local environmental/air quality/confined space entry consultant and pay for the same. If too remote then 3) contact an environmental equipment rental firm (e.g., Pine Environmental) and rent a multi-gas meter and make sure they walk you through the calibration. As Bill said, get aligned on carbon dioxide versus carbon monoxide.

[jjbbrewer]

I think this device does measure CO2, not CO. I read some of the documentation for it and looked at the example readings they show and it all seems to be consistent with measuring CO2 levels.

That said, CO2 is not a pollutant. Ask any house plant. CO2 is not toxic; it's a simple asphyxiant in that it displaces oxygen, kind of the same as N2.

The nice thing about CO2 is that people have very sensitive built in chemoreceptors to detect CO2. They start breathing faster. (curiously, that isn't mentioned in the AirKnight documentation). It's certainly not the silent killer like CO.

I'd be interested in seeing what this CO2 detector does after opening a couple of beers in my RV.

[Soundsailor]

I think this device does measure CO2, not CO. I read some of the documentation for it and looked at the example readings they show and it all seems to be consistent with measuring CO2 levels.

Agreed, CO2 is definitely a different threat than CO. But high concentrations of CO2 are consistent with a leaking furnace such as was cited by the OP.

[txarsoncop]

Agreed, CO2 is definitely a different threat than CO. But high concentrations of CO2 are consistent with a leaking furnace such as was cited by the OP.

As well as breathing, but we don't have (or need) carbon dioxide detectors in homes, even those with gas appliances. It's not nearly the danger that CO is. You'd need to flood the RV with CO2, think discharging a 20lb CO2 extinguisher in the RV and even then..

If the OP is actually having episodes of difficulty breathing while in the RV, then I'd say his concerns about CO2 are warranted. But like @jjbbrewer mentioned, we have built in CO2 detectors, you'd have trouble breathing. You wouldn't go to sleep and not wake up.

[jkwilson]

That intake pipe is the intake air for the burner. It has no path to the inside of the RV. The furnace recirculates inside air and never brings air from outside the RV to the inside.

I think you need a new tech.

[Harvestmoon]

I believe the recommended mod here is to build an adapter for the square CO2 scrubber cartridges from the command module.

[Soundsailor]

I believe the recommended mod here is to build an adapter for the square CO2 scrubber cartridges from the command module.

Houston, we've had a problem.

[Ranchertx]

This is correct.