Mr Carrot Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I noticed on our first tour there was a small smell of gas under the seat when you opened the cupboard. You could not smell it unless you opened it. Should I get it checked out ? Also the thing you open outside for the carbon dioxide (or is that monoxide) should it be open when using any gas or just when using gas for the fire ? Also do you have a carbon dioxide (monoxide) detector in your van ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tephi Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Hi Chrissie, In answer to your first question - Yes if you smell gas you probably have a leak - wise to get it checked soonest. In answer to your last question - Yes CO detector from B&Q £15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brecon Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 Any gas smell should be checked out BEFORE using the van again. As for the "thing" that opens outside? what are you trying to describe? and the gas you are looking for is Carbon Monoxide If you are talking about a carbon monoxide detector then it should be in use all the time you are in the van, otherwise it is pointless. The gas fire is a room sealed appliance so no combustion gas should enter the van anyway, but the cooker will give off a small amount of carbon monoxide whilst in use, that is why makers recommend having the extractor fan on whilst cooking, or a window nearby open, or the door open. The small "Dot" CO detectors that change the colour of a small round part of a card are not terribly good, if you want a CO detector it is better to get a battery operated unit. Do I have aCO detector in my van,yes just a reassurance item Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTQ Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 (edited) If there is any smell of gas and your not competent at diagnosing the reason [i assume your not because you ask] then please seek professional attention to cure it rather than advice here. It is too dangerous to do anything else. Yes I have a carbon monoxide detector and cant understand the logic of those prepared to risk it without one. It's a potentially fatal matter to share a van with Carbon Monoxide. EDIT: The comment on the Lloyds Pharmacy CO detector has been removed as on the internal instructions it says its not suitable for use in a "caravan". Sorry if the earlier note had mislead you. Edited February 23, 2009 by JTQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WispMan Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I agree with all the above. You are sleeping in an almost sealed tin box with a gas bottle nearby. A CO detector is a MUST - they are so cheap. And check it every time you go touring. Quote Graham Unless otherwise stated all posts are my personal opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Carrot Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Best get the gas checked then. I sort of new the answer but hubby was calm and I wasn't sure if I was been ott like normal lol. The thing that opens outside the van is to let the fumes go out and my Bailey book is in the carrot so I can not explain it properly, I just remember the man saying don't forget to open it. I have four smoke alarms and a carbon detector in my house so I don't even know why I haven't in the van. Do you all have smoke alarms too then. If so do they screw ok into the ceiling. Where is the best place do you think. My carbon monoxide detector is quite large from costco's can you get a smaller one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brecon Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 I am guessing but the "thing that opens outside the van",,,,,,is that the ultrastore water heater exhaust cover? If so, the only time you need to remove it is if you are using gas to heat the water. If you do not remove it, the gas will not light, so no hot water. There is no need to remove it if using the electric water heater. I have both smoke and CO detectors above the door next to each other. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Carrot Posted February 22, 2009 Author Share Posted February 22, 2009 Do I need special screws or just what come with them, what is the ceiling made of usually, also who do I get to check the gas. Do I take it to a Bailey dealer or a gas man. I swear I am not normally this thick lol. . Thanks everyone for your help so far x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul styper Posted February 22, 2009 Share Posted February 22, 2009 If you can smell gas, it's neither carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide as no combustion process has taken place so a CO detector would be useless as a gas detector. Under normal conditions when burning gas, carbon dioxide is given off not carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is produced when the amount of oxygen present is reduced during the combustion process so if the caravan were sealed up and you lit the hob it would give off Co2 until the oxygen was depleted then it would give of Co. This also applies to burning wood and coal or any carbon based fuel. Internal combustion engines do, however give off Co but when powered by LPG this can be reduced by up to 60% The 'thing' on the side of the van you are referring to is more than likely the water heater cover which should be taken off when heating water on gas. It won't work if you forget to take it off. I'm not an expert so stand to be corrected. Rob Jax, God rest his soul would have given the definative answer, such was his knowledge. A very sad loss. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Carrot Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 The smell under the seating must be a leak with the pipes I think. I was not sure when you use a bottle of gas if it did not smell alittle at first. .. I am aware that CO does not smell and I don't even know why I have not got a Co detector yet. I think it is because normally I am over the top and my hubby is more laid back and I didn't want to look like I was going on and on really feel a little foolish. I now realize with a second opinion from you guys I was foolish not to go with my first instincts and will go buy both this week. I asked about the cover to see if my hubby was right about it been for the water (just checking) as I was not sure if you used it for the cooker too. We used the EHU for our water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rimmer Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Outside my caravan I smell gas which bothered me to the extent, I switched the bottle off and crawled under the caravan. From the gas bottle, I had a rubber gas pipe into a metal pipe, then it went back into a rubber pipe. It was here I found that the pipe had split down from the connetor. A two minute underdo clip, remove pipe, cut split bit off and push the pipe and clip back on and seal, job done. Cost? nothing, but it could have cost a dam sight more f the gas had ignited. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee E Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I have just a small point to add. If you decide to get a CO alarm then DONT site it where you site a smoke alarm ie the ceiling. CO is colourless, odourless and heavier than air. Therefore you must site it at a height similar to a level where your nose will be. I have sited mine at the same height as when the bed is made - the logic being that it is at night when i am asleep that the most risk will occur. Anyone who has sited the CO alarm high up may be wasting their money. I suppose if the source of the CO was a lit cooker then the CO might rise but then you would need to site the alarm in the convection current for it to be most effective. Regards Lee Quote Please note that my opinions stated are those of an enthusiast not an expert and humble at that 2006 Hyundai Sante Fe towing a Coachman Vision 580/5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Best get the gas checked then. I sort of new the answer but hubby was calm and I wasn't sure if I was been ott like normal lol. The thing that opens outside the van is to let the fumes go out and my Bailey book is in the carrot so I can not explain it properly, I just remember the man saying don't forget to open it. I have four smoke alarms and a carbon detector in my house so I don't even know why I haven't in the van. Do you all have smoke alarms too then. If so do they screw ok into the ceiling. Where is the best place do you think. My carbon monoxide detector is quite large from costco's can you get a smaller one. Hi Chrissie, Yoou should already have a smoke alarm in the 'van, which should be tested before every outing. On our 'vans they,ve always been high up on the wall as opposed to the ceiling, which is not best practise but acceptable. The smoke detector should be the type which you can switch off, by pressing a button, so that it doesn't go off when cooking (?) though resetting itself after a perdetermined time in case you forget to turn it back on, Regards, Ian. Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy B Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 . .... which should be tested before every outing. . ...... We manage to test ours during every outing. It's usually the bacon that does it. Quote Lunar Delta 520/2 towed by Omega 3. 0 Elite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 --> QUOTE(Andy B @ Feb 23 2009, 10:18 AM) 233351[/snapback] We manage to test ours during every outing. It's usually the bacon that does it. Yes we forget every time . Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerL Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 We don't have a CO alarm - the room heater, water heater and fridge are room-sealed so all the combustion gases are discharged directly to the outside air. The oven, grill and hob are the only internal sources of CO or CO2 but are situated directly under the Omnivent fan which has fixed ventilation around it - we ALWAYS use the Omnivent fan when cooking, to avoid the smoke alarm going off. Since the cooker is never in use while we're asleep, we have no plans to install a CO detector - it's a matter of taking reasonable precautions - to be totally safe we'd never do anything. We do have smoke detectors in every room at home - not just one for the whole house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTQ Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) I have just a small point to add. If you decide to get a CO alarm then DONT site it where you site a smoke alarm ie the ceiling. CO is colourless, odourless and heavier than air. Therefore you must site it at a height similar to a level where your nose will be. I have sited mine at the same height as when the bed is made - the logic being that it is at night when i am asleep that the most risk will occur. Anyone who has sited the CO alarm high up may be wasting their money. I suppose if the source of the CO was a lit cooker then the CO might rise but then you would need to site the alarm in the convection current for it to be most effective. Regards Lee NOT the advice of the manufacturers of the two different makes we have in home; Night Hawk and First Alert, and the van specific one Ei that I have in the van. Neither is it the advice from references I can find. Its very important you follow the makers instructions rather than take advice from formus. If that unit is not sold for a van application I suggest you contact the maker. In a van it cant be sited far away enough from the potential source of the monoxide so SHOULD be on the ceiling. Where in a room of a building remote from source then it ought to be at breathing height, but clearly no space in a van is remote from the source its all one box with never more than 6 metres from source to a person. The "homesafe" website [http://www. homesafe. com/coalert/detect. htm] quotes for a house situation the following. From what my literature states that advice is even more applicable in the confines of a caravan or motorhome: "When considering where to place a carbon monoxide detector, keep in mind that although carbon monoxide is roughly the same weight as air (carbon monoxide's specific gravity is 0. 9657, as stated by the EPA; the National Resource Council lists the specific gravity of air as one), it may be contained in warm air coming from combustion appliances such as home heating equipment. If this is the case, carbon monoxide will rise with the warmer air. For this reason, the makers of First Alert®, a leading brand in carbon monoxide detector technology, suggests mounting the detector on the ceiling." Further discussion is given in this link: http://www. newton. dep. anl. gov/askasci/chem03/chem03364. htm Edited February 23, 2009 by JTQ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arc Systems Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 Outside my caravan I smell gas which bothered me to the extent, I switched the bottle off and crawled under the caravan. From the gas bottle, I had a rubber gas pipe into a metal pipe, then it went back into a rubber pipe. It was here I found that the pipe had split down from the connetor. A two minute underdo clip, remove pipe, cut split bit off and push the pipe and clip back on and seal, job done. Cost? nothing, but it could have cost a dam sight more f the gas had ignited. Now that caught my eye? this second bit of hose should not be there and the reason is why you got the leak, it's out of sight and lacks regular checks. Caravans are allowed one bit of hose from regulator to metal pipework or more lately from bottle to regulator. Regarding any leak, get the leak checked out, this ones tiny and probably safe at this point in time but it won't fix itself and can only get worse. As for CO alarms, personally I'm with Roger but each to there own and if it makes you feel safer then fine Quote Arc Systems are specialist Carver caravan product repairers, committed to providing a comprehensive service as well as spare parts for these popular heaters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Rimmer Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) Now that caught my eye? this second bit of hose should not be there and the reason is why you got the leak, it's out of sight and lacks regular checks. Caravans are allowed one bit of hose from regulator to metal pipework or more lately from bottle to regulator. Regarding any leak, get the leak checked out, this ones tiny and probably safe at this point in time but it won't fix itself and can only get worse. As for CO alarms, personally I'm with Roger but each to there own and if it makes you feel safer then fine I did forget to say I was on my hols at the time, but got the system checked out on return. I have a CO alarm sited where the instructions informed me to do so. ..at floor level! Edited February 23, 2009 by Rimmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I have just a small point to add. If you decide to get a CO alarm then DONT site it where you site a smoke alarm ie the ceiling. CO is colourless, odourless and heavier than air. Anyone who has sited the CO alarm high up may be wasting their money. Regards Lee CO is lighter than air, but only just. However, it will also rise on convection currents so, according to British Gas and the manufacturers, fit a CO detector/alarm high up. Easy to remember CO alarm = Ceiling level. ..........Gas alarm = Ground level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beejay Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 (edited) From the gas bottle, I had a rubber gas pipe into a metal pipe, then it went back into a rubber pipe. It was here I found that the pipe had split down from the connetor. A two minute underdo clip, remove pipe, cut split bit off and push the pipe and clip back on and seal, job done. There should only be a hose or flexible connection between bottle and fixed regulator or bottle mounted regulator and fixed pipe. All other pipe should be fixed copper or steel. If the pipe had split it is probably out of date and perished. It should be replaced not repaired. Gas hose is dated and should be replaced regularly. Edited February 23, 2009 by beejay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD 42 Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 I noticed on our first tour there was a small smell of gas under the seat when you opened the cupboard. You could not smell it unless you opened it. Should I get it checked out ?Also the thing you open outside for the carbon dioxide (or is that monoxide) should it be open when using any gas or just when using gas for the fire ? Also do you have a carbon dioxide (monoxide) detector in your van ? The gas fire flue is on the roof, the exaust/flue from the water heater exits from the side of the van. if you use the gas to heat the water then you must remove the cover from the side flue, not required when using electric If you tried to light the water heater without removing the cover it will not light but you might get some fumes from it (the water heater is fitted under the seats in most vans) due to its attempts to light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Carrot Posted February 23, 2009 Author Share Posted February 23, 2009 Thanks again. ..we have been in the carrot this afternoon both me and mark and had the gas on, but not for a long time. Mark has tightened something and there was no smell. If it was a small leak though it could take hours i think. And like you say its not going to mend its self and we need it checked. I do have a smoke alarm, thought i did but could not remember. Its on the panel of cupboards as you go out of the door. I remember seeing it when we bought the van and thinking I thought you could not put them side ways. Saying that I did not check it on tour one and we did not burn anything so it never went off. I am going to get a CO alarm as you never know whats outside near your windows as well as whats in side your van. Thanks for your help i will show Mark this thread so he can get his butt into gear lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauriceH Posted February 23, 2009 Share Posted February 23, 2009 If you are not qualified gas technicians -- get it checked out by one who is. .. Quote Volvo S60 D5 (now sold 😥) new Vauxall soonHappy to meet, Sorry to part, Happy to meet again48 Year Member of The Caravan Club Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian dunning Posted February 24, 2009 Share Posted February 24, 2009 I have a CO alarm sited where the instructions informed me to do so. ..at floor level! Hi, the National Fire Protection Association advise you to do just that. .......follow the siting instructions as advised by the detector manufacurer, Regards, Ian. Quote Bailey Unicorn Vigo and a 2017 Ford S Max and a Mercedes SLK AMG Sport 9 speed, my mid life crisis solver. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.