Propane alarm

[Stargazer]

My van has a hard wired to the house battery propane/carbon monoxide alarm.  I haven't been using anything propane but left the tank turned on in case of shore power failure while I'm gone, the fridge will switch to propane.

I am parked in a small RV park near my Mom's place in the Colorado mountains.  Lots of family coming and going this summer so I spend the days at her place, cooking, doing her laundry, housework etc. She's 93 and still sharp as a tack but doesn't get around well anymore.  She has a large dog, Molly, and my little ankle biter, Kirby, gets along well with her.    Molly is fed a different kind of food so Kirby has been eating what Molly gets now and then.

Last night, after getting back to my van, Kirby laid down on the floor right next to the propane detector.  It's a good place for her since its out of the way and she's less likely to get tripped over or stepped on.  About 20 minutes later, the alarm starts shrieking and I about jumped out of my skin.  I muted the alarm, sniffed around (nothing), went outside and shut off the propane at the bottle.  Alarm had stopped by then.  About three hours later, it went off again!  No propane odor, bottle is off, wth??  Then I noticed Kirby's little butt snuggled up against it...

Yep.  No more of Molly's food for her.

 

[tx2sturgis]

lol...


Methane, Propane...


It all smells the same to the detector...

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Bwahahaha! I will learn from this, thank you!

 

[moorejames]

Then I noticed Kirby's little butt snuggled up against it...

Yep.  No more of Molly's food for her.

My dog lays up against my sensor all the time and sets it off. Usually in the middle of the @#$!@#%$ night. I think it's more cutting off the O2 by blocking the sensor than it is doggy farts though...

 

[Queen]

Yup, same in my old roadtrek, watching the neighbors pup for a few hours and she set it off twice. That pup had lethal farts!

 

[Stargazer]

It's happened to you, too? Well I am certainly glad to hear that. It happened again last night. Read the instructions for the detector and sure enough, it says "methane" will set it off.

Funny thing...Kirby didn't even flinch.

 

[John61CT]

Designed to detect just about any volatile carbon-based fumes.

 

[highdesertranger]

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. dog farts. highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

I think it's more cutting off the O2 by blocking the sensor than it is doggy farts though...

LOL!

We used to say it THIS way:

He (or she) is so full of himself that he thinks his s___ dont stink!

Never heard of a dog feeling that way, much less the dog's human servant...

 

[tx2sturgis]

Stargazer, where did you buy that new-fangled flatulence detector?

I'd march right in that store and ask to see the manager!

Tell them you want a refund since its alerting on DOGGY FARTS!

(then just try to stop the man from laughing!)

Get it on youtube and if it goes viral you'll be rich!

But, you'll need the money to buy a new poodle-proof sniffer..

 

[moorejames]

LOL!

We used to say it THIS way:

He (or she) is so full of himself that he thinks his s___ dont stink!

Never heard of a dog feeling that way, much less the dog's human servant...

His **** stinks plenty.... trust me.     Just thought that the sensor being blocked off made more sense than it being a fart detector, but hey, maybe it is the methane.

 

[rvpopeye]

I knew what the cause was as soon as I started reading the OP !
This has always been a common item on forums and RVing magazines.
Good around the campfire story too.
The alarms will sometimes also alert when they get old and worn out @7-10 years....and need replacing.

 

[John61CT]

You can buy low-O2 detectors (great for nitreous heads), but ones sold as "propane" detectors will trigger off most any flammable hydrocarbon.

Yes it is the methane.

I don't think any consumer-level detectors are propane-specific.

 

[John61CT]

I thought replacing every three years was standard?

 

[rvpopeye]

John61CT

Propane alarms are installed in most RVs at the factory. Can be bought from RV supply places too . Lifespan varies.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms not typically found in vehicles but can be bought in hardware or big box stores.
Lifespan as mfg spec. 7 years on my last
one.

Smoke alarms available as above^.
Lifespan , intermittent beeps signal replace time.

Oxygen (O2) detectors .... I've seen them built into heaters but haven't seen them available as stand alone units......where did you find yours?

 

[John61CT]

I don't use one, the proper ones look to cost a few hundred.

The Buddy one's very crude, not to be relied on.

 

[highdesertranger]

yeah I have looked into proper low O2 meters. they are very expensive. the ones I was looking at were north of 1k. Canaries are cheaper. now don't get all upset I don't use Canaries. highdesertranger

 

[Stargazer]

Lol @ Tx2Sturgis!

It may well be she's blocking the sensor because I don't smell ANYthing when it happens.

Last week, Molly (my Mom's dog) was asleep behind my chair and OMG, I had to move across the room!!

While on the floor with the flashlight reading the small print on the front of the CO/Gas alarm, I noticed it states the alarm should be replaced after five years. The hand book tells how it will start alarming after that time and will keep doing so at strange intervals but after thirty days it will do everything it can to drive you insane.  This B van is six years old...any day now (unless the previous owner replaced it already?).