That odor.........mascerator

steven d. ferguson

New member
Aug 1, 1999
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GMCers,
A while back there were several postings on "that odor". Three months
ago I started smelling something bad that seemed to be emanating from
the head area of my GMC. I flushed my holding tank so many times, let
it sit full with enzymes in it and on and on and on to the point where I
knew it just couldn't be coming from there. I took off the toe strip
under the shower, following the experiences some of you have posted on
this digest, to check the drain. Dry as a bone, fittings are in
excellent shape as is the wood flooring. So I'm sitting in the middle
of the floor wondering where to go next and then I remembered getting a
call from the place I got my Suburban furnace from warning me that one
of the employees had left a burrito (half eaten) in my oven. I removed
it after that call but I was wondering if maybe he'd left something else
in there, so I checked. Nope! But man, that is where the smell was
coming from. A darn propane leak. I've never smelled one before (at
least not like this one). I traced it to another cracked flare nut.
This makes two I've found so far and both of them were on OEM supplied
appliances, which to me means they probably have never been messed with
by anyone.
I've rattled on with this story in hopes that this will serve as a
heads up to the rest of the folks here. My coach is a '76 if year of
manufacture is any clue.
BTW, the crack was on the stove side of the shut off valve. The other
cracked flare nut was on the furnace side of that shut off valve also.
And lastly, I don't know who it was that said that the mascerator was
the number one, all-time best addition to their coach, but he or she was
absolutely right!
HTH someone,
Steve F.
 
Good advice about the propane. It is good practice to leak test your entire
propane system every two months, if you have never updated it. It would be a
wise investment to run all new lines from the tank, throughout the system.
The 25 year old fittings may be deteriorating and it can cause a huge safety
hazard. Darren Maybe a good time to think about moving the tank. :)

> GMCers,
> A while back there were several postings on "that odor". Three months
> ago I started smelling something bad that seemed to be emanating from
> the head area of my GMC. I flushed my holding tank so many times, let
> it sit full with enzymes in it and on and on and on to the point where I
> knew it just couldn't be coming from there. I took off the toe strip
> under the shower, following the experiences some of you have posted on
> this digest, to check the drain. Dry as a bone, fittings are in
> excellent shape as is the wood flooring. So I'm sitting in the middle
> of the floor wondering where to go next and then I remembered getting a
> call from the place I got my Suburban furnace from warning me that one
> of the employees had left a burrito (half eaten) in my oven. I removed
> it after that call but I was wondering if maybe he'd left something else
> in there, so I checked. Nope! But man, that is where the smell was
> coming from. A darn propane leak. I've never smelled one before (at
> least not like this one). I traced it to another cracked flare nut.
> This makes two I've found so far and both of them were on OEM supplied
> appliances, which to me means they probably have never been messed with
> by anyone.
> I've rattled on with this story in hopes that this will serve as a
> heads up to the rest of the folks here. My coach is a '76 if year of
> manufacture is any clue.
> BTW, the crack was on the stove side of the shut off valve. The other
> cracked flare nut was on the furnace side of that shut off valve also.
> And lastly, I don't know who it was that said that the mascerator was
> the number one, all-time best addition to their coach, but he or she was
> absolutely right!
> HTH someone,
> Steve F.

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com
 
In view of what you wrote about propane leaks, one ought to have a way to
make sure we have no leaks... have netters installed a propane sensor
device. just curios. I have one for CO but not for propane.
al

> A darn propane leak. I've never smelled one before (at
> least not like this one). I traced it to another cracked flare nut.
> This makes two I've found so far and both of them were on OEM supplied
> appliances, which to me means they probably have never been messed with
> by anyone.
> I've rattled on with this story in hopes that this will serve as a
> heads up to the rest of the folks here. My coach is a '76 if year of
> manufacture is any clue.
> BTW, the crack was on the stove side of the shut off valve. The other
> cracked flare nut was on the furnace side of that shut off valve also.
> And lastly, I don't know who it was that said that the mascerator was
> the number one, all-time best addition to their coach, but he or she was
> absolutely right!
> HTH someone,
> Steve F.
 
I have ordered a propane sensor with automatic cutoff for just that reason.
When I looked at new RVs they all had one installed. The cutoff does draw
some power but it in my mind it is well worth it for the safety of my wife and
three kids...and Skippy the Dog.

Ron

> In view of what you wrote about propane leaks, one ought to have a way to
> make sure we have no leaks... have netters installed a propane sensor
> device. just curios. I have one for CO but not for propane.
> al
>

>
> > A darn propane leak. I've never smelled one before (at
> > least not like this one). I traced it to another cracked flare nut.
> > This makes two I've found so far and both of them were on OEM supplied
> > appliances, which to me means they probably have never been messed with
> > by anyone.
> > I've rattled on with this story in hopes that this will serve as a
> > heads up to the rest of the folks here. My coach is a '76 if year of
> > manufacture is any clue.
> > BTW, the crack was on the stove side of the shut off valve. The other
> > cracked flare nut was on the furnace side of that shut off valve also.
> > And lastly, I don't know who it was that said that the mascerator was
> > the number one, all-time best addition to their coach, but he or she was
> > absolutely right!
> > HTH someone,
> > Steve F.
 
Propane sensors are now required on all new RV's and have been for a few
years. A very cheep option when you consider the alternative. Boom.
Darren

> In view of what you wrote about propane leaks, one ought to have a way to
> make sure we have no leaks... have netters installed a propane sensor
> device. just curios. I have one for CO but not for propane.
> al
>

>
> > A darn propane leak. I've never smelled one before (at
> > least not like this one). I traced it to another cracked flare nut.
> > This makes two I've found so far and both of them were on OEM supplied
> > appliances, which to me means they probably have never been messed with
> > by anyone.
> > I've rattled on with this story in hopes that this will serve as a
> > heads up to the rest of the folks here. My coach is a '76 if year of
> > manufacture is any clue.
> > BTW, the crack was on the stove side of the shut off valve. The other
> > cracked flare nut was on the furnace side of that shut off valve also.
> > And lastly, I don't know who it was that said that the mascerator was
> > the number one, all-time best addition to their coach, but he or she was
> > absolutely right!
> > HTH someone,
> > Steve F.

- --
Darren Paget
76 Experimental
Another Fab Day
http://www.TZEplus.com