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Date:         Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:07:15 -0700
Reply-To:     "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Whiff of propane
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

During the last camping trip I was on occasion getting whiffs of propane outside the van. Not strong, not inside, and nowhere near sources of ignition so I figured I'd sort it out here.

So Mellow Yellow is parked on the driveway and I get whiffs of propane. I shut off the main valve and the whiffs continue. Bleed the inside lines (open stove valves) and a day later, whiffs continue. This suggests to me that the trouble is the filler bits, the tank, the line leading to the main shutoff, or the main shutoff.

So I start painting everything with 50/50 mix of liquid dishwashing detergent and water. No bubbles. Not one. Isn't this supposed to be, like, at Pretty Darn Good Test for something like this?

While I'm at it, I paint everything else I can reach, including the new 2-stage regulator I had installed three years ago, and it's output bits. No bubbles. Whiffs continue.

Questions:

1. Do main shutoff valves not shut fully off? IOW, if it's tightened fully clockwise, would we expect it to not pass gas to the regulator?

2. The autostop valve's reset button -- I'd like to try to reset it, but pushing on it as hard as my measly fingers can does not move it. Use a tiny hammer? Hire a gorilla? Which leads to:

3. Could the autostop valve be the source of my propane whiffs? I have a manual fill valve and a manual bleeder valve on hand.

--

Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana") 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano KG6RCR


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