Propane detector 'chirping' every few seconds, but blinking green...Am I missing something?

[wittnam]

Hey all,

Just got back from my first RV trip with the fam...LOVED IT! About 30 min before we started to 'break camp' the propane detector started chirping...but the light was blinking green like it was supposed to be. It was as if a battery was getting low, but we were still hooked up to site power.

Looking through the instruction manual, there is no 'green blinking light/chirp every 8 sec' combo. Unfortunately, I don't have my blue pouch of justice with the user manual in front of me (RV is stored on the base where I'm stationed).

Anyone had this problem? I tried holding the 'test' button down for a few seconds but, wouldn't you know it, this just caused the thing to go 'full blast' on me...ha!

I didn't even think to look for this, but do these things have a 9V or some other disposable battery on them that could be bad?

 

[brianharrison]

The LP detectors are hard wired to the 12V. A chirp would indicate a low voltage (battery) or an internal error.

Is your RV battery full charged? THe battery monitor or a multimeter on the battery posts will confirm.

Brian

 

[JohnDar]

LP detectors are pretty simple devices, but there isn't much you can do for them. Just like household smoke and CO detectors, they have a useful life but can go bad sooner. LP detectors have about a 5 year life to them, according to this link. Your's is relatively new, so contact the manufacturer of the detector and see if they won't send you a new one. I did that once with a defective CO detector in our previous TT.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7817299_troubleshoot-lp-gas-leak-detector.html

 

[DMitch]

I think JohnDar may be right on the money. Mine became defective after about 19 months.

 

[jmgratz]

When the detector starts chirping like that it is an indication that the battery needs to be replaced. At least that is what mine does. Replace the battery and it starts working as it should. Take a look at the manual for it and it also says that.

 

[danemayer]

First of all, make sure you don't actually have an LP problem.

If it's still chirping, unscrew it from the wall, disconnect the wires. Check the voltage for 12V. If good, reconnect. That should reset it. If voltage is low, you'll have to figure out why.

While it's away from the wall, make sure there's no water on it and that the space it mounts in is also dry. Before re-caulking around our rear window, we had a heavy rainstorm and some water got in around the LP detector, setting it chirping. I reset it and put it back in but it went off again. Dried it off, reset again, and left it lying on the floor inside. No problem. Fixed the caulking and no more problems.

 

[wittnam]

Thanks all!

RV Batteries register full, but I'll get into the manual as well as check the voltage...

 

[brianharrison]

Just thinking, but you are talking about the detector that is low on the wall near the floor (which is the propane detector), correct?

The CO detector is usually installed on a wall near the roof, and the smoke detector is usualy installed on the roof.

Brian

 

[JohnDar]

Unlike smoke or CO detectors, the LP detector does not have an internal battery.

 

[57chevyconvt]

Check the 12 volt fuses in the fuse panel. One of these fuses supplies voltage to the LP detector.

 

[PeternLiane]

Thanks all!

RV Batteries register full, but I'll get into the manual as well as check the voltage...

We had a similar thing happen last year in our SOB. Since this was the first time that I had ever heard it chirp I panicked. I thought for sure we had a propane leak. We checked all of the LP connections for leaks. We checked all of the pipes. We couldn't find a leak any where. We didn't know what was going on. A neighbor came by and helped check. We checked the RV battery level inside it said that it was perfect. We disconnected the RV battery the chirping stopped. I took the RV battery in and had it checked. The RV battery had a dead cell in it. I replaced the RV battery and everything was great. It was a great relief knowing that it was just the RV battery. From now on I will check the battery first then move on if its not it.

 

[RoadJunkie]

Looks like a secondary benefit of the propane detector is a low battery detector? I wonder how they will market this "feature". I read this thread with interest because it's one of those things that will get you thinking when it goes "chirping" in the middle of the night.

 

[wittnam]

Just thinking, but you are talking about the detector that is low on the wall near the floor (which is the propane detector), correct?

Yup, I mean the one on the floor...I'll check the RV batteries again today since it's not been hooked up to external power since Sunday as well as the fuses and let you all know what I find. Thank you for the help so far!

 

[wittnam]

Well, I've checked the batteries and fuses...all appears fine. The detector hasn't chirped since we got back to town, so not sure what to think for now. As RoadJunkie pointed out, I'll probably see this again at 3:00am after its woken my young sons and is driving the dogs wild

I really appreciate the help in attempting to troubleshoot!

 

[gmc]

I also believe the problem is in your trailer battery. mine did the samething one time. charged the batteries and everything was fine. have since installed a battery diconnect switch to keep the batteries from discharging while sitting.

 

[cookie]

Another thought here. You said that it started chirping as you were breaking camp and that you were still plugged in to shore power.
When you got home it stopped chirping and the battery registers a full charge.
Your converter may not be charging the battery while hooked to shore power. Chirping indicative of low battery.
Your truck would then charge the battery while traveling. No chirping with full charge.
I suggest that you plug in and test the converter for proper charging voltage.

Peace
Dave

 

[brianharrison]

I suggest that you plug in and test the converter for proper charging voltage.

Peace
Dave

To augment Dave's advice: when you are connected to shore power, voltage across the battery terminals should be near 13.6V if your converter is charging. If it is near 12 to 12.6 your converter is not charging. Use a digital multimeter (DC voltage).

Brian