Gas detection alarm issue

JustJohn

While camping for the last couple of weeks, my gas alarm has been acting strangely. When I use the  shower the gas alarm goes off. I pressed the reset button and it resets in 3 or four minutes and does not go off again until I shower or use the facilities again, then the alarm sounds off I reset and it is fine again. There is no sign of a gas leak, no gas smell at all. I was on shore power and using gas only for cooking. I just got home so I am going to go into the shower and see if I can make the alarm sound off with the gas off. Very strange, I have not had this issue before. The alarm has gone off once before with the gas off when I disconnected the battery and reconnected it but that was obviously a power surge issue. Again, it only happens when I am moving around in the bathroom. Any ideas on what may be causing this or how to figure out what's going on will be greatly appreciated.

jcfaber1

Hello, JustJohn.  We meet at a private campground outside of Shenadoah in October 16.  I hope all is well.  These propane detectors go bad after 6 or 7 year's.  It could also be a low voltage problem, but you should also have other things not working so well.  They are cheap and easy to replace.  That's what I did in our 07 a couple of years ago.  Problem solved.
John

Marceline

JustJohn said:

While camping for the last couple of weeks, my gas alarm has been acting strangely. When I use the  shower the gas alarm goes off. I pressed the reset button and it resets in 3 or four minutes and does not go off again until I shower or use the facilities again, then the alarm sounds off I reset and it is fine again. There is no sign of a gas leak, no gas smell at all. I was on shore power and using gas only for cooking. I just got home so I am going to go into the shower and see if I can make the alarm sound off with the gas off. Very strange, I have not had this issue before. The alarm has gone off once before with the gas off when I disconnected the battery and reconnected it but that was obviously a power surge issue. Again, it only happens when I am moving around in the bathroom. Any ideas on what may be causing this or how to figure out what's going on will be greatly appreciated.

Were you hooked up to city water? If not, I wonder if the water pump (which runs on the DC system) is drawing enough power that it's causing the detector to chirp as it does when the 12v battery runs down. Is your 12v battery in good shape? Is it fully charged? 

JustJohn

Hi John, I do remember meeting you, as I recall you were on your way to visit a family member. My unit is less than three years old so I don't  think the detector is bad but it is possible. I was not able to set it off with the gas off in my driveway. The gas was on when I had the problem camping. That's a bit concerning.

JustJohn

Marceline, I was using city water and my battery  was fully charged. Also had 30 amp shore power. As Alice said, it just gets curiouser and  curiouser.

pthomas745

Smoke and gas detectors are looking for particulate matter in the air.  Steam, or high humidity, could probably raise the level of particulate and "fool" the detector in such a small space as a Tab. 

ScottG

Ditto what ptthomas745 said. I haven't experienced this problem in the T@B, but my home smoke alarms occasionally go off for no apparent reason in the middle of hot and humid summer nights.

JustJohn

pthomas745 said:

Smoke and gas detectors are looking for particulate matter in the air.  Steam, or high humidity, could probably raise the level of particulate and "fool" the detector in such a small space as a Tab. 

That would explain why once reset the alarm does not go off again which I assume it would do if there was a " real " gas leak. Nasty day on the coast today so not able to do much today, but I am going to keep trying to duplicate the conditions that caused the alarm to go off while camping. If I can't figure out the cause, I'll probably take John's advice and replace the alarm.

Verna

I have two teak bathtub mats on my floor in my T@B. They were great in AZ because the pebbles and sand fell through the mat to the floor so it wasn’t like stepping on small Legos in the middle of the night.

But anyway, I would take them out once a week, to sweep and mop the floor and I hosed the teak mats off. One problem....the teat mats smelled like “stink bugs” when they got wet.....YUCK!  

And the gas detector thought YUCK, too, as it took about 15 minutes for the odor of the dried mats to dissipate and the gas detector to quit flashing (after I reset it) even after drying in the sun for about 30 minutes. 

Strange odors will set the gas detector off and no one is happy until it is happy

JustJohn

Yikes Verna, maybe I needed those showers more than I thought.

Ratkity

Verna said:

I have two teak bathtub mats on my floor in my T@B. They were great in AZ because the pebbles and sand fell through the mat to the floor so it wasn’t like stepping on small Legos in the middle of the night.

But anyway, I would take them out once a week, to sweep and mop the floor and I hosed the teak mats off. One problem....the teat mats smelled like “stink bugs” when they got wet.....YUCK!  

And the gas detector thought YUCK, too, as it took about 15 minutes for the odor of the dried mats to dissipate and the gas detector to quit flashing (after I reset it) even after drying in the sun for about 30 minutes. 

Strange odors will set the gas detector off and no one is happy until it is happy

I have a teak "mat" that is raised off the floor. I think you have the same. ROFL re: Lego remark. So true. And there's always a low spot in the shower/potty cassettes where a tiny bit of water stands after a shower that you'll step in while in socks. Ugh.

About the teak mat (from Bed, Bath and Beyond), I didn't oil it. It seemed shoddily finished, so I polyurethaned it (not the water-based one). I haven't seemed to have the "smell", but I also haven't used it as much as you, V. I'll keep it in mind when/if it happens!!