Safety Tips for Dealing with a Leaking RV Propane Tank
Dave SolbergDescription
As with all appliances and components on your motorhome, it’s highly important to take proper precaution when maintaining and dealing with RV propane tanks. As propane is a volatile gas, you don’t want to cut any corners or forget any steps in the process. To teach you some of the most important features of caring for the RV propane tank system, Dave Solberg walks you step by step through a few safety tips for disconnecting, filling and monitoring your RV propane tank.
First things first, all RVers need to be aware of the official methods mandated by the National Fire Prevention Association for dealing with a malfunctioning RV propane system. You should know what to do in the case of a rotten egg odor inside your coach (distinctive to a faulty RV propane system) or a repetitive chirping caused by an LP leak detector. If either of these occur, it’s vital that you extinguish immediately any open flames present in appliances such as your water heater, stovetop burners or refrigerator cooling system — any that could cause a spark.
The NFPA recommends next shutting off the LP valve on the RV propane tank at the source, and then opening all windows and doors to fully ventilate the motorhome and get all fumes out of the coach.
Once the unit is clear of that odorous smell and you’ve ensured the leak has subsided, you must take your RV into a certified filling station or maintenance shop to have it inspected. Technicians will check every component of the propane system for leaks using a water column test for proper working condition. Don’t ever hesitate to ask an expert to take a look if you’re not sure what to do. You can’t take any risks when it comes to the RV propane tank system, as gas leaks can lead to unexpected dangerous situations.
If you smell the distinctive rotten egg odor of propane inside your coach or you happen to have an LP leak detector that's chirping, The National Fire Prevention Association has a procedure that you should follow. First of all, make sure you distinguish any open flames, any of your water heaters, your stoves inside, refrigerator. Make sure all the appliances are off. Anything that would light a spark or have a spark igniter inside. The next thing you wanna do is shut off the LP valve at the source, at the tank. Go inside, open up any of your windows doors, that type of stuff, air it out until the smell is gone. If the smells really, really bad, the first thing you really wanna do is shut off flames and get out. Make sure you stay safe. Get the unit tested. Take it to a certified technician and have him do a water column test. Have 'em test all the leaks, all your valves, everything on the outside. Make sure also that if you are smelling that leak you don't have any kind of spark inside that may come from static or any type of a light that you switch on as well.
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