Our Safety Levels: Green, Yellow & Red
Every diagnostic step and repair section on RV Tech Lab is classified by risk before you start it — not after. Here is exactly what each level means, and why some steps are marked off-limits no matter how handy you are.
🟢 Green — DIY-safe
Safe for any RV owner. Observation, thermostat settings, resets, breaker and fuse checks, filter cleaning. No gas exposure, no high-voltage exposure, no tools beyond the basics. If a Green step feels wrong on your rig, stop — conservative is always correct.
🟡 Yellow — tools & care required
Requires tools, confidence, and reading the full step before starting. Multimeter testing, removing access panels, cleaning a flame sensor, discharging a capacitor with proper precautions, anode rod replacement. Yellow steps assume power and gas are shut off first, exactly as the step describes. If you don't own the tool the step calls for, that is a signal to hand the job off — not to improvise.
🔴 Red — professional-only
Not a suggestion — a stop. Anything involving gas valves or propane lines, sealed combustion assemblies, live 120V circuits, refrigerant systems, or a safety device (limit switches, ECOs, relief valves). These can cause fire, explosion, carbon monoxide poisoning, or electrocution when done wrong, and some of this work is legally restricted to certified technicians. We describe Red steps so you understand what a technician will do — never so you can attempt them yourself.
Why we mark levels before the step
Most repair content warns you halfway through, after you've already opened the panel. We show the level up front so you can decide whether a job is yours before you commit to it. When a page mixes levels, each section carries its own badge — a Green page can still contain a Red step.
When in doubt
If a step's level is unclear on your specific rig — unusual model, prior modifications, anything that doesn't match the guide — treat it as one level more restrictive. And if you ever smell propane or a CO alarm sounds, skip the guides entirely: get everyone out, shut off the tank if it's safe to reach, and call 911.
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Guides are for informational purposes only. All repairs at your own risk. See our disclaimer.