Gas detection alarm issue

JustJohn
JustJohn Member Posts: 171
in Heating/Plumbing & Winterizing
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.

2016 Outback.....North East N.C...... Former 2012 Silver Shadow
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Comments

  • jcfaber1
    jcfaber1 Member Posts: 318
    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

    2007 T@B

    Rockford, IL

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  • Marceline
    Marceline Member Posts: 1,747
    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? 
    San Francisco Bay Area
    2013 CS-S us@gi
    2015 Toyota Tacoma PreRunner Double Cab
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  • JustJohn
    JustJohn Member Posts: 171
    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.
    2016 Outback.....North East N.C...... Former 2012 Silver Shadow
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  • JustJohn
    JustJohn Member Posts: 171
    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.

    2016 Outback.....North East N.C...... Former 2012 Silver Shadow
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  • pthomas745
    pthomas745 Administrator, Moderator Posts: 4,529
    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. 
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,655
    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.
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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  • JustJohn
    JustJohn Member Posts: 171
    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.
    2016 Outback.....North East N.C...... Former 2012 Silver Shadow
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  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    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 ;)
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • JustJohn
    JustJohn Member Posts: 171
    Yikes Verna, maybe I needed those showers more than I thought. :s:s
    2016 Outback.....North East N.C...... Former 2012 Silver Shadow
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  • Ratkity
    Ratkity Member Posts: 3,770
    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!!
    2017 820R Retro Toy Hauler from 2015 Tabitha T@B from 2009 Reverse LG Teardrop (but a T@Bluver at heart)
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