Mismanaging propane can be an explosive mistake. Don’t let this crucial, but often-overlooked, maintenance item cause your RV trip to go up in flames!
We’re doing something a little different this week. By necessity, our videos are usually edited to a reasonable length. If they weren’t, you’d be hanging around with us for hours on some of our more involved projects. Today, we’re taking advantage of both the importance of the topic, and the speed and ease with which it can be completed, to bring you our first real-time DIY video.
In the actual time it takes to do the job of replacing our outdated propane detector (did you know that they MUST be replaced at certain time intervals?!) we shoot an entire video, almost completely unedited. This will show how quickly and easily this important job can be done.
If your propane detector has been “out of sight, out of mind” let this be a reminder to check it, so you don’t end up like the RV in the video! ????
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Featured & Related Products:
- Dometic/Atwood Hydro Flame 36720 “ProTECHtor” RV Propane Gas Detector
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- Multimeter (for testing your RVs propane detector wires for +12V and ground)
TheRVgeeks
Tuesday 19th of January 2021
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Jay Tree
Sunday 11th of August 2019
Do you Geeks have a process for checking the propane rubber tubing? Do you check for cracks and splits? Do you check for swelling? I know it's low pressure propane, but chemicals, ozone, age can make some real problems. Appreciate your work and recommend your Youtube channel to other newbies.
TheRVgeeks
Monday 12th of August 2019
Hi Jay. You're right, the problems caused by leaking propane can, indeed, be serious. We don't have a "process" for this, but do indeed regularly inspect our propane hoses, looking for aging, cracking, swelling, etc. We also use a mixture of water & dish soap that we pour onto all of the fittings to look for leaks (active bubbling). Also, as a precaution, whenever we're away from the RV for any extended time, we turn the propane off at the tank to avoid there being a leak that we weren't around to detect.
RODNEY NELSON
Monday 5th of August 2019
As usual a very informational video. I vaguely remember a LP gas detector behind the passenger seat on our 2001 Dutch Star coach. After watching your video and the ease to replace the detector, I went out and checked our coach. Unscrewed the detector and lo and behold the mfg. date is 2000 (really, that old!!). I believe it's time to R&R the unit. Also checked for 12vdc and no voltage! Do you happen to know where the fuse for the detector is located? I checked the DC panel in the bedroom and there is no mention of an LP detector. Just ordered one from your link to amazon. One other question I have is if the new unit alarm is as loud as the old detector?
TheRVgeeks
Monday 5th of August 2019
Hi Rodney, thanks! We're glad that this video spurred you to check your propane detector! A 2000-era unit clearly needs to be replaced. There are two places that you can look to see what's causing the trouble with the lack of voltage at the detector. First is in your control panel... where the water pump, water heater, and other switches are. Look for one labelled "LP" (ours is right next to our step switch). With that switch turned on (up on our panel, and there's some red showing on that part of the switch that's exposed), you should have 12V at the detector. Try toggling it to both positions and test for power each time. If that doesn't do it, our fuse is in a small panel of fuses in our electrical bay. At the back of the bay you may have a small plastic panel that's velcroed in place that hides them. It's where the large solenoid is for our coach battery disconnect and "boost" switch are. There's a small block of fuses... ours is #F5 for the "Carbon/LP Detector". Here's the page from our year's schematics that might give you a hint where to look on yours:
Roger B
Wednesday 31st of July 2019
Ours is 61/2 years in service and I'm replacing it. Your video is a thankful reminder.
TheRVgeeks
Wednesday 31st of July 2019
Excellent! ????
Joel D.
Sunday 28th of July 2019
Thanks for another great video demonstration. Anytime I have time sensitive equipment I write the date installed somewhere on the equipment AND in the RV binder that has all the equipment listed. I also put a reminder in my phone calendar.
TheRVgeeks
Monday 29th of July 2019
Thanks for the kind words, Joel. And for the good tip! Excellent idea to write the pertinent information on the equipment itself, as well as keep track of it in your maintenance records!