Lazy Daze Owners' Group

I had a very slow propane leak in my rig, and the gas system with the tank valve closed would not hold pressure in a homemade manometer like this one:
Manometer

I tried sniffing, and tightening things, and applying some of the blue leak detection bubbling liquid to possible leak points.

After a chasing a couple of hunches with no results, I took a chance on a cheap electronic propane leak detector for $26.
Gas Detector Alarm, Portable Natural Gas Tester Detector/Combustible Propane...

Obviously, I was skeptical that a $26 dollar product could be accurate when more reputable detectors cost many times that price.  I watched a couple of youtube videos and decided to take a chance knowing that it might or might not help.

I was thrilled.  It didn't take me long to pinpoint the leak a coming from the gas valve on my water heater.  No amount of blue liquid or sniffing could have pinpointed that leak, and the replacement valve is expensive enough ($130) that I didn't want to just throw parts in to test a hunch.

If you have a hard to track leak, I think the inexpensive tester is worth a try.  Be aware that you're not buying a high quality piece of gear.  In my case, it did the trick.  Having one from the start would have saved me a lot of time.

Rich