Believe the pilot light was off. If it was on, would it have transferred heat to only the one burner tube? The burner tube was hot too the touch. The other two were cool.
I really need a handheld "sniffer". Just by coincidence I bought one three days ago... when I got it home it would not function properly right out of the box. Now that brings up another issue... Has any one used the Pocket Air Check gas leak detector? Any other recommendations for a reasonably priced handheld detector.
Ethyl mercaptan is added to propane for consumer use, just like it is to natural gas supplied to homes, etc. The human nose can detect one part of it in 2.8 billion parts air, so the sniffer on the front of your face should alert you if there is a leak well before the flammable range is reached.
As for the Pocket Air Check, it is calibrated to react at 2000 ppm propane (based on its reaction to 5000 ppm methane), which is well below the flammable range of the gas (2.15 - 9.60% in air). 2000 ppm equates to a 0.2% concentration in air (roughly 10% of the LEL, which is where "professional" detectors would read it as 100%), which should smell like a ton of rotten eggs. FWIW, most common gas detector devices are calibrated with methane and conversion charts are used to compute the actual levels for other hydrocarbon gases (if the user knows what it might be).
This info is from the manufacturer's website. It also says that the device is sensitive to shock, so if it's been dropped or whacked, it may not function. If your's does not work, I would return it. Be aware, also, that the sensors in gas monitors have a shelf life. Two years is usually the most we get from our 4-gas units in the FD before replacing sensors. And they cost considerably more than the Pocket Air Check.
FEATURES
• Detects Natural Gas, Methane, Propane, Hydrogen and Butane
• Locates leaks in pipes, valves, fittings and tanks
• Operates up to 8 hours on 2 – AA alkaline batteries
• Highly sensitive solid state sensor
• Eye-catching emergency yellow housing
• Only 6” long, fits easily into pocket or tool-belt
• Has both audible and visual alarm indicators
•
Factory calibrated to 5000 ppm (0.5%) methane in air (equivalent to approx. 2000 ppm Propane)
So, unless you have a significant leak, the Pocket Air Check might not be able to pick it up unless you get the probe into the gas (which is heavier than air and will settle possibly lower than where you've got the probe pointed). And no, I've never seen or used one.