Gas alarm

[shark24]

As we are traveling today we are having to stop and reset the lp gas alarm because it keeps going off. Any ideas of what we need to do to keep it from happening?
Thanks

[mitch]

So I'll ask the obvious question, does it smell like gas anywhere
?

[david]

[p]First of all, shut off the propane valve on the tank, air everything out and see if the alarm stops. If so, you may have a propane leak inside. Most likely a fitting is loose on the cooktop.[/p][p]
[/p][p]Otherwise, ventilation helps. If you are towing, crack the vent in the main cabin and the head to draw air out underway. When stopped, open them up all of the way as well as the windows. Various adhesives, etc. can trigger the propane alarm and ventilation helps.

But in the end, the alarm sensor may be going bad. They have never lasted very long for me.

David[/p]

[shark24]

check everything each time we stop no smell of gas. May be the sensor going bad as suggested. If so where do I get another, how to change out, and cost?
Thanks for all the help!
You guys are great!

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Thanks to PEIslander:

[a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GSFUWE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000AMBHG4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09D3MSDG6RQC86A5HA63"]http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005GSFUWE/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1944687582&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000AMBHG4&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=09D3MSDG6RQC86A5HA63[/a]

or order one from LL. But be aware that, in the closed environment of the CL, some soaps and cleaning products can set it off. It's very sensitive.
[/font]

[whoofit]

On our last long distance trip the detector sounded off in two different sites. Both had windy conditions that were hitting the side where the LP appliance was operating. In our case it was not an LP leak but it was CO in the exhaust infiltrating the trailer. We were happy to have it operating properly.

Before you defeat it by pulling the fuse, not recommended, be sure to open a window at least. In our case opening a window while we ran the water heater silenced the alarm.

I have since determined that the side mount AC is the conduit to blame.

[peislander]

As others have noted -- it is very sensitive. If you you like to cook with alcohol you might need to cut back on the liqueur-drenched dishes, such as Bananas Foster or Cherries Jubilee. I suspect if you and I drank a few shots and then breathed close to the detector we'd set it off. Drink enough shots and we probably wouldn't even notice the alarm! Using hairspray or aerosol products like spray OFF! can certainly set off the alarm. The propane detector is really just sensitive to any volatile chemicals.

On a more practical note I wonder if road fumes are getting into the camper while you drive? For that to happen there would need to be a pressure difference (interior relatively negative) to suck air into the trailer. Trailers are not air-tight so if there is that negative difference, fumes can enter the cabin through things like the tiny gaps in the floor construction and where the walls meet the floor. If you drove with a fan exhausting air from the trailer it would certainly create negative pressure. Even without a fan running, an open vent or window can create the negative pressure when the trailer is pulled at highway speeds. As the outside air quickly rushes past the open vent the venturi effect draws air out through the vent creating negative pressure inside the cabin. This happens with buildings too when a leeward window is opened on a very windy day. --- So if you tow with a vent fan running try shutting it off or only run it pushing air into the trailer. If you tow with a vent open but with no fan running, consider closing the vent. If you tow with a window open, consider closing it. These things might help prevent a situation that was leading to the alarm going off.

We very rarely turn on our furnace. Once we put it on and the propane sensor promptly went off. I doubted that fumes were getting in the trailer. I think when the sheet metal furnace housing was made it likely has a thin film of oil or lacquer on it. Turn it on and it heats up releasing vapours into the trailer - enough to set off the very sensitive alarm.

[shark24]

which fuse is it? we could at least pull so it doesn't beep the entire time we are on the road.
Thanks

[montedtrotter1]

Be careful, you also have a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarm on the ceiling, both are battery operated. I was getting the random beep and changed the smoke alarm. A week later I was getting the same beep and realized there was another alarm on the ceiling. I thought it was coming from the floor monitor! Anyway changed the battery in the other ceiling unit and all beeping stopped.

[shark24]

It is the one at the floor for sure. We have to push the reset button each time. Sounds terrible everytime you pull in to fill up with gasoline. Must be the exhaust fumes when we travel but something was setting it off when we weren't traveling several times. Thought it might be moisture when showering but not, from cooking but never cooked on stove only with convection and induction cooktop that I love because it doesn't really heat up the camper at all.
We tried to figure out which fuse because we really didn't want to disturb our neighbors at night. It finally stopped going off while we were camping but for future reference.

Thanks