LP Leak Detector Life

[pontzdav]

Do these things have a limited life? Are they to be replaced every so often? Thanks in advance for the help.

[Al and Missy]

The manual for the one in my 2001 Safari said they should be replaced. I think it said 10 years. I tested it by wafting a little propane from a torch to it and it went off. Of course I have no idea what the concentration was. Others I have looked at didn't mention replacement requirements.

No help, I know, but see if you can find a manual for yours and see what it says.

Al

[smithcreek]

The Atwood detectors (which is in our 2013) have a seven year life and goes into "end of life" mode. I copied and pasted this from the etrailer site:


The Atwood detector is designed to go into "End-of-Life" mode after it has been powered for 7 years. When in this mode it will chirp once every 30 seconds and you will also see a flashing yellow LED. If this is what is going on with your unit then the only option is to replace it. You can press the reset/test button to silence the alarm for 12 hours but after this amount of time the chirping will continue

I wonder if removing the batteries for six months over the winter extends the life safely?

[A W Warn]

Some detectors have an expiration date printed on the back on the label.

[pontzdav]

Thank you for the help.

[TRizzuti]

Ours lasted 13 yrs. Just went out last month at 2:00 am. Scared the crap out of us. Couldn’t go back to sleep.

[ElliotA]

I found a source for the Atwood LP Detector for $34 plus $10 shipping.


The company is https://www.rvpartscountry.com/


Elliot

[teagues]

I appreciate this thread and the replies. I'd never thought about the LP detector having a fixed lifespan. Since mine is about 11 years old, I just ordered a new one as a backup. There's some question about whether the new model will fit properly in the existing mounting space for the old Series 2001, but it does not look like it will be that difficult to make it work.

[Atwebs]

No need to guess when they need to be replaced, the chirping will drive you crazy and our old one also drained our batteries much quicker than it did when it was not "dying".

It is a relatively easy thing to replace.

[xyzabe]

If you look at the label, it will have the expiration date. This is 10 years from the day of manufacture. While it may work past that date, I always spend the money and replace it by that date. The question--How Much Is Your Safety Worth???????

[jamieb1086]

On the Cajun Caravan last month the LP detector went off. Someone bumped one of the stove burners on just a bit. FWIW - DO NOT let it expire! I will change mine before the 10 years is up!

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by ElliotA

I found a source for the Atwood LP Detector for $34 plus $10 shipping.


The company is https://www.rvpartscountry.com/


Elliot

I probably need to change mine so I followed the link.

Check the date on it when it comes. I thought it odd that the ad copy said that model 36719 replaces model 36720 on the referenced and other websites. I googled Atwood and the Dometic site came up. Apparently Dometic acquired Atwood in 2017. The site only lists model 36720. I guess if 36719 is the old model number it technically could replace the newer one but check the date.

Al

[Silvertwinkie]

Originally Posted by jamieb1086

On the Cajun Caravan last month the LP detector went off. Someone bumped one of the stove burners on just a bit. FWIW - DO NOT let it expire! I will change mine before the 10 years is up!

Didn't know that they expired.....mine seems to be working going on 15 or so years now.

[Bmccorm]

When we first got our 2004 Safari a little over a year ago we had a propane leak in the oven. Luckily we smelled it as the detector never went off. I tried it with a propane torch and it worked. I replaced it as it said to after 10 years and it was 14 at the time. Replaced the oven as well and no more issues. The detector was inexpensive and simple to replace...

[teagues]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

I probably need to change mine so I followed the link.

Check the date on it when it comes. I thought it odd that the ad copy said that model 36719 replaces model 36720 on the referenced and other websites. I googled Atwood and the Dometic site came up. Apparently Dometic acquired Atwood in 2017. The site only lists model 36720. I guess if 36719 is the old model number it technically could replace the newer one but check the date.

Al

I ordered the 36720 from amazon and just received it. A few quick observations:

1. While the actual detector appears somewhat smaller, the extra mounting plate that was included matches the size of the original plate nicely. The screw holes don't match up, but you'll never be able to tell.

2. The manual says that 36719 is the OEM packaging, and retail is the 36720. The difference might be that additional mounting plate for replacement, which would not be needed for a fresh install.

3. Elsewhere, the manual says that "Connection to a Master Storage Switch is acceptable" (just don't use the RV when the detector is not powered). I won't bother trying to figure that out (my trailer lives on a trickle charger, so I am not worried about a 75mA draw from the detector), but it's nice to know that's an option.

Now that I have the replacement, I am confident that the old one will live forever. That is, as long as I remember to store the new one in the trailer before our next trip.

[nmzouk]

I didn't know these had a limited life span until ours started chirping and the LED flashing orange. It is supposed to last 7 years but it lasted 11. If I had known that I would have replaced it sooner. It is very easy to change, so do it at a convenient time.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Just to add to the collective wisdom:

Ours made it 5 years before going nuts.

Now for the more important question: *Why* do they always die between 2 and 3 AM ????

Ours is marked "replace 84 months after retail sale". It's in small enough print that even if you did spend a lot of time crawling on the floor, you'd have to have *very* good eyesight to read it.

I'd bet the "yellow light" (which we obviously never made it to) is tied to a "running hours" counter or something like that. Power the thing down and (maybe) it gets confused about how long it's been out in the wild. I very much doubt the light means anything in terms of the device actually being OK. ( = it might die at 8 years and get a yellow light at 9 / it might get the light at 9 and still be working fine .... who knows ...).

Bob

[ROBERT CROSS]

Ours still works(tested with the Q)....I did put a switch on it 12yrs ago.

Bob
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