That shrill beeping noise coming up from floor indicated that not all was well in Denmark. Well, not in the RV anyway. The gas leak detector’s insistence kept up, and soon doors and windows were open, gas valves shut, and much mumbling under one’s breath become the order of the day.
The first run through of course, was to look for the obvious: The oven set to “ON” but no pilot. An open valve on the stove top. No such easy out, the leak was coming from somewhere else. The scent of the gas seemed to be centered in kitchen area, and the oven would be the prime suspect–but had a good alibi. Finally we called in the SWAT team–our Special Weapon Against Terrible (outcomes)–our portable gas leak detector. And we looked at every conceivable pipe junction, any connection. Nothing!
So we decided to try it again. With the gas valves full open, we cautiously waited to see what would transpire. And for a couple of hours, nothing did. But then, when we were about to relax, off went the house detector. This time the odorant was even more clear–it seemed to be coming from OUTSIDE the rig, flowing into the kitchen area through a floor level utility access door. Above that door? The propane tank compartment.
Sure enough, this time, we found our leak. A “teensy bit loose” propane tank fitting, the old style POL type still common on horizontal truck camper tanks, had apparently wiggled loose, or hadn’t been completely fixed at the last fill up. A couple of torque taps with the wrench, and the leak problem was solved.
Why didn’t we catch it the first time? Perhaps for the same reason that it wasn’t caught with the old soapy water solution when we filled up at the propane parlor. Such a tiny leak apparently didn’t have time to manifest itself initially; but over time, the seeping gas did pose a real threat.
Hence, when chasing down gas leaks, it may require a lot of patience–and a lot of soap bubbles–to track down the leak. But to not properly care for a gas leak–well, we don’t even need to tell you what that can lead to. Be careful out there!
photo: james cridland on flickr.com
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