bad propane

I, too, live in Florida and use bug bombs in my fiver.

We use bug bombs every now and then since Florida weather promotes bug invasions. All is good. Us and the dog!

One caution (which should be on the bug bomb or the package) is to make sure all pilot lights and other ignition sources are off when you set off the bomb(s). I shut off the propane at the tanks and unplug the shore power. After a couple of hours, everything can be turned back on.

Specularius wrote:

...

Read my posts about that. I found out that the 'smell' they add is not regulated by the gov. It can differ from propane company to propane company. So the smell you are accustomed to may not be the same smell that was added to the propane that is already in your tank when or where the previous owner filled it.
Did you purchase your RV from a different state than you live in?

There is only 1 approved odorant for propane in North America... Ethyl Mercaptan and it is used world wide. There is an approved alternate odorant in Europe and it is still 50% Ethyl Mercaptan.

Any propane distributor using anything other than Ethyl Mercaptan to odorize propane is in direct violation of federal law.

That is not true. I went to the site for federal and state regulations regarding propane. It clearly stated it MUST have an odorant. There are least 3 different ones not just one AND 'STATE' regulations play a part in their regulations that can 'differ' from fed.

""Odorization Standards: The odorization of LPG is addressed by a myriad of Federal and STATE laws and regulations, as well as, by accepted industry standards and practices.

""odorized using either 1.0 pound of ethyl mercaptan, 1.0 pound of thiopane, or 1.4 pounds of amyl mercaptan per 10,000 gallons of LPG, i

""WARNING: The intensity of the chemical odorant (e.g., ethyl mercaptan) may “fade” or diminish due to chemical oxidation,
adsorption or absorption. .....No odorant is effective 100% of the time. Therefore,circumstances can exist when individuals are in the presence of leaking propane and not be alerted by the smell.

""PHMSA is aware of several incidents possibly attributed to either the under-odorization or odorant fade of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG

""Propane is occasionally odorized with something OTHER than ethyl mercaptan and it may "SMELL DIFFERENT".

""Users should "acquaint themselves with the odor of the odorized propane that they are using" and should frequently make sniff tests to confirm the presence of odor in ''their LP-Gas''.

Their statements not mine.

Specularius wrote:
But non-odorized propane is not legal to distribute for consumer use. It is used by manufacturers as a propellant, like in spray paint cans.

And possibly in bug bombs also. I remember seeing a story in the media awhile back about an explosion in a house. The occupant was supposedly using a bug bomb and a pilot light in a water heater set it off.

I'm not fond of bug bombs because they leave residue on everything. Depending on why you're wanting to bomb, you might try something like Zodiac household spray - it's for fleas & ticks, but i've successfully used it for spiders, ants, etc.

I remove all covers from cushions and bedding, then spray the cushions and mattresses. Then I spray the floor (carpet or not) and all corners. Spray around the door and windows. For fleas, do again 2 weeks later. Works great and I don't have to wipe everything down afterwards.

On the bug bomb thing - I bombed mine when I first got it because of ants. So far no one has grown any extra appendages and I haven't seen an ant or any other insect in almost 2 years. I did thoroughly clean every surface in the RV after the bomb.

Yep, I did the same. The area of coverage listed on those bug bomb cans is the maximum effective coverage, not the minimum space it is to be used in. :R

When I first got my '84 it had been sitting for about 6 years. I would have sworn on a stack of bibles that I had a propane leak, but it was just the odor agent that had settled into the propane tank and was blowing out the furnaces. I installed a new smoke detector, CO detector and a hard-wired combustible gas detector (you can get the latter 2 in a combo). Great for peace of mind.

The furnace will vent out the wall of the RV - nothing out the top.

On the bug bomb thing - I bombed mine when I first got it because of ants. So far no one has grown any extra appendages and I haven't seen an ant or any other insect in almost 2 years. I did thoroughly clean every surface in the RV after the bomb.

thanks,
purchased in CA.
probably wont go with bug bomb. we have been doing mods. have replace all the old pink shades, valances, blinds and covering in unit. replaced mattress
wiped done all cabinets. shampoo carpet.
am I correct that the heater is direct vent out the back, nothing going up through roof?

But non-odorized propane is not legal to distribute for consumer use. It is used by manufacturers as a propellant, like in spray paint cans.

This is what I haul...