Red alarm flashing for propane?

[ATE123]

Our hardly-driven 2014 Interstate (800 miles, bought a couple months ago) now has a red warning light flashing on the Propane Alarm box under and to the left of the fridge. This might be a stupid question, but should we be concerned? Is this common on new units, and we simply need to replace a battery? Thanks in advance for feedback.

[xrvr]

The alarm is probably hot wired to the battery. Is the battery in the coach fully charged? Check the packet that came with the coach, there should be a pamphlet for the LPG detecter. If it really bothers you, you can turn the gas off.

[overlander63]

Red light= low coach battery. Recharge the battery and check it again. I know there is a couple of battery isolation switches under the couch and inside a cabinet where the monitor panel is. I would make sure they are "on" to ensure the battery gets charged.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by ATE123

Our hardly-driven 2014 Interstate (800 miles, bought a couple months ago) now has a red warning light flashing on the Propane Alarm box under and to the left of the fridge. This might be a stupid question, but should we be concerned? Is this common on new units, and we simply need to replace a battery? Thanks in advance for feedback.

When I first bought my Interstate, there wasn't an instruction manual for the LPG detector; I had to go and hunt one up online.

The troubleshooting guide in my manual says that for: (rapidly flashing red light; and (2) no alarm sound; the condition is "Alarm Silence Mode" where the alarm sounded, but has been silenced by pressing the "test" button. It will still sound an alarm if the propane level is still above 2000 parts per million after 4 minutes.

The unstated corollary is, if the propane level isn't above 2000 ppm, the alarm won't sound again, and it will continue to sit there stupidly and flash red at you.

My guess is, the alarm went off for reasons unknown, someone shut off that gawd-awful squawking noise, and then just left it that way.

Press the reset button and hold it for a few seconds longer than you think you need to, then let go, and it should go back to a normal flashing green light. If it doesn't, then consider it broken.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by overlander63

Red light= low coach battery.

SOLID red indicates low battery. Flashing red doesn't. At least according to my owner's manual.

[ATE123]

You are all awesome. Thanks for the smart feedback!

[73shark]

IIRC, Airstream had a batch of defective LPG detectors. May have even been a recall.

[HowieE]

Once you solve this issue you may want to check and see if the alarm is HARD wired to the coach battery. If it is it will kill you battery in a few weeks if the rig is not on shore power. Not the greatest design ever.

[73shark]

If he has a solar panel, it should keep the battery(s) fully charged if everything is turned off.

[HowieE]

Think about SHOULD every time he buys a new battery. Completely discharged batteries don't last long.

[73shark]

Let me clarify then. If his solar panel ( if he has one) doesn't keep the battery charged with everything turned off, then he has another problem besides the alarm.

[HowieE]

I won't say disconnect the alarm all together. That might get some upset. There is none in my trailer.

What I would suggest is to supply the power to it from the output side of the frig power switch. Then the alarm would only be on when you are using the rig as I assume the frig would be turned on a day or so before you go out and would be on as long as you were out.

If you question the limits on the switch run a line from it and control a 12 relay at the alarm to turn it on.

[Lineolated]

We've had our 2014.5 for 8 days now. In that time, my DH has set off the propane alarm twice by kneeling in front of the detector and partially blocking it. Perhaps that's how the problem started?

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by HowieE

I won't say disconnect the alarm all together. That might get some upset. There is none in my trailer.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating. The real danger with a propane leak isn't that your Airstream will catch fire or explode. The lower explosive limit for propane is a concentration of 2.1% propane in air, or 21,000 parts per million,or about 10 times what it takes to set off the alarm. That's a lot of propane. The real danger is that you might inhale the stuff. Propane is hazardous to your heart and central nervous system if you inhale just 1000 parts per million. Which just happens to be less than what it takes to set off the alarm.

What I would suggest is to supply the power to it from the output side of the frig power switch. Then the alarm would only be on when you are using the rig as I assume the frig would be turned on a day or so before you go out and would be on as long as you were out.

Good advice for a trailer, not so much for an Interstate unless it was built before 2007. The Nova Kool fridge in an Interstate doesn't run on propane.

[xrvr]

Cannot the LPG alarm be set off by perfume,etc, ? Or is that the other alarm? Jim

[UKDUDE]

On my 2014, the propane alarm is disabled when the battery disconnect by the door is off. When you connect the batteries again, the alarm flashes red for a good 5-10 minutes before it goes green.

[flyncldxctry]

Our 2011 Flying Cloud propane light is flashing red, no alarm. Just plugged the rig into shore power. It's been in storage 7 weeks. Solid red means low battery. What does flashing red, no alarm mean? We replaced the propane detector below and to the right of the fridge within the last 12 months. Can I run the fridge on Auto to get it ready for departure tomorrow?