Propane smell from water heater

buylow12 wrote:
We have been boondocking 1 to 3 nights and then staying in a campground so we just don't bother with showers while boondocking to save water. No shower, no need for hot water.

Maybe I'm just crazy I don't know. I just tested all the fittings around the water heater and didn't notice anything leaking. The smell is really concentrated in the water heater. Also when I got up, after the had being off all night, I could swear the water heater still had a slight propane smell to it.

I know this is incredibly stupid but I just couldn't help myself since I don't know how else to test if it's the water heater leaking. I stuck my grill lighter in it, no explosion(thank god), no flame other than the lighters at all. Any other, less stupid way, that I can confirm whether it's leaking or not?

We actually haven't been using the heater for the past week much at all, mostly just refrigerator, stove, and oven. However, I was just thinking about it and I actually don't know that the tank was full. It was from when we purchased the rv actually. It was the other tank I refilled myself.

I'm thinking I'm just going to see how it goes. Maybe it's like someone said before, it smelled because the tank was going empty. I know the tank it's on now is full so if we run through this one, we have a problem. I'd still really like to get the water heater looked at though.

Tim Czarkowski
TotalTravelers.com

Did you stick BBQ lighter in where flame is normally (right at end of burner tube)?
If gas valve is leaking thru..........that probably would not show.

You need to 'test' right at gas valve where propane comes out before going into/up burner tube.
And propane needs to be valved in when testing for leaks//////