Propane detector with valve control

[The Kartchner's]

The propane detector on my 83 Pace Arrow, no longer works, the light does not come on , nor alerts and seems to be dead, I pull it off the wall and tested all 4 wires 2 red, a yellow and a black, and each has voltage being it lit up my test lamp. so I guess I must now locate and install a new propane detector with valve control. My question is this, being all for wires lit my test lamp I would assume that being I get no gas delivery to my stove etc, the solenoid valve must be normally open, being the yellow wire has power to it, and the valve must be closed due to lack of gas, if I went ahead and cut that yellow wire would it tune the solenoid off allowed gas to flow, doe that sound reasonable?

The detector had a Manchester label on it but I think instead it may be a CCI 7719, based on the wiring diagram and a photo I located on line, but being it has not marking what so ever I have no positive proof.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  I have no wiring diagram for your valve, but can only say Id be more inclined to think that type of a safety gas solenoid valve would be NORMALLY CLOSED such that voltage is necessary to OPEN it. That sounds safer since in case of a power failure the valve would CLOSE. I also think that because when I had an RV that had one the house battery would eventually discharge and it was because that device was drawing current all the time, i.e. it was drawing current to keep the valve open.

 

  Again, I have no diagram and do not know the answer, but my intuition wants to consider a safety gas shut off solenoid valve as being normally closed???????????

 

  Ol John T in Indiana

[The Kartchner's]

Thanks for your feedback John, well now I wonder why the valve is closed being all 4 wires are energized why the solenoid is not open allow gas to flow. unless being the unit is bad the will prevent everything from working? Does anyone know the voltage it take to energize that solenoid I assume it would be approx 12 volts, but having worked on irrigation 24 volt system I understand that voltage from 18.5 to just over 24 volt does the same job, but not wanting to risk burning the wires and or solenoid I do not want to apply more volts then needed.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  For safetys sake many RV appliances dont work if the voltage is too low, as a PURE GUESS Id think it needs say at least 10 or 11 volts to work. If it were me doing it at home Id use some light jumper wires down at the valve and temporarily momentarily jump/scratch/bump 12 volts to the 2 terminals on the valve and you can sort of feel and hear if its working. You can also use an ohmeter across it (valves solenoid) to insure its NOT an open circuit. It would be my guess, however, its NOT the valve at fault Id suspect the electronics and possibly a relay is at fault there in the unit, the relay being what stops or sends voltage down to the solenoid valve. Its just hard to help much over the net but on many RV's Ive owned its often a simple thing LIKE A BAD RESISTIVE OR CORRODED CONNECTION, you may wanna remove clean n tighten all the terminals and connectors n see what happens.  

 

  John T

[The Kartchner's]

The stock propane detector opens the propane solenoid when it is working correctly and now that it seem to not work at all I am sure that is the root cause of my lack of propane, and so far I have not been able to locate that exact model. So if I want to keep this set up I would have to not only replace the detector but the valve and solenoid due to the difference of the power that the solenoid take, I was told that the new system takes 12 volt whereas I was told it takes about 9 volt to open the valve and then it lowers to about 1.5 volts to keep the valve open, in the current system, so  if that is the case I could easily burn out the solenoid if I kept a 12 volt contact to that solenoid.

 

According to a chart of a similar looking propane detector I found the red wires goe to each of the batteries the yellow to the positive side of the solenoid and the black to the ground and the other end of the solenoid

If it is no longer considered a safety feature and no longer required in motorhome I have considered just removing it, but I have not receive enough feedback to help me make an educated decision either way.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Hey, thats the story of my life, anytime I look for repair parts Im told OH THOSE MODELS ARE OUTDATED THEY DONT USE THEM ANYMORE WE CANT GET THE PARTS grrrrrrrrrrrr.

 

  AS far as safety, its your call, HOWEVER if you DO NOT replace that auto shut off system AT LEAST INSTALL AN LP DETECTOR ALARM. They are not all that expensive and will beep like mad if even a hint of LP is sniffed. I have a Smoke Detector, LP Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector and sleep well

 

  Id still take a 12 VDC jumper n bump that tank valve to see if its working, you can hear n feel it pull in when voltage is appled across it.

 

  Take care, safe travels yall

 

  Ol John T and all

 

 

[The Kartchner's]

Thanks John, I still plan to test it as you suggested again I perplexed if it is worth maintaining, I have to assume it would be safer, but base of a search the parts will be at least $200 plus and not really to comfortable working on a propane tank I guess I would also have to pay for labor which would be at least $200.

Being the valve is on the outside of the turn on valve of the propane tank I thought I could remove it myself, but I worry about making a mistake and creating a dangerous situation, so I guess time will tell. Of course I would replace the detector and all all of the other that are required these days

[Tony durfey]

Hi

   We live on a sailboat and have a propane detector/shut off system.  Fairly standard on a boat for obvious reasons.  I checked my "West Marine Catalog"  And they have a good selection as well as a info/layout/tutorial page for propane.  Our sailboat and our GORV use a lot of the same systems.  You can go online and request the catalog for free. http://www.westmarine.com   Actually a lot of good info on their tutorial pages.  Hope this helps.  Fair winds, Tony and Joy

[The Kartchner's]

Thanks Tony and Joy,  I am aware of Western Marine I bought many items from them when was restoring my Teardrop Trailer, so I have all but resigned to the idea that I will either have to replace the entire system with  a Safe-T-Alert with valve control system or merely remove the valve from the system and install a basic propane alert.

 

I have one last question. When I tested all wires leading into the detector, the 2 reds, the yellow and the black all lit my test lamp. so should all wires have voltage, being one of them should be the solenoid ground?

[Tony durfey]

It does seem like one should be a ground.  I would have to see a wiring diagram or use a cable tracker.  Cable tracker sends a beep down any wire and you have a receiver to track the wire. Handy tool for old wiring.  Harbor Freight has them cheap.  Fair winds, Tony and Joy