Water heater venting question

[70winnie]

Sent: 4/29/2004 1:05 AM

In my 70 Winnie (like most other old ones, I imagine) the LP water heater is in the bottom of a closet behind the bathroom.  I've been reading so much about LP leaks and how LP sinks and pools, that it's made me wonder if there are any concerns that a leak in the water heater would pool LP in the RV.  Sure it would just be in the closet at first but when that fills, wouldn't it seep into the living space?

Are the water heaters (including one as old as 1970) designed so all of the LP is isolated on the exterior of the tank to only vent to the outside air?

While we're on the subject, how about the rest of the appliances?

I realize that all of these items are designed to be "safe", but I'm just wondering *HOW* safe!   :-P

On a related matter, which would provide the highest level of safety:  an LP detector, CO detector or a CO2 detector?  I've seen all three.

[denisondc]

Sent: 4/29/2004 6:09 AM

Yes the LP going to your water heater is well isolated to the outside of the unit â€" which has fairly free access to the outside air. It has to in order to vent the exhaust gases when the water heater burner is on. Plus when you arent using the water heater you would shut off the valve to the pilot and burner probably.
The fridge is the same way. I open the louvered door on the outside of my RV, a 72, and I am looking at the back wall of the fridge, and the LP gas fittings and pilot and burner. They are all on the back outside surface of the fridge, and any LP gas leaking would blow away pretty well. Again, when I am not running the fridge on propane I shut off the LP gas valve. In fact, with my old RM60 fridge, you have to shut off the gas in order to be able to turn on the 110V power to it. We always run the fridge on propane when we are travelling, which some people choose not to do.
My LP gas detector is my nose. If I smell any propane I go looking for a leak, with sudsy water and a paintbrush for instance. The only leak I ever had was at the 30 year old regulator, which I was planning to replace just because of its age, and I only smelled it outside the RV with my head right inside the propane tank enclosure. Actually you smell the sentinel they put in the propane, as propane itself is odorless
I suppose a leak in the piping to the furnace is possible, but I if its much of a leak I would expect to smell that too. Inside the furnace the flow of gas is controlled by a multipurpose valve and control assembly, and based on the cost of the thing, I hope it is safe. Mine is original and works, though I don’t use the furnace for years at a time â€" we are summer campers only.
The stove has a pilot light, but we leave those turned off at the little valve, since we use the top of the stove for general storage sometimes. To cook on it we use a bic type lighter or matches, not the pilot flame.
I would install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector, since that is the gas that your blood absorbs dangerously fast, without making you aware of it and will make you sleepy, its insidious. If you are asleep you wont know what is happening and are likely to never wake up. As far as I know an excess of carbon dioxide (CO2) will make you feel out of breath, like you have been running up stairs, and make you huff and puff, and will make you the opposite of sleepy - even if you are trying to sleep. And is absorbed by the blood pretty slowly. Both of these gases are also odorless.