That Dreaded Propane Leak!!!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
RockyV

RockyV

Active member
Joined
Sep 9, 2019
Posts
36
Location
Jackson, Wyoming
Hey people! Well we finally took our 1975 Terry travel trailer out last weekend and it was awesome!!! Well, for the most part. Turns out we have some sort of propane leak and I cannot totally figure out where it is coming from. Today I turned the valve to the tank on and let it sit for a bit. I entered my trailer and I smelled propane again. I traced it to the stove/oven. I smelled propane coming from the stove top pilot and I also smelled it coming from the oven. I did a soap test, bust couldn't get anything to bubble. I'm not too sure where it is and I really do not want to try and find out myself. I was thinking maybe my regulator is bad? Not sure. I attached a photo of it. I am going to take it to my local Suburban Propane guy and see if they can trace it. Anyone have any insight? I greatly appreciate it!!!
 

Attachments

  • Regulator.jpg
    Regulator.jpg
    177.6 KB · Views: 48
If the smell is indoors, why are you suspecting the regulator?  Did you light the pilots?
 
You might be able to cap off the gas line going to stove/oven, just to isolate the smell.  If capped and no smell, stove area  good place to start.  Be careful,
 
If you're doing a lot of leak checking something I've found helpful is a bottle of the daily shower spray - it's basically a thin soap mixture and just the right consistency for leak checking
 
Agree wit lynnmor - nothing you described makes the regulator suspect. If the stove has a pilot, is it turned off (RV stoves with pilots have the ability to shut the pilot gas off for travel)?  Can you light the pilot and does that eliminate the odor?    The fridge in a 1975 probably has a gas pilot as well.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Agree wit lynnmor - nothing you described makes the regulator suspect. If the stove has a pilot, is it turned off (RV stoves with pilots have the ability to shut the pilot gas off for travel)?  Can you light the pilot and does that eliminate the odor?    The fridge in a 1975 probably has a gas pilot as well.
Click to expand...

Yeah I don't really know why I am thinking it is a regulator.This is still all new to me. I did do a soap test and didn't find anything. I did notice that the pilots were not lit and now what Gary says makes sense. So after I turn the propane on, I should light all the pilots correct?
 
IF YOU GO IN THE RV AND SMELL PROPANE, DO NOT STRIKE A MATCH TO TRY AND LIGHT THE PILOTS.  You may end up with a much greater issue. If you can vent the RV enough so that you smell nothing, then you could try to light them.  Leave all the windows and doors open when you try this.
 
Also check all stove knobs to be certain they're fully off. If someone leaned against one it can come slightly out of its detent and seep gas. Don't ask me how I know
 
Rene T said:
IF YOU GO IN THE RV AND SMELL PROPANE, DO NOT STRIKE A MATCH TO TRY AND LIGHT THE PILOTS.  You may end up with a much greater issue. If you can vent the RV enough so that you smell nothing, then you could try to light them.  Leave all the windows and doors open when you try this.
Click to expand...

Yes I did do that.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Agree wit lynnmor - nothing you described makes the regulator suspect. If the stove has a pilot, is it turned off (RV stoves with pilots have the ability to shut the pilot gas off for travel)?  Can you light the pilot and does that eliminate the odor?    The fridge in a 1975 probably has a gas pilot as well.
Click to expand...

The fridge does have a pilot. It's on the outside of the trailer. Should I light that as well? I lit the stove top/Oven pilots and the furnace one. I am doing a test now.
 
Usually the pilot has a shutoff valve (you open a valve to the "pilot" position before lighting) and there is a thermocouple-valve that has to be heated for 20-30 seconds to force the valve open so the pilot lights and stays lit. Those are intended to keep gas from escaping unless the pilot is actually lit.  Generally, though, if the gas system uses pilot lights, it's best to shut off the main gas valve when the gas system is not needed (pilots not lit).
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
Usually the pilot has a shutoff valve (you open a valve to the "pilot" position before lighting) and there is a thermocouple-valve that has to be heated for 20-30 seconds to force the valve open so the pilot lights and stays lit. Those are intended to keep gas from escaping unless the pilot is actually lit.  Generally, though, if the gas system uses pilot lights, it's best to shut off the main gas valve when the gas system is not needed (pilots not lit).
Click to expand...

Yeah I was just going to state that about the temperature sensor (thermocouple) valve. I don't know if this trailer has that or not. So far I do not smell propane after lighting my pilots. I will check again in a 1/2 hour. I hope I am doing the right thing.
 
Based on the age of your TT, it MIGHT not have the pilot Gary described.  If it does not, then your leak could well be the unlit pilots.  They are "on" any time the gas is on.  I would sooner expect it has the safety pilot Gary mentioned.

To light the first pilot, turn on the tank and hold a match near the pilot.

To light the safe version, you must turn the gas valve on the stove to "PILOT" and hold the valve in, bypassing the safety, and light the pilot.  Hold for 30 sec to warm the thermocouple, then turn the valve to "ON"    If you can light the pilot without going through all this, you have the first style.

I hope you have the safer version, but if you do not, it would explain the odor with no leaks - except the pilot.
 
Stove top pilots are usually centered under the burners and have a small valve in line with them to cut off the gas flow.  It may be located some distance from the pilot itself, just follow the gas line under the stovetop until you find it.  There's no safety thermocouple, just the gas valve itself because the amount of gas going through the pilot is so small.

Usually on is when the gas valve handle lines up with the gas lines going in and out, and perpendicular to them to block the gas flow.

A pilot left on without a flame can cause a leaking gas smell.
 
grashley said:
Based on the age of your TT, it MIGHT not have the pilot Gary described.  If it does not, then your leak could well be the unlit pilots.  They are "on" any time the gas is on.  I would sooner expect it has the safety pilot Gary mentioned.

To light the first pilot, turn on the tank and hold a match near the pilot.

To light the safe version, you must turn the gas valve on the stove to "PILOT" and hold the valve in, bypassing the safety, and light the pilot.  Hold for 30 sec to warm the thermocouple, then turn the valve to "ON"    If you can light the pilot without going through all this, you have the first style.

I hope you have the safer version, but if you do not, it would explain the odor with no leaks - except the pilot.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply! I do not think it has the safety pilot, so I just have to light the pilot after I turn the propane on. I did that with the oven and the furnace. I do not have a propane smell now. So happy to figure this out. Thanks for the help!!!
 
Back then they also did not have propane detectors.  ALL modern RVs do now for obvious reasons.  I HIGHLY encourage you to make this small safety investment with a detector similar to this.  PS: Glad you got this figured out  :))

https://www.amazon.com/MTI-Industries-30-442-P-WT-Propane-Alarm/dp/B000AMBHG4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=6Z7LKRFZRW0Y&keywords=rv+propane+detector+12v&qid=1571615470&sprefix=rv+propane+detect%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-4

 
SpencerPJ said:
Back then they also did not have propane detectors.  ALL modern RVs do now for obvious reasons.  I HIGHLY encourage you to make this small safety investment with a detector similar to this.  PS: Glad you got this figured out  :))

https://www.amazon.com/MTI-Industries-30-442-P-WT-Propane-Alarm/dp/B000AMBHG4/ref=sr_1_4?crid=6Z7LKRFZRW0Y&keywords=rv+propane+detector+12v&qid=1571615470&sprefix=rv+propane+detect%2Caps%2C156&sr=8-4
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation. I will check it out. I did get a Carbon Monoxide detector. Yeah I am happy I figured this out! Now onto the water tank! Hahahaha!
 
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
How do you fix multiple problems?
One at a time!

Congrats on one down!  We are here to help.
 
grashley said:
How do you eat an elephant?
One bite at a time.
How do you fix multiple problems?
One at a time!

Congrats on one down!  We are here to help.
Click to expand...


Hahaha Love It!!! Thanks again crew!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 846 (members: 6, guests: 840)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,981
Posts
1,388,594
Members
137,727
Latest member
Davidomero
Back
Top Bottom