Saturday, November 3, 2012

Where is the alarm that's going off?

Roused from sleep at 11:23 am (I'm retired.) by an insistent alarm....  We couldn't figure out where the alarm was blaring from.  The Smoke Detector was quiet.  The CO (Carbon Monoxide) Detector wasn't shrieking.  Eric and I stood in front of the refrigerator and looked up.  We're standing where the alarm is going off.  There's no alarm on the ceiling or wall here... Suddenly, we look down.  It's the motorhome's LP (Liquid Propane) Gas Detector.  Eric hits the reset button.  No more alarm.

 This little thing has a very loud alarm.

Eric went to his laptop to see how others have handled this.  The alarm blares after a minute.  Hit reset.    We could have a gas leak!!  Can't smell anything though and LP has a distinct odor. The alarm goes off, again. Hit reset.

Oh, on doing a little research, this particular LP Gas Detector, Eric finds out that apparently it has had a high failure rate after five years.  Ours is 8 years old. One post says to vacuum the LP Detector.  Dust could be causing the censor to misread and go off.  Vacuuming the monitor didn't fix things.  Hit reset. 

Anybody want to look over the LP system closely for leaks in 50 degree weather?  No!  We stood still.  We could buy a new monitor at Amazon.com and pay $4.00 for Monday delivery.  Eric could go to Alpin Haus in Amsterdam, NY and get a replacement today.  We decided on the Alpin Haus alternative.  Eric needed a few other RV related parts anyway.

Eric disconnected the LP detector and left for Alpin Haus.  He returned with a new LP Gas Detector.  





Checking out the wiring harness.






Settling the LP Gas Detector
 into the cut out in the cabinet.




The LP Gas Detector is a little
smaller than the old one but it still covers
the hole in the cabinet completely.





Tightening the right screw.




Tightening the left screw.











Our new LP Gas Detector.
 The manual says to vacuum
 occasionally with the brush
 attachment to keep the
 sensor dust free.

The old one was bad and giving
 false alarms.
 All is fine now, no more alarms.


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3 comments:

  1. Kathy ScrantonNovember 4, 2012 at 10:41 AM

    Had to replace our sensor as well. It wasn't old age, but lemonade that did ours in. Our sensor is located right next to the refrigerator. Dropped a pitcher of lemonade and a few drops landed on the sensor.
    What a loud and obnoxious sound. Tried cleaning and drying, but it never functioned properly after that. We ended up buying a new one. Ours wasn't even two years old yet. Never realized just how sensitive these sensors are. I guess that's a good thing. Better that it gave out and annoyed you than fail quietly and not be there when needed. Isn't RVing fun!

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  2. David ScrantonNovember 4, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    To add to Kathy's comment, our LP Gas Detector is the same brand Eric bought, and we think it's great. Just don't go accidentally spilling lemonade ANYWHERE NEAR IT or it's toast.

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  3. GinnyNovember 4, 2012 at 8:26 PM

    What a story! An LP Detector taken out by a few drops of lemonade is a VERY sensitive device. The longer I live in the motorhome, the more respect I have for its construction and and its systems.

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