LP Gas detector ghost! August 28, 2019, 10:37:22 am Our 2016 TK LP Gas detector has recently started blaring intermittently. The first time was 1 AM, of course! We pulled the fuse and it stopped- opened all windows and hoped to wake up alive! It now goes off when using the generator in the morning (not early evening)- go figure!Any suggestions? Thanks so much.
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #1 – August 28, 2019, 11:15:36 am My experience with LP gas detectors is that they detect non-existent odors very well and don't do so well with propane. We are on our 3rd detector in 13 years and the current one which is perhaps 3 years old goes off randomly and then stops.However, the one time we had a leak that I could smell and was within 2 feet of the detector we never heard a peep.They allegedly have a 5-7 year life expectancy.JimDon't get me started on the smoke detector.
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #2 – August 28, 2019, 11:28:11 am Hi Jim,What do you do when it goes off? Do you take the fuse out? Has it gone off with the generator on? Any suggestions?Thanks- Sandy
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #3 – August 28, 2019, 11:54:22 am As Jim said, they usually need to be replaced at about five years. Our last one was sensitive to dog farts, causing several false alerts. I replaced it with new, which is a simple and inexpensive task. Since replacing it, we haven't heard a peep.Harold 1 Likes
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #4 – August 28, 2019, 12:05:45 pm Occasionally blowing them out with compressed air is a good idea as well.
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #5 – August 28, 2019, 12:25:25 pm Does the LPG detector have a "replace by" date on it? Even though the rig is a 2016, the detector may be older; LD does buy large lots of "whatever" and installs the "whatever" until it runs out. If the detector is at or near the end of its life span, this is the replacement; Amazon has it, as do other suppliers:MTI Industries 30-442-P-BR Safe T Alert 30 Series Propane/LP Gas Alarm - Flush Mount, Brown
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #6 – August 28, 2019, 12:46:40 pm We plan to replace it once we get in touch with Vince at the Mother Ship. I tried calling all day yesterday and no one answered- hope they’re still in business! Thanks for all the replies- it sure helps! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #7 – August 28, 2019, 12:55:43 pm Quote from: ssragan - August 28, 2019, 11:28:11 amHi Jim,What do you do when it goes off? Do you take the fuse out? Has it gone off with the generator on? Any suggestions?Thanks- Sandy In addition to the cursing, I press the reset button until it quits which it usually will in less than 10 minutes. I don't recall it going off with the generator running but that, at least, I would understand a little bit. Several months ago for some reason, it went through a period of going off every morning around 9 am. Nothing that runs with propane was on and hadn't been on for well over an hour.It quit doing that eventually. I have threatened to rip out both the LP detector and smoke detector on several occasions.Neither the second or third LP detectors got anywhere near their expected life before we started getting these false alarms.Jim 1 Likes
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #8 – August 28, 2019, 02:44:12 pm "Our last one was sensitive to dog farts,..."While I have not been successful in getting Cedar to back up to my detector I do know from experience that they will alarm on women's hair spray. 1 Likes
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #9 – August 28, 2019, 07:20:53 pm When our original batteries were about dead ours would chirp from lack of power. Generally after everyone was sound asleep. Replacing the batteries fixed the issue. 1 Likes
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #10 – August 28, 2019, 08:00:51 pm In response to ssragen; A cold generator has a simple choke, and will feed too much gasoline into the carbuetor. You remember those inefficient cheap things! The extra uncombined gas will come out the exhaust and set off the propane detector. So if you run your generator in the morning, and it sets off your propane ( explosive gas, including gasoline) detector; you can be sure that exhaust is getting inside your rig. Make sure the exhaust pipe is in good shape and extends beyond the side skirt of your LD. Don't have any windows nearby open. Warm exhaust can float around alot and enter windows. I have an older TK and my [Emerald] exhaust is near the front of the rear tires. Just the side rear window there. It might go away when your MicroQuiet warms up. Also the space heater combustion air intake is right there. But you would only know it if the heat exchanger was bad. Another place could be around your refrigerator if the air seals were bad around the sides. The drain line from the cooling coils does empty near there. There should be a little check valve on the end of that line, so exhaust wouldn't back up into the fridge. Wish I had a 2016, it's still new enough you shouldn't be botherd by the maintenance ghosts yet. RonB 1 Likes
Re: LP Gas detector ghost! Reply #11 – August 28, 2019, 08:32:31 pm RonB, thanks for this helpful information. We will follow your suggestions tomorrow morning and let you know!