I'm currently boondocking outside of the Grand Canyon and when we were setting up today I smelled propane from the water heater. We've only been using the electric for hot water while in campgrounds and don't bother with hot water while boondocking.I figure tomorrow I'll go try to find a squirt bottle and test the connections around there with soapy water. If I find a leak what can I do to take care of it, at least temporarily? I'm thinking I'll plan on going to las Vegas Monday if I can't get it figured out. What if I don't find a leak, could it be the hot water heater itself leaking the gas? If so anything I might be able to do? Would having the water heater running in that case make it safe to have the gas on? Anyway to just shut the gas to the water heater off? I'm not using it anyways, lol. I had a ventless heater installed just a week ago and the connection is very close to the water heater so maybe that's the issue. The techs checked the connections at that time though. The smell really seems concentrated in the water heater, the smell seemed stronger when I pulled off the cover. It's a big issue for us since we've been doing a lot of boondocking and need the gas to run the refrigerator. Not to mention it's cold up here for a Florida boy, we need our heat. Thanks for any help (or just moral support). Recommendations on someone in Vegas to look at it would also be great(or even better here, tomorrow, I can dream can't I) Tim Czarkowski TotalTravelers.com

It is not unusual to smell the exhaust depending on the wind at times. You are also in a area of fresh air which makes it even more noticeable.

Tomorrow is to late.. Get soapy water now and start checking the lines, fittings and vales. Just dip a small rag in the soapy water and put it on. It's just to easy to do now and we don't have to read about you in the paper tomorrow.. Good luck and be safe. Ed

Well I didn't have the heater even running so I'm not sure how I could be smelling exhaust, plus it smelled like propane to me. Also my 30lb tank ran out of gas last night before the first post which had only been filled a week ago. I did not hook up my second tank........

I didn't read your OP carefully.. sorry.It's common in my coach to get propane smell when a tank is near empty. I have no idea why. As for your 30lb tank draining, have you not been running the furnace or anything else ?I'm also curious as to why you don't run HW on propane. If I don't get a nightly shower I'm an unhappy camper.

Propane smell from water heater | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

buylow12
Explorer
May 01, 2015
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
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
May 01, 2015
YOU HAVE A LEAK!

Either the gas valve for water heater is leaking thru, fitting is leaking OR techs didn't tighten their installation connections (or broke line when tightening)

30# propane cylinder going empty in a week..........not out of the ordinary when running furnace (cold nighttime temps) but you do have a leak. (the nose knows!)

Spray bottle with dishsoap solution (non ammonia type soap)....just enough soap to make bubbles. Spray connections, fittings, copper tubing...all of new install.

As for gas valve.......remove burner tube and spray end where main orifice is installed on gas valve (brass insert with small hole that burner tube fits over)
2oldman
Explorer II
May 01, 2015
I didn't read your OP carefully.. sorry.

It's common in my coach to get propane smell when a tank is near empty. I have no idea why. As for your 30lb tank draining, have you not been running the furnace or anything else ?

I'm also curious as to why you don't run HW on propane. If I don't get a nightly shower I'm an unhappy camper.
buylow12
Explorer
May 01, 2015
Well I didn't have the heater even running so I'm not sure how I could be smelling exhaust, plus it smelled like propane to me. Also my 30lb tank ran out of gas last night before the first post which had only been filled a week ago. I did not hook up my second tank........
2oldman
Explorer II
May 01, 2015
..
Teeton
Explorer
May 01, 2015
Tomorrow is to late.. Get soapy water now and start checking the lines, fittings and vales. Just dip a small rag in the soapy water and put it on. It's just to easy to do now and we don't have to read about you in the paper tomorrow.. Good luck and be safe. Ed
agwill
Explorer
May 01, 2015
It is not unusual to smell the exhaust depending on the wind at times. You are also in a area of fresh air which makes it even more noticeable.

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Propane smell from water heater

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