Photo by Carly Pearson
Owners of recreational vehicles need to be sure to tighten connections of propane tanks correctly when they replace the tanks. Propane leaks can be deadly.
Chilly nighttime temperatures and propane heaters can combine to make outdoor living hazardous for campers and even cooks.
Emporian Mark Schondelmaier, who competes in barbecue and smoker contests, almost became a statistic this spring as he was competing in a barbecue contest sponsored by the Emporia Jaycees.
The nature of the contests involves staying overnight to monitor the smoking process and to tend to the different meats being entered. Early in the season, that often means bringing in a propane heater to take off the chill during the night.
Schondelmaier, who is an Emporia police officer, had set up his barbecue headquarters in a 10-foot by 20-foot canopy tent and had brought in a propane stove for warmth.
“I’d used it in that canopy before, to just kind of take the chill off, and I hadn’t had a problem with it,” Schondelmaier said. “The problem became that it got so cold and windy that night, I decided to double-wrap the walls. ... I think because I had done it before in a little bit different circumstances, I didn’t have any problems, so I just didn’t even think about it being a problem.”
He brought out a second canopy and wrapped it tightly around the existing tent.
“There weren’t any gaps at the corners, like there normally would be ... so I basically cut off the air flow from coming in,” he said.
Photo by Carly Pearson
A safety pamphlet includes a scratch-and-sniff card to familiarize people with the scent of propane.
Initially, there was no problem. The wind blew with some enthusiasm early in the evening and, despite the tight wrap, air managed to come in. When the wind calmed, the danger built.
“I think in the night when I just laid down to catch an hour of sleep while the brisket and stuff was cooking, I think that’s when it just overpowered me,” Schondelmaier said.
“I kind of woke up and I felt like I was out of breath. I tried to breathe, but I just didn’t feel like I was getting any air,” he said. “Even though I knew I was taking in a breath, I knew that didn’t feel right.”
The thought came to mind that he just needed to rest another five minutes or so before getting out.
“I caught myself thinking that and thought, ‘Wait a minute. That sounds like carbon monoxide. I need to get out of here right now,’” he said. Still, his body was telling him to just rest a bit longer.
“I just felt so weak, so tired. It was kind of like my mind was thinking one thing, almost like an out-of-body type of thing,” he said.
He made himself leave the tent and was hit by pain almost immediately.
“I had a splitting headache then,” he said.
Schondelmaier’s parents happened to be in town visiting, so he handed off the partially smoked meat to Jeff Hodges and Mike Barnett in the next tent and called his father for a ride home.
“I had a headache for quite a while afterwards and really felt kind of ‘yuck’ for a couple of months afterwards.”
His doctor had told him that carbon monoxide attaches to red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the body. With carbon monoxide still attached, the blood cells’ oxygen content was inadequate and remained that way, because red blood cells don’t renew themselves in unison, for several months afterward.
“I’ve worked cases where carbon monoxide was an issue,” Schondelmaier said. “I should have known better.”
Knowingly or unknowingly, however, propane and its byproduct can be equally deadly.
Carl Richardson, owner of the RV Doc, 618 Industrial Road, emphasizes safety with a “Propane Users Safety Guide” brochure that he hands out to customers to remind them to exercise caution with their refrigerators, furnaces, water heaters and cook stoves in campers and recreational vehicles. Each brochure has a “scratch-and-sniff” feature that helps customers recognize the odor of propane.
Newer vehicles usually come with carbon monoxide alarms that are placed high on the walls, Richardson said; carbon monoxide is lighter than air, so it rises. An additional alarm, to check for propane leaks, is placed on the wall within four inches of floor level, because propane is heavier than air.
“They really didn’t start pushing those until recent years,” he said, estimating that the alarms came into use during the early to mid-’90s.
When one sounds, pull over.
“They need to stop and check and make sure to air (the camper or RV) out,” he said. “If it goes off again, stop and get service.”
With multiple appliances in RVs, propane and carbon monoxide leaks can come from a variety of sources — cracked heat exchangers on furnaces, connectors not tightened properly, or other faulty components.
“It’s nothing to mess with,” Richardson said.
Safety has been improved on the propane bottles themselves, he said, with an automatic overfill protector mandated in recent years. With hoses and lines constantly jostling and wearing, however, annual checks of equipment can help prevent problems on the road.
He emphasized keeping vents cleaned out and using screen covers to prevent mud-daubers from building nests in vents and causing blockages. Many people leave a vent or window cracked open to ensure fresh air is circulating at all times.
Richardson said campers need to monitor normal propane usage and see that it stays within ranges for normal use. A 40-pound propane tank may last for months for weekend campers during the summer. Year-’round campers’ usage can be far more.
“Full-timers might run through 100-pound bottle in their furnace every week, week and a half,” he said.
Any significant deviation from normal use is cause to pause. Owners who suspect leaks can take their campers to repairmen or can check for themselves.
“Mix up a little soapy water and run it around your fittings,” Richardson said. “If it bubbles, shut it off, tighten your fittings and try it again.”
Make sure burners are adjusted properly on water heaters and furnaces, and watch for the yellow color of a “lazy flame” that indicates the propane isn’t burning fully.
And if a leak occurs or is suspected, clear out, for safety’s sake.
“Don’t turn on a light; don’t start (the engine),” he said. “Just open the door, get out. Just leave it. Call somebody and let them take care of it. I don’t even want them to drive it.”tory>
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