Propane sensor question

Omurray · 07-30-2006, 09:38 PM

Lately my propane sensor has been going off for no apparent reason. Checked voltage, voltage appears to be high. If i set the fridge to lp and the sensor alarm goes off, the fridge alarm also goes off. Is the lp sensor alarm tied in to the fridge lp supply?

Have cleaned and adjusted everything on the lp cooling side. At times it will burn quite a while, and others, it will light and burn a bit and the fridge alarm will go off. LP will not burn while traveling, So I just cut it off while on the road. Any ideas?

Omurray · 07-30-2006, 09:38 PM

Lately my propane sensor has been going off for no apparent reason. Checked voltage, voltage appears to be high. If i set the fridge to lp and the sensor alarm goes off, the fridge alarm also goes off. Is the lp sensor alarm tied in to the fridge lp supply?

Have cleaned and adjusted everything on the lp cooling side. At times it will burn quite a while, and others, it will light and burn a bit and the fridge alarm will go off. LP will not burn while traveling, So I just cut it off while on the road. Any ideas?

vicsryd · 07-30-2006, 10:04 PM

This is just a gut level guess but that combination of symptoms sounds like a legitimate LP leak in the lines to/in the fridge system.

Tom N · 07-30-2006, 11:21 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Omurray:
If i set the fridge to lp and the sensor alarm goes off, the fridge alarm also goes off. Is the lp sensor alarm tied in to the fridge lp supply?
</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you LP alarm goes off a valve at the LP tank should shut the LP supply down for the whole coach. Thus, your refrigerator alarms, no LP supply. I think!

LK23 · 07-31-2006, 07:13 AM

We are on our third LP gas detector in our 2005 Horizon. The first two were returned to the manufacturer and found to be defective.

Ours was going off when the humidity was high and still air. It seemed it was always in the middle of night.

Don't assume yours is defective until you do some checking. Either take your coach to Winnebago for a pressure leak test like we did or at least purchase a hand held leak dectector.

Omurray · 07-31-2006, 11:23 AM

Also I might ask, is there any correlation between using a computer and the LP alarm going off? My RV has been in storage and gas level has varied very little. Like you said, still and humid, the alarm goes off, no apparent reason.

I plan to remove and send back as suggested in the paperwork.

Tom N · 07-31-2006, 11:48 AM

I have heard that running a hair dryer on the LP detector will fix some detectors that keep alarming. Never had to try it myself.

Clay L · 07-31-2006, 02:13 PM

Please note that a variety of chemicals and cleaners will set them off also. I know from personal experience that hairspray, Fabreeze, and anti static spray will .

cuffman · 07-31-2006, 04:54 PM

This year my lp sensor continuously alarmed. After searching for two days and nights (while sleeping on the floor, next to the foolish alarm, to silence it every 5 minutes) I was able to locate the source of the culprit. My house batteries were being overcharged and cooking. When I noticed a wierd odor at the entrance door, I pulled off the step over the batteries and they were all wet with acid and setting off the lp alarm. Both house batteries were bad and I replaced them with Walmart batteries and that night I was able to sleep in the bed. Several RV service managers assured me there was nothing else that would set off the lp alarm, other than lp. Well, they were wrong. I turned off the lp at the lp tank and the alarm still went off, leading me to believe there was something other than lp that can set the alarm off. Keeping these rigs running is a full time trouble shooting job !

Dsouthw524 · 08-01-2006, 03:01 AM

We had a problem with our sensor and after checking everything, I resorted to shutting off the propane. The alarm went off after a period of time! I disconnected the alarm and went to Winnebago and bought a replacement. Problem solved!

I was told that the problem probably was the alarm aging out.

See what happens if you can shut down your LP for a reasonable period of time. If the alarm comes on - replace it. If it does not, you have a problem and it may be associated with your refrigerator. Before going berserk, check that your refrigerator vent is not partially blocked. You mentioned the unit just came out of storage and something may have built a nest or something may have fallen in/ on the vent.

Omurray · 08-01-2006, 04:37 AM

House batteries...overcooking...this is what happened to my MH during the time the sensor was going crazy. Have not had problem since I replaced the house batts. Still plan to return the sensor for chetcking out.

Thanks to everyone who gave input...