Smell of gas....

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Geckohead

Joined
Apr 8, 2023
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Globecar Globestar
Globecar Campscout 2016

Hi Guys

We been getting an intermittent smell of gas, I`ve tried isolating cooker/heater but it still remains.
I`ve also isolated the gas cupboard but it still remains for at least 24hrs. The gauze in the bottom of the cupboard is clear.
So my question/questions are do all gas cupboards smell of gas ? Could it be emanating from the actual cylinder tap when open? Could it be the cupboard door seal?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Mark
I
 
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Always that 'odour' when I open the gas cupboard but it's been checked and checked, and definitely no leak.

I also always get a smell in the van after refilling the cylinders. The fill point is in the skirt, and when you release it after the filling, some seems to shoots under the van and the smell rises. Disappears in a few minutes, but not nice.
 
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Always a bitof a smell in the gas locker but it shoudn't be a strong smell.
I always carry a gas sniffer in the van, if I ever disconnect a bottle always check afterwards.
I have a Honeywell one.
 
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Geckohead said:
Globecar Campscout 2016

Hi Guys

We been getting an intermittent smell of gas, I`ve tried isolating cooker/heater but it still remains.
I`ve also isolated the gas cupboard but it still remains for at least 24hrs. The gauze in the bottom of the cupboard is clear.
So my question/questions are do all gas cupboards smell of gas ? Could it be emanating from the actual cylinder tap when open? Could it be the cupboard door seal?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Mark
I
Click to expand...

Have you got rubber hoses which could have become partly permeable?

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Lenny HB said:
Always a bitof a smell in the gas locker but it shoudn't be a strong smell.
I always carry a gas sniffer in the van, if I ever disconnect a bottle always check afterwards.
I have a Honeywell one.
Click to expand...
Ta
jezport said:
If you have a rubber gas hose it does smell. Stainless steel doesnt smell
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It has a rubber hose from the cylinder/s to the regulator, I`ll change to flexible stainless, thanks.
 
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Age of pipe? Do you have any fixed tanks? If I fill our 3 tanks to the brim (80% shut off) and the weather warms up then the over-pressure valve opens and leaks a tiny amount from the highest bottle. Hence, I don't usually fill to max as I don't need to. Neighbours car in the 40degree heat wave was dribbling petrol out of her fuel tank (car) and she had no idea it could happen - she had filled with petrol after shopping and then parked outside in direct sun....
 
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Geckohead said:
Ta

It has a rubber hose from the cylinder/s to the regulator, I`ll change to flexible stainless, thanks.
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I wouldn't, rubber hoses are more reliable, Basildog will explain.

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Jev88 said:
Age of pipe? Do you have any fixed tanks? If I fill our 3 tanks to the brim (80% shut off) and the weather warms up then the over-pressure valve opens and leaks a tiny amount from the highest bottle. Hence, I don't usually fill to max as I don't need to. Neighbours car in the 40degree heat wave was dribbling petrol out of her fuel tank (car) and she had no idea it could happen - she had filled with petrol after shopping and then parked outside in direct sun....
Click to expand...
Van is 8yrs old, pipe looks new, no fixed tanks...
 
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The stenching agents used in LPG have an odour threshold of 0.002 parts per million and can linger for a long time. On the LNG ships we used to have a small tank of Methyl Mercaptan which was used to inject into the boil off gas that was burnt in the boilers. Worst job in the world was refilling it. Two tyvek boilersuits taped up gloves boots and masks and you still stank for a week
 
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Geckohead said:
And get a flammable gas detector.....
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Get one like Lenny & I have with a small snout so you can get into all the nocks & crannies.

One would be surprised how even the smallest leak can smell like a big one! 🤔
 
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L' Hobo said:
Get one like Lenny & I have with a small snout so you can get into all the nocks & crannies.

One would be surprised how even the smallest leak can smell like a big one! 🤔
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Annoying thing is often its absolutely fine, even with gas on overnight and using the gas heater.
Yet this past weekend parked up, turned on the gas, didn't use cooker or heater and when we got back to the van to sleep there was the gas smell, turned it off at the cylinder and all was fine eventually. We`ve had it gas checked twice fairly recently.
 
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DuxDeluxe said:
The stenching agents used in LPG have an odour threshold of 0.002 parts per million and can linger for a long time. On the LNG ships we used to have a small tank of Methyl Mercaptan which was used to inject into the boil off gas that was burnt in the boilers. Worst job in the world was refilling it. Two tyvek boilersuits taped up gloves boots and masks and you still stank for a week
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I thought the worst job was scraping down the inside of the Scavengers (exhausts) on a large Motor Vessel.
I always used to feel sorry for the crew who were signing off after a long trip and having to return to their loved ones with unburnt gas oil clogging their pores! 😱

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L' Hobo said:
I thought the worst job was scraping down the inside of the Scavengers (exhausts) on a large Motor Vessel.
I always used to feel sorry for the crew who were signing off after a long trip and having to return to their loved ones with unburnt gas oil clogging their pores! 😱
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For the engineers it used to be greasing the sootblowers on an old steamship. Anything in the scavenge spaces it pretty horrible but as a deck officer I avoided it.
 
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Check the date on your rubber pipes they should be changed at five years old-date on the pipe is made date😉
 
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DuxDeluxe said:
For the engineers it used to be greasing the sootblowers on an old steamship. Anything in the scavenge spaces it pretty horrible but as a deck officer I avoided it.
Click to expand...

I'm happy to report, as I was only on escort attachment to the ship, neither did I! 😄
 
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If you have a smell of gas you have a leak, the strength of the smell is no indication of the size of the leak.
Have it checked by a competent person, you should not be smelling gas.

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Terry said:
Check the date on your rubber pipes they should be changed at five years old-date on the pipe is made date😉
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5 years was for the old low pressure ones used with bottle top regulators. It's 10 years for the high pressure ones.
 
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Lenny HB said:
5 years was for the old low pressure ones used with bottle top regulators. It's 10 years for the high pressure ones.
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I would beg to differ on this issue please 🙏
What I would say is that the expected maximum lifespan of a rubber hose is 10 years and at that point it requires replacement.
So 10 years is the maximum but the hoses should be inspected regularly and the important part here is condition, so a seaside or marine hose could well require replacement at a year old but as caravan and Motorhome gas hoses are generally in a dark well protected environment they often look like new at 10 years.
What I would add is that the washers should be checked and replaced regularly say every couple of years.
 
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DuxDeluxe said:
The stenching agents used in LPG have an odour threshold of 0.002 parts per million and can linger for a long time. On the LNG ships we used to have a small tank of Methyl Mercaptan which was used to inject into the boil off gas that was burnt in the boilers. Worst job in the world was refilling it. Two tyvek boilersuits taped up gloves boots and masks and you still stank for a week
Click to expand...

Yes, it does linger a bit - which is a massive understatement. I’ve had a past interest in scent training dogs and read a book by one of the world’s leading professionals which detailed a project he undertook for a leading LNG transportation company in Canada. After laying a large bore underground pipeline over many miles they found that the welds on some sections were not to standard and leaking. Rather than excavate the whole length to locate and repair, which would be extremely costly, they took the decision to train German Shepherds to indicate clothes pegs dipped in mercaptan and buried at varying depths. When then deployed in the field the end result was a 100% detection and identification of leaking welds over (IIRC) a 100 mile pipeline.

But …… when the dogs were returned to the training area some six months later they were still locating some original pegs buried at quite substantial depths. A testament to the olfactory capabilities of our canine friends and also the ‘stinkyness’ (technical term) of mercaptan!
 
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BillyKontiki said:
If you have a smell of gas you have a leak, the strength of the smell is no indication of the size of the leak.
Have it checked by a competent person, you should not be smelling gas.
Click to expand...
It`s had 2 gas checks, 1 quite recently.....
 
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