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Caravan gas leak spray for the joints you can see

Updated: 22 October 2026

A caravan gas leak spray is for the regulator, the hose ends, and the cylinder valve you can already shut, not for the cooker buried in the van and not for a mains meter. You wet those visible joints while the gas is on, and you stop if bubbles grow or if the smell is inside. Indoor natural-gas emergencies, including 0800 111 999, are on the [how to use gas leak detector spray](/hub/measuring-equipment/leak-detection-spray/sub/leak-detection-spray-how-to-use) page. The six amazon.co.uk listings from 19 October 2026 are on the [leak detection spray comparison](/hub/measuring-equipment/leak-detection-spray). A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A caravan gas leak spray is for the regulator, the hose ends, and the cylinder valve you can already shut, not for the cooker buried in the van and not for a mains meter.

Our top picks

Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026, 250 ml

Best overall

Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026, 250 ml
8.9/10about £4.33
View offer
Everbuild Everbuild P18, 400 ml

Alternative

Everbuild Everbuild P18, 400 ml
7.6/10about £8.38
View offer
Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026M, 120 ml

Best value

Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026M, 120 ml
8.5/10about £3.83
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The joints that actually leak
  2. 2.How to look without a flame
  3. 3.Hoses, regulators, and the line you do not cross
  4. 4.BBQ and patio bottles

The joints that actually leak

Caravan Club technical advice puts the likely leaks at the regulator, the valve, and the hose. A film on bare metal and on the hose tails is the check. LPG is heavier than air. Calor and the camping guidance both say it pools low, which is why a smell at ankle height means get out. The Caravan Club forbids a naked flame for this test. So does Calor’s patio guidance. The spray or the brush is the flame’s replacement, and only on a joint. Everbuild’s UK reviews are the ones that mention a caravan bottle connector, at £8.38, with the dead-can complaints. Arctic Hayes states BS EN 14291:2004 on the brush bottles. Club pages still mention washing-up liquid. The leak detection spray vs soapy water page is where that loses to the Gas Safe bulletin. Use a proprietary fluid, then take it off.

How to look without a flame

Put the cylinder where you can reach the valve, outdoors or in a locker that vents, not in a bedroom and not in a cellar. Open the valve so the hose and regulator are actually at pressure. Shake an aerosol, or seat the brush. Hold an Everbuild can at the 25–30 cm on its data sheet if that is the can you bought. Coat the regulator joint, both hose ends, and the valve connection you are allowed to touch. A bubble that grows is gas leaving. A drip is just liquid. If you see bubbles, shut the cylinder valve and do not light the appliance. POL fittings are a left-hand thread. Rinse or wipe the fluid off. If the smell is in the van, get people out. Mains gas is still 0800 111 999.
Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026, 250 ml

Testsieger

Arctic Hayes Arctic Hayes PH026, 250 ml
8.9/10about £4.33
View offer

Hoses, regulators, and the line you do not cross

Replacing the hose, the POL nut, or the regulator is past the spray. NCASS says bubbles mean trouble and that hoses, POL nuts, and regulators are for a Gas Safe registered engineer. The clubs disagree on hose life, so this page will not pick a number. The Caravan Club has said about every three years for low-pressure hoses. The Camping and Caravanning Club has said at least every five. Follow the date on the hose. Calor is firm that you do not dismantle the cylinder valve. If it will not shut, their connecting guidance gives 03457 444 999 for a smell of gas from a Calor bottle. Use 0800 111 999 when the smell is mains gas in a building. Move a leaking cylinder outside only if you can do it without staying in the gas, and keep it upright.

BBQ and patio bottles

A patio cylinder is the same check. Calor’s patio guidance says to brush on detection fluid and never to use a naked flame. Bubbles at the regulator mean the valve is shut before anyone lights a ring. Wipe the fluid off the brass. NCASS draws the hose and regulator line at a Gas Safe registered engineer, on a catering trailer as well as a family grill. None of these sprays repairs a valve. If the smell is in the van, leave the spray in the locker and get people out.

Common questions

Where do caravan gas leaks usually show?
At the regulator, the cylinder valve, and the hose, which is where the Caravan Club points. Those are the fittings that get connected and left in weather. Spray those joints. Spraying the locker walls, the spare wheel, or a panel does not test a fitting you cannot see.
Do I spray the whole locker or the joints?
The joints. The hose tails, the regulator connection, and the valve nut you are allowed to touch. The gas has to be on, or there is nothing to bubble. LPG pools low, so a smell at floor level means ventilate and get out, not a closer look with a flame.
What if I see bubbles at the regulator?
Shut the cylinder valve and do not light the appliance. Wipe or rinse the fluid afterwards. If the leak continues, or you cannot shut it, follow Calor’s cylinder steps: ventilate, and move the cylinder outside only if you can do that safely. Do not dismantle the valve. A Gas Safe registered engineer replaces a regulator.
Can I fit a new hose myself?
NCASS says replacing hoses, POL nuts, and regulators is for a Gas Safe registered engineer, even for people who fit them often. Club pages disagree with each other on whether a hose is changed about every three years or at least every five. Do not treat either number as ours. If the hose is damaged, stop using it and get the engineer.
Is soapy water what the caravan club wants?
Some club pages still say washing-up liquid, or soap or a spray. Gas Safe’s Technical Bulletin 059 wants a proprietary leak detection fluid, wiped off, and names washing-up liquid as the problem on stainless connectors. EIGA says no household soap on cylinder packages. Use the spray or brush fluid, not the kitchen bottle.
What number do I call for a Calor cylinder that will not stop?
Calor’s connecting guidance gives 03457 444 999 if you smell gas from one of their bottles. That is separate from 0800 111 999, which is the National Gas Emergency Service for a smell of mains gas. Do not swap the numbers. Do not take the cylinder valve apart while you wait.

Related pages

Gas leak detector spray buying guide

Leak detection spray

Best leak detection spray for the job you can name

How to use gas leak detector spray without missing it

Leak detection spray vs soapy water on a gas joint

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures captured with these six listings. The price bands are this set, not a market average.

  1. HSE: domestic gas FAQ (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. National Gas: emergency contacts (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. SGN: smell gas (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Gas Safe Technical Bulletin 059 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Installer Online: tightness testing and direct purging (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. MOT inspection manual 6.1.3 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. MOT testing guide, section D (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. EIGA Doc 78 (retrieved 19 October 2026)