LP sensor going bonkers

[Beth Scott]

We have a LP sensor alarm that keeps beeping every few seconds despite having disconnected and removed the propane tanks from the trailer. We have a 2017 Escape 5.0 TA. It is an Atwood Mobile Products unit which apparently is part of Dometic. Tried calling the customer service number listed on the user's manual but get left on hold forever. The alarm seems to be responding to something because we open up the trailer to air it out when the alarm starts. After a while, it turns itself off. Can anyone help us with our chirpy issue?

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Beth Scott

We have a LP sensor alarm that keeps beeping every few seconds despite having disconnected and removed the propane tanks from the trailer. We have a 2017 Escape 5.0 TA. It is an Atwood Mobile Products unit which apparently is part of Dometic. Tried calling the customer service number listed on the user's manual but get left on hold forever. The alarm seems to be responding to something because we open up the trailer to air it out when the alarm starts. After a while, it turns itself off. Can anyone help us with our chirpy issue?

Model number? How many seconds? How many beeps each time? What lights are on? Do you have pets in the RV? Too new to be end of life, but it may have failed.

[Glenn Baglo]

To start, vacuum and wipe the face plate with a damp cloth.

[Beth Scott]

The Alarm Model Number on the back of the device is LP_DOB. I have just finished airing out the trailer (unoccupied and parked in our yard) for the umpteenth time so it is not now beeping but burned into my noggin is 3 beeps (or maybe just 2) about 5 seconds apart. The unit has a green light on now, and a red light when beeping. The trailer has been plugged in to 30 amp service. No pets or anyone else have been in the RV for a month.

[Beth Scott]

Okay, I cleaned its little face.

[Jon Vermilye]

It the problem still exists after vacuuming the detector, it may be your batteries gassing off during charging. This is not usually a problem if you only have the WFCO converter since it rarely gets above 13.6V. If you have solar, it may produce enough voltage as it finishes off the charge or goes into equalization, to cause the batteries to produce a bit of hydrogen gas, which will set off the detector.

A number of attempts to better seal the top of the battery box have been tried with mixed results, but switching to AGM or lithium batteries definitely solves the problem.

The detectors do fail early. The propane detector in my 2017 21 failed in under a year. The replacement did OK, other than 2-3 times per month going off due to the solar charging.

[grolympia]

ours seemed to be set off by our cat's litter box.

Actually by our cat's use of the litterbox.

Since lpg has strong oder we elected to disconnect power to sensor.

Nt a recommened cure- but we've had 6 years of undisturbed since

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

To start, vacuum and wipe the face plate with a damp cloth.

When my Scamp was new I found that the detector was already 2 years old. The company says the 7 year clock starts only after power is applied. I opened all of the windows, shut off the gas, and it went off again. I cleaned it with a paintbrush and vacuume cleaner and no more problems after two years. I blamed it on manufacturing dust.

[kate raslavsky]

It is not expensive or difficult to do.

[Al V]

just replaced mine, they do not have a long life, mine was 4 years old. and started odd beeps around 3 1/2 years. super easy to replace btw

[Lisle]

They are notorious for going off when there isn't a propane or CO problem. Even the technician at Casita said that's a known issue. There are other threads on this forum if you want to search. Mine will go off if I eat a bean dinner and pass gas, or if there is a strong cooking smell in the camper. Also if it gets particularly humid inside the camper - like when I'm boiling water for spaghetti on a cool evening with the windows closed. I typically hit the silence button and then run the ceiling Maxx fan for a few minutes and that will clear it. Leaving a window or vent cracked to allow fresh air into the camper may help. On my 16' Casita I leave the bathroom window cracked open except when I have AC on (no rain comes in although some dust does). As important as it is to have a propane/CO alarm, they can be pretty annoying when they go off at 3AM and wake you up. So best to find a way you can manage it's hair trigger and keep it on.

[Glenn Baglo]

The instructions for Safe-T-Alert propane gas detector say to wipe the face plate with a damp cloth and to vacuum it weekly. I don't do it that often, but I do it.
The new instructions say the five year life starts when it is purchased. Old ones said from date of manufacture ( which would make my new one six months old already ). Talked to distributor and was told that the five years starts when you connect to electricity.

[Raspy]

Once you are sure there are no outgassing rubber mats or rubber soled shoes near it, or anything else that might be fooling it, give it one more chance to be OK by pulling the inline fuse that powers it for a minute or so, and then re-connect it. This is what the techs at Oliver do, and I've done it too. Sometimes that works.