Propane Sensor keeps going off

brand820 · 09-08-2020, 12:23 PM

I have a 2020 Cherokee 274 WK that I purchase in May and I live in it full time. I have a 120 gallon propane tank set up outside by a local propane distributor that has had no issues since installed over a year ago. I have no pets inside and I only use propane for the stove/oven and the water heater. I have not used the stove/oven in over two weeks but I keep the water heater on.

Yesterday, I turned on the hot water in the bathroom and after a few minutes the propane sensor went off. I tried to find where a leak could have occurred, but I didn't find any. I turned on a small fan to ventilate the area and left the door open to help with ventilation. I also turned off the water heater and shut off the propane tank at the source. When I unscrewed the sensor the back showed that it was made in October 2019. I don't think this is long enough for the battery to be low or need to be replaced. After about 20 minutes of the fan running towards the sensor, the alarm went off. I left the propane tank turned off and the water heater turned off overnight. Today, I turned on the hot water in the bathroom again (knowing that the water heater has been off for over 12 hours) and the propane sensor went off again. I still have not turned the propane back on and have not cooked anything or used any aerosols or cleaning products.

Could anyone please give me an idea of what I'm dealing with?

Scrapper · 09-08-2020, 12:36 PM

The propane detector does not have a internal battery, it is connected to the rv's battery. Though it's not unheard of to have a failing LP detector I suggest you use a multimeter to check the charge on your rv's battery. If it is below 12.5vdc check your battery disconnect switch or the resetable breaker/fuse on the positive cable near the battery. Either of those could prevent your converter from charging the battery.

Reverse_snowbird · 09-08-2020, 12:38 PM

What happens if you turn the stove/oven on? Does it set off the propane alarm?
There is always the soapy water technique to detect leaks, but you might have to call in someone who has equipment to find out if there is a leak or not.

brand820 · 09-08-2020, 12:38 PM

I've got a solar panel that charges the battery and it's currently reading at 13.5vdc. I can call the propane company that set up the tank to come out and do a test to see if there is a leak. I'm just trying to troubleshoot before calling them in the event that this is a false reading from some other source. I am curious as to what connection my hot water in the bathroom has to the propane sensor that is on the opposite side of the bathroom from the water heater.

Reverse_snowbird · 09-08-2020, 12:51 PM

I don't think there is a connection from your bathroom to the sensor. The sensor is picking up either propane or some other odor leaking into your rig that is setting it off. These sensors are extremely sensitive, so a very small amount of propane will set it off. That's a good thing. You don't want to wait til you have a buildup of gas to have it go off.

brand820 · 09-08-2020, 01:24 PM

I turned on my stove and burned off the last of the propane in the line. This took maybe 5 seconds. I've been ventilating the trailer but the alarm is still going off. I contacted the propane company to come check to see if there is a leak but that might not happen for another day or two depending on their schedule.

The alarm has now started flashing and beeping every 15 seconds, and after looking at the troubleshooting page of the manufacturer's website, I called customer service and they suspect that it may be defective. I'm going to try washing the dishes in the kitchen to see if turning on the water there has an impact before disconnect the device since they recommend that I send it in to be inspected.

Once disconnected, I plan to leave a fan near the area to help ventilate it in the event that the device is not defective and it is registering something that I cannot find until the propane company can come and check for a leak. I will update if anything changes.

FYI - the model number of the sensor is 45-741 from Safe-T Alert.

chickenwing · 09-08-2020, 06:01 PM

The sensor in our old TT was really sensitive to aerosol propellants, like OFF bug spray. Some bathroom air fresheners would do the same. The airspace inside an RV is pretty small.

Just something else to consider...

Reverse_snowbird · 09-09-2020, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brand820

Once disconnected, I plan to leave a fan near the area to help ventilate it in the event that the device is not defective and it is registering something that I cannot find until the propane company can come and check for a leak. I will update if anything changes.

Is there any way you can turn off the propane going into the rig? If you disconnect the propane and the alarm still goes off, then the problem is probably in the alarm itself.
Sending the alarm in is going to leave you without a working propane detector, so you need to find a replacement. They do make portable ones that don't have to be hardwired into the rig.
Please let us know what you find.

SeaMSea · 09-09-2020, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brand820

I have a 2020 Cherokee 274 WK that I purchase in May and I live in it full time. I have a 120 gallon propane tank set up outside by a local propane distributor that has had no issues since installed over a year ago. I have no pets inside and I only use propane for the stove/oven and the water heater. I have not used the stove/oven in over two weeks but I keep the water heater on.

Yesterday, I turned on the hot water in the bathroom and after a few minutes the propane sensor went off. I tried to find where a leak could have occurred, but I didn't find any. I turned on a small fan to ventilate the area and left the door open to help with ventilation. I also turned off the water heater and shut off the propane tank at the source. When I unscrewed the sensor the back showed that it was made in October 2019. I don't think this is long enough for the battery to be low or need to be replaced. After about 20 minutes of the fan running towards the sensor, the alarm went off. I left the propane tank turned off and the water heater turned off overnight. Today, I turned on the hot water in the bathroom again (knowing that the water heater has been off for over 12 hours) and the propane sensor went off again. I still have not turned the propane back on and have not cooked anything or used any aerosols or cleaning products.

Could anyone please give me an idea of what I'm dealing with?

Ours goes off when we turn on the faucet for the first time. I have to pull the sensor out the wall and wiggle the wires and it goes off. Otherwise it will continue going off. Some short and I think now I have determined it is internal to the sensor. Will replace when I get to CW to buy a new one unless I order one online.

Larry-NC · 09-09-2020, 01:05 PM

I got tired of replacing the expensive propane detector every five years when it times itself out of service. I'm giving this one a try. I tested my previous ones by opening the valve on my Bernz-O-Matic torch near it. I will do the same with this one.

jjuscg · 09-09-2020, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

I got tired of replacing the expensive propane detector every five years when it times itself out of service. I'm giving this one a try. I tested my previous ones by opening the valve on my Bernz-O-Matic torch near it. I will do the same with this one.

I also got tired... Ours would go off with any aerosol provocation, especially hairspray, and sometimes cooking.

Somewhat sheepishly, I confess to disconnecting mine. Thanks for the tip, Larry! I'll give this one a try.

Sugarph · 09-09-2020, 02:50 PM

I unscrewed mine from the wall, and removed the fuse after deciding it had ‘bit the dust’, and was alarming throughout the night. I now have a ‘plug in’ unit that I plug into an outlet whenever I am camping.

rapidly · 09-09-2020, 03:19 PM

They have a shelf life and will start beeping when near end of design life. Also mine doubles as a low voltage alarm. If you are running on 12 V and the voltage drops below what's needed the alarm will sound. I learned both of these things the hard way, as usual...
Interesting note: one poster back when I was trying to figure this out said he lived near an RV storage yard and they would hear beeping all winter when the batteries got low on units stored there.

DouglasReid · 09-11-2020, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

I got tired of replacing the expensive propane detector every five years when it times itself out of service. I'm giving this one a try. I tested my previous ones by opening the valve on my Bernz-O-Matic torch near it. I will do the same with this one.

What is the life of that unit, Larry?

I looked at the ad in eBay very closely. It is totally unbranded and obviously not UL listed.

This means you are trusting your life and the lives of your loved ones to something the manufacturer is not willing to put their name on................all for the sake of saving a few dollars.

No Thank You, that would not be for me. Just my .02

clr · 09-11-2020, 07:16 AM

One thing that you may try. Use a vacuum cleaner, or an air compressor, or canned air like for your computer keyboard and blow the dust out of the LP detector. Some times the detector of the LP alarm will get dirty and cause false alarms.
Most of the safety alert systems that I have seen the detector is good for 60 months so that should not be your problem.
These units are not very expensive so if all else fails try replacing the unit. There are only two wires to connect, 12 vdc power and ground.

Larry-NC · 09-11-2020, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DouglasReid

What is the life of that unit, Larry?

I looked at the ad in eBay very closely. It is totally unbranded and obviously not UL listed.

This means you are trusting your life and the lives of your loved ones to something the manufacturer is not willing to put their name on................all for the sake of saving a few dollars.

No Thank You, that would not be for me. Just my .02

Good questions.

The package insert states that it conforms to GB153222.2-2003 . This appears to be a standard for combustible gas detection although I couldn't find any references to it. When I install it, I will test it by opening (but not igniting) my Bernz-O-Matic torch nearby.

The package insert states "Suggestion: The user must brush and clean the gas convection holes with a little cleanser every three months and must retest the Detector after cleaning for preventing the cleanser into the Detector."

I admit that I don't test my smoke detectors (home or RV) every three months--usually annually--and I expect to test this device at the same frequency. That's good enough for me. Do you test your smoke detectors regularly?

Life of the unit? The package insert states "Advanced semiconductor sensor is adopted to ensure high stability and long life." I'll settle for a regime of regular testing over a device that deliberately fails.

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