uncrimping crimped wires

[Bobbie54]

I'm replacing the CO/propane detector. Pulled the fuse it was on, so it is now off. But the wires are tightly crimped and no room (no extra wire) to cut off around that so I want to get them out and recrimp them with the new detector. Suggestions? They are the squeeze shut kind (two ends, one for each wire) rather than the easier screw on type.

[McBride]

Sometimes you can squeeze the connections in the opposite direction they were crimped and pull the wire out. It's worth a try.

[Bobbie54]

Tried some but will try some more. That was the only idea I had- I might be able to cut below them and add a new crimp if the new one has enough wire.

[Bobbie54]

An interesting aside- this is supposed to have been replaced at six years. Date installed would have been 2011, not 2010 as shown, because that's the year of the trailer. I didn't know that until recently but the alarm to say it is past useful life only went off late this summer. And the alarm worked in April. Nice to know there is a little leeway though in future I'll replace at the right interval.

[gbaglo]

The clock for replacement starts running when you connect the power. So note that on the new detector.
I gave up and added a short section of new wire between the trailer wiring and the detector wiring so I could install the replacement. No where as tidy as the factory installation. They left no slack.

[Ron in BC]

That's a difficult situation. Even if you had the connections on a workbench and could hold them firmly while driving a scriber in one side there wouldn't be any guarantee that it'd work.

Since the detector is toast and there's no slack to play with or use I'd cut the wires off at the detector and keep the existing connectors in place.

I'd also use spade connectors on the new connections for ease of changing over in the future or as a quick way of disconnecting should it give a false alarm in the middle of the night.

Ron

[gbaglo]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

Since the detector is toast and there's no slack to play with or use I'd cut the wires off at the detector and keep the existing connectors in place.

I'd also use spade connectors on the new connections for ease of changing over in the future or as a quick way of disconnecting should it give a false alarm in the middle of the night.

Ron

All good solutions.

[Bobbie54]

We almost went to get spade connectors but decided what the heck, its six more years, and didn't.

Got it going, though.
Managed finally to pull the old ones off and the rest was pretty easy.

[Loren & Cathy]

I have enough slack in the wire, I just need to find a new detector. ETI would probably be a good place to start. I don’t ever recall seeing them in Camping World. Loren

[Bobbie54]

I ordered mine off Amazon. Don't know if it is the same as the newer ones but was almost exactly the same as what I took out.

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[Bobbie54]

I'm just happy I got it done. It has been beeping in my garage for weeks. That turned out to be useful to know when I'd removed the right fuse, though.

Also, unrelated- half way and 2/3 of the way out of the garage I marked tire lines on the driveway since I have very little clearance. So far just magic marker marks but I want to paint or tape an obvious line on each side.