Potentially dangerous find

[edjunior]

A couple of weeks ago, I discovered I had a switch to open and close my slides on my 5th wheel in the front storage compartment.  When I operated it, some water came out of the seal to the bedroom slide...but that's a different problem I need to get fixed.  Anyway, after the most recent rain, I went to drain that seal, hit the switch to open the slides, and happen to notice a spark.  I hit the switch again, and sure enough, it was a spark.  It only sparked when you started the slides either in or out.  But it was the load when pressing the switch that caused it to spark.  And actually, as I found out, it was a loose nut on the wire that caused it to spark.  I tightened it back up, and checked the rest of the bolts on the motor, and a couple were very slightly loose, but all are tight now.

So to try and wrap up the story, since I did say it was potentially dangerous, after I got done, I happened to notice 4 little cans of propane gas behind it for my BBQ. The cans were probably six to eight inches away, but still...spark + gas usually equals fire.  The cans of gas have also now been relocated.  Dang!

 

[John From Detroit]

Well I keep saying we RVers often have a few Screws loose. and there are also a lot of loose nuts in RV's.

IN both cases...  I'm talking about the metal kind you tighten with a screwdriver or wrench..

Glad you reduced the loose nut population .

(I had a bunch of loose screws in the 120 volt distribution (Breaker) box  Most dangerous)

 

[mel s]

So to try and wrap up the story, since I did say it was potentially dangerous, after I got done, I happened to notice 4 little cans of propane gas behind it for my BBQ. The cans were probably six to eight inches away, but still...spark + gas usually equals fire.  The cans of gas have also now been relocated.  Dang!

edjunior
Although "spark + gas" usually does equal fire..... methinks "spark + little sealed cans of propane" seldom, (if ever), does.

 

[edjunior]

edjunior
Although "spark + gas" usually does equal fire..... methinks "spark + little sealed cans of propane" seldom, (if ever), does.

Yeah, I would tend to agree, but when you look at those cans in the background of sparking electricity, you tend to err on the side of caution.

 

[Back2PA]

Sparking electricity=bad. Source: Internet

 

[John From Detroit]

Propane but itself is safe. .Air by itself.> Well how safe that is depends on where you are (it is getting worse)

But the right mixture of propane and air. add one spark and you land two counties over.  (half joke but the instructor said "Exactly")