Propane Leak

First the carbon monoxide detector went off.  Took me awhile to figure out what the heck the beeping was and then get the detector off the ceiling and turn it off.  The batteries should have been replaced November 2010 so I just figured old batteries were the cause of the beeping.  I have known that to happen sometimes.

About 20 minutes later the LP gas detector went off.   WTF??????  Muted the beeping, got down on my hands and knees and crawled around to see if I could smell any gas.  Couldn't smell anything.  Ok, settled back in and dang if that beeper didn't go off again!  I kept muting it, but it kept beeping back on.

So I pulled in the slide and turned off the propane, figuring at least that might take care of the problem until the morning when I could get a repair person to take a look at it.  Still kept beeping!  I knew there must be a problem, but it is late at night and really nothing I could think of to do except ride it out until the morning.  Pulled the fuse on the gas detector to silence that horrible beeping and opened some windows to air out whatever gas may have accumulated, but still didn't really smell anything noxious.

I woke up around 4:30 AM and this time I did smell something, and it smelled really bad.  It was then I started to get worried.  I opened all the windows and the door and got myself outside.  But then I started worrying about my neighbors.  What if there is some type of explosion?  Sure, I am safe but what about the neighbors next to me?

I walked to the office, really having no clue what to DO, and decided to call Maria because she has such a wonderful brain and maybe she can help me think of my next move.  She doesn't know what to do either!  Dang!  It is not quite 5:00 in the morning, I am walking around with a blanket around me for warmth and clueless what to do in this type of situation.  I am thinking about calling 911 but under that number is the number for the onsite manager so Maria and I agree that seems to be the most logical next step.

I really hate waking people from their slumber but I see no other option.  I call the number and a woman groggily answers but says she will put some clothes on and meet me at the office.  She meets me there and opens up the the lounge where I can at least be warm and safe until we figure out what needs to be done.  She calls one of the workampers, just so happens he is my neighbor, and the three of us congregate at my motorhome and all agree, yes there is a bad smell in here but no obvious leaking.

The plan for the rest of the evening is that I will leave my door wide open as well as the windows until the morning when I can call a repairman that lives in the park.  Good plan and until at least 8:00 AM I will sleep in the lounge out of any potential harm.

The lounge had a great sofa and I had some really good sleep until it was officially opened at 7:30 AM. A little after 8:00 AM I called the repairman and he met me at my motorhome shortly thereafter.

As soon as he walked up he said he smelled sewer.  Hmmm..I told him, but my LP gas detector went off!  He said sometimes that happens.  This is new to me and I don't have the nose that he has to distinguish between propane and methane gas.  But he went through every possible connection to see if there were any places that propane could be leaking and came up with nothing.  Well that made me feel better, but why am I getting sewer gas??  And this is why:

See that white pole, that white pole that is just outside my windows?  That is a sewer pipe, an uncapped sewer pipe, so when it maybe burps, it burps right into my rv.  And opening all my windows just made it come in even more.  It is not propane my dear, but sewer gasses.

It is now in the process of being corrected and I learned some very valuable information regarding the different smell of propane versus other gases.  The repairman was a wonderful teacher, very thorough and while he was here I also had him fix my electric step which was jammed out of alignment.  All for the grand total of $40.

I appreciate all the people who worked with me in the wee hours of the night and especially Maria who answered a call from a friend in need.

But she did say "don't call me again about shit".