Propane Safety

[RV Mech Tech]

This is a topic that I would like to present to all the members on this forum - propane safety and what you can do to prevent any problems on your Winnebagos and RVs-  the propane system is one of the things that make your RV unique and separates it from the other vehicles on the road- as with any other area of a vehicle the RV systems require maintenance and the top of the list is the gas system- starting from the storage tank (ASME tank) to the appliance the gas goes through  different materials/metals on its way to the appliance and this includes rubber hoses, pressure regulator, steel piping, brass fittings and copper lines and then through the appliance regulator (if equipped) and then the burn chamber or combustion area - as long as all the parts of the system are in good shape then the gas and the pressure created by the rise in temperature of the propane ( -43F and above) will be contained and provide years of trouble free service - if however any part deteriorates and starts to leak then the possibility of a fire or explosion exists - the following are steps you can take to prevent any problems

1)  Have your system inspected and checked -this includes checking the date stamped on the tank/cylinder and re-certified or replace if required
2)  A visual inspection of the system - in some of the photos members are posting I see single stage regulators and older outdated hoses - two stage regulators are a safety backup and the older original hoses may not have a plastic liner inside and the ethyl mercaptan (the odourant put into propane ) will over time damage the hoses and they will start to leak - when we get an RV that has these earlier outdated parts in for service we cannot work on the propane system unless the parts are upgraded. 
3)  A pressure 'drop test' should be done at least once a year and I am starting to see this recommendation in the owners manual of new RVs - I have seen RVs that have been put in storage for the winter (outside) with no problems and when the unit is checked the next year it has a propane leak- the reason for this is because there are different metals that are used in the system and these are fastened together and  differential expansion takes place with extreme temperature changes and connections get loose and start to leak -that's why you should have your system checked each year -  certification of the gas/propane system in RV's is now becoming mandatory for insurance companies and some campgrounds will not let an older RV in unless they have proof of recent certification of not only the propane system but the high voltage electrical system as well - some of the new RVs that I do inspections on have had propane leaks like you would not believe so its not just older RVs- the condition of your appliances is also important and should be checked as well- I hope that members look after this important area of their Winnebagos and any information or experiences that members can tell us about would be appreciated. 

[tiinytina]

Great info... I use a squirt bottle with a mixture of dish soap and water...  with system pressurized hit every joint and connection, or hoses etc. This "Snoopy" is an excellent leak scout and about as simple and cheap as you can get!

Now stopping at my RV place is on my list to see if they are certified to do propane tank inspections! 

Tina

[RV Mech Tech]

tina - that's good that you do this - if you can get some leak check liquid instead as dishsoap will cause corrosion on brass fittings - every propane manual will tell you this and you can get the liquid at Home Depot as the residential gas fitters use the same liquid for natural gas- also if all your connection fittings are exposed then you can do a liquid check but in most RVS they are not and this is why when an RV dealer does a propane system check he has to do a pressure drop test and record the figures on file - the customer gets a copy and the dealer and tech have to have their own copies and the tech has to record his certification number and the dealer also has a certification 'contractors' number that has to be recorded for file - a pressure drop test is the only way to be sure that there are no leaks - you could have a very small seapage at a fitting under the coach that you may not detect outside and this test will also tell you if something is wrong with the regulator as well- also when propane gets old or if any moisture is present in the tank the mercaptan (odourant) in the propane may loose its smell and the propane then becomes odorless  - this can happen with old propane or a new RV if the tank or cylinder(s) are not purged of moisture before the system is put into service for the first time- every year we get a few RVs like this - if this odorless propane is leaking under the coach lets say where the copper appliance lines fasten to the main manifold/pipe  then you have a leak that you will not detect - this is the reason for the pressure drop test - the cost of having this test done is cheap insurance and as I said  more insurance companies are getting wise to the RV industry and demanding this certification by a licensed dealer and in the interest of safety (your safety!) I agree 100% when it comes to propane -I have unfortunately seen the result of two propane fires and one big explosion and fire in Toronto with two fatalities - you do not get a second chance with a gaseous fuel so anything other than a system in perfect condition is asking for trouble- also you have to make sure that the dealer service tech knows how to check the system as well -where and how you check for pressure drop is equally important!