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Old 03-06-2019, 08:37 PM   #1
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Propane help and/or advice

Hello all,

I’m the new owner of a 2016 5.0TA. I received very little in the way of orientation on my new rig. One thing I noticed was someone had cut the wire to the propane alarm. I reconnected it and all has been well except when I turn off the propane tanks. Shortly after turning off the tanks the alarm will sound for several hours and during this time the pressure bleeds off from the propane system all by itself.

If I turn the tanks on and pressurize the system, it stays pressurized and does not leak at all. Doesn’t matter if I use any of the appliances or not there are no leaks and no alarms.

So my question is why when I turn the tanks off does the propane system bleed off pressure and why is it doing so inside the trailer and setting off the alarm.

Of note, I am moving up from a Casita. When I turned off the tanks to that rig it remained pressurized for weeks unless I manually bleed off the pressure.

Thanks to all in advance.
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Old 03-06-2019, 10:06 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by SkipperClyde View Post
Shortly after turning off the tanks the alarm will sound for several hours and during this time the pressure bleeds off from the propane system all by itself.

If I turn the tanks on and pressurize the system, it stays pressurized and does not leak at all. ...

So my question is why when I turn the tanks off does the propane system bleed off pressure and why is it doing so inside the trailer and setting off the alarm.
It shouldn't; presumably there's a bad connection or valve somewhere. Perhaps something like a stove control valve only seals properly under pressure.

I think troubleshooting will be a sniffing exercise, either literally or with a gas detector made for this purpose.
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Old 03-06-2019, 10:14 PM   #3
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I am not familiar with the propane system in an Escape, but I had a sailboat with a propane stove. The oven control had a setting for "OFF" and another setting for "PILOT OFF":. If the pilot light in the oven was out, such as when the tanks were turned off and then back on, and the control was in the OFF position, a small amount of propane bled out and set off the sniffer. Might be your problem??
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Old 03-06-2019, 10:18 PM   #4
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I am not familiar with the propane system in an Escape, but I had a sailboat with a propane stove. The oven control had a setting for "OFF" and another setting for "PILOT OFF":. If the pilot light in the oven was out, such as when the tanks were turned off and then back on, and the control was in the OFF position, a small amount of propane bled out and set off the sniffer. Might be your problem??
The oven (if the trailer is equipped with this option) does have a pilot, but if the flame is not burning the flow of propane to the burner will be shut off, because it is monitored with a thermocouple.
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Old 03-06-2019, 10:40 PM   #5
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I second the idea of a hand held gas leak detector. I picked one up when I replaced the stock cooktop with a Dickinson Marine model in order to check for leaks. They are relatively inexpensive. I think mine was $20.
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Old 03-06-2019, 11:35 PM   #6
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The Atwood DV20 (2 burner) or DV30 (3 burner) stove that was used for awhile has a little regulator under the cover which can vent propane. Ours smelled around this device regularly. Maybe this is bleeding off gas when propane is shutoff?

https://www.amazon.com/Atwood-Regula.../dp/B00CLSX1EQ
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Old 03-07-2019, 02:36 AM   #7
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The Atwood DV20 (2 burner) or DV30 (3 burner) stove that was used for awhile has a little regulator under the cover which can vent propane. Ours smelled around this device regularly. Maybe this is bleeding off gas when propane is shutoff?
Venting propane seems undesirable as normal operation, but venting only when incoming pressure is low definitely sounds bad to me. A good item to check.
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Old 03-07-2019, 05:55 AM   #8
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Thanks for all the input. I don’t have an oven. I tried the sniffer and I thought it was the stove so I plugged the line going into the stove and still had the same results.

Looks like I must individually plug all the gas appliances and use a process of elimination. I am wondering if the regulator at the tanks may be the culprit, but then could that set off the alarm?

Cutting the alarm wiring reminds me of a time when a friend asked me to change out a circuit breaker in his house. He said it kept tripping because it was weak and not only did he wanted a new breaker but one with a higher amperage rating to make sure it would hold.

I explained to him that the trouble was not the breaker but he had a short and the new breaker would only facilitate burning his house down and possibly killing his family.

Needless to say, I got his attention and we found the short.
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Old 03-07-2019, 06:27 AM   #9
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On a side note... A common problem with the 5.0TA's and the 21's is the detector goes off from battery off gassing. Many of us have cut one of the wires to get it to stop although it should have been repaired.

This has nothing to do with your issue, it's just an fyi as you are a new owner.
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Old 03-07-2019, 06:29 AM   #10
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Since the propane tanks are inside with the 5.0 model, I would think the regulator or hoses are the culprit. The gas could be leaking from the compartment inside. On edit, Bob is correct, check the battery compartment vent and the battery water levels.
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Old 03-07-2019, 06:48 AM   #11
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Since the propane tanks are inside with the 5.0 model, I would think the regulator or hoses are the culprit. The gas could be leaking from the compartment inside. On edit, Bob is correct, check the battery compartment vent and the battery water levels.
The propane compartment is pretty much sealed up. Can't see it from here but I believe the compartment is fiberglassed. Sounds like Clyde has a sniffer so it'd be easy enough to verify.
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Old 03-07-2019, 10:16 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by padlin View Post
On a side note... A common problem with the 5.0TA's and the 21's is the detector goes off from battery off gassing. Many of us have cut one of the wires to get it to stop although it should have been repaired.

This has nothing to do with your issue, it's just an fyi as you are a new owner.
I own a 21... never had this problem.

plus the battery on a 21' is in a pretty sealed box.... that is vented to the outside.... if battery gasses are getting into the passenger area of a 21' then that is a *problem* and should be fixed, i think!



just my 2c.

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Old 03-07-2019, 10:29 AM   #13
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There's several reasons someone may cut the wires to a propane alarm that have nothing to do with propane fumes. Maybe the alarm hasn't been vacuumed in a while and the trailer owner didn't know it should be and the alarm kept going off, is just one. Dog sleep near the alarm and passes gas? On my Big Trip this summer, the one in Ten Forward kept going off before I realized it was because a pair of tennis shoes were too dang close to the alarm! Moved them far away and it shut up. Others have moved the alarm to the other side of the cabinets and away from the batteries....
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Old 03-07-2019, 02:04 PM   #14
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... plus the battery on a 21' is in a pretty sealed box.... that is vented to the outside.... if battery gasses are getting into the passenger area of a 21' then that is a *problem* and should be fixed, i think!
I agree, but it's a problem which some Escape 21' owners have experienced. The box isn't always so well-sealed.

In this case, the alarm triggering appears to be tied to propane system operation, not battery charging.
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Old 03-07-2019, 02:08 PM   #15
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The first thing to do is read the instructions that come with the unit. It advises to vacuum the face plate weekly. I probably do that a couple times a year, which seems to work.
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Old 03-26-2019, 07:07 AM   #16
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Problem Solved

I had the system pressure tested and no leaks were found in the system. I then capped all the appliance gas feeds and still had bleed off.

I decided the problem had to be the regulator. I replaced it with a Enerco F173766 Propane Auto Changeover Two Stage Regulator.

Problem solved.

Thanks to all who provided help and advice.
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Old 03-26-2019, 09:31 AM   #17
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Another possibility?: the detector may be at the end of it's life, or faulty.

Dec. 2, 2018: "End of Life signal is: LED flashing red and green twice each, with a beep every 30 seconds." This will go on and on for 30 days.

That's what mine was doing, 5+ years old. Walmart online order, $55.40 tax included.
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Old 03-26-2019, 07:19 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SkipperClyde View Post
I had the system pressure tested and no leaks were found in the system. I then capped all the appliance gas feeds and still had bleed off.

I decided the problem had to be the regulator. I replaced it with a Enerco F173766 Propane Auto Changeover Two Stage Regulator.

Problem solved.

Thanks to all who provided help and advice.

Good trouble shooting. Did the tank compartment ever smell of gas? I curious as it sounds like it was subtle or a very slow bleed off which was "undetectable" by smell.
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Old 03-27-2019, 08:12 AM   #19
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I replaced it with a Enerco F173766 Propane Auto Changeover Two Stage Regulator.

Great troubleshooting Philip!

I will add this to my Amazon list.

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