Quick RV furnace question

[roperteacher]

I just bought a brand new LQ horse trailer. It came with the Atwood furnace. I used it for the first time last night and after about 6 hrs of running, the Warning light came on and it beeped a few times. I checked it out, NO propane smell what so ever. I went outside and changed my propane tanks over to the other side. I figured I was low on propane on that side. As soon as I changed it over, turned the furnace back on, the light went green and it worked perfectly the rest of the night... . I called the dealer and they said sometimes they will give a False alarm and if it did not go Red or stay on , not to worry. They also agreed that a little propane may have escaped just as it was getting low... .



Just wanted opinions from some other RV'ers out there... Thanks!!

 

[DCreed]

if the propane was low enough it may have starved the burner just long enough for it to go out, then the propane (unignited)set the alarm off.

 

[roperteacher]

Thanks so much... I think your right... The detector is right up against the furnace... But I think your right... I just wanted a second opinion. THanks for the help...

 

[B.G. Smith]

Thanks so much... I think your right... The detector is right up against the furnace... But I think your right... I just wanted a second opinion. THanks for the help...

If the door for the furnace is outside, there should be no propane inside the cabin to set off the alarm even if the flame went out unless the combustion chamber of the heater is bad. Any propane that escaped after the burner goes off should be carried outside by the combustion air blower. Of course if the flame does go out, the gas valve should close. bg

 

[roperteacher]

I have a vent to the outside but the unit itself is inside. I was reading on RV journal sites today that there is a TON of False alarms , especially with NEW Detectors I guess. I am going to fill my tanks today and ck it again tonight...

 

[Loren]

It doesn't sound like this is part of your problem, but I'll mention it here so others will know:



After LP gas has been in a tank long enough, it looses most of its smell. Don't ask me why, but I know this is true because I've opened a valve on a tank that was sitting around a long while (probably two or more years) and got only a very faint whiff of the LP stink.



Just because you don't smell LP gas doesn't mean that it's not there.



Loren

 

[Skydiver]

If you are in the presence of propane for an extended period of time you cannot smell it any longer. I worked for a propane supplier for a short time.



1 week after joining the volunteer fire dept. we had a call that a house had exploded. The house really did explode. The elderly man had told his plumber/grandson about the smell and his grandson said he would repair it tomorrow. The next morning the homeowner did not smell propane and as he lit the stove there was a massive explosion. He and his wife lived.



It finally hit me that the house exploded as I was gathering up the fire hoses and I saw painted sheet rock laying in the yard with pictures still attached.

This was my first fire.