Gas Bottle Regulators what are they for?
Submitted: Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 14:25
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Member - Craig M (NSW)
Hi,
Can anyone explain what gas bottle regulators are for?
We have one on the gas bottle to the van, I got hold of a Primus 2 burner camping stove (bargain price of $18 off ebay in excellent cond) and it connects straight to the gas bottle no regulator.
Also you have those single stove burners that screw straight onto the top of a gas bottle again no regulator.
So why do some items require a regulator and others dont.
Cheers
Reply By: ianmc - Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 14:49
Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 14:49
Your Primus stove has very tiny almost invisible jets which are just about impossible to clean & is rated a high pressure stove needing lots of pressure to get enough gas thru the jets to be effective.
A low pressure stove such as the Coleman or the cheap BBQ burners dont have restrictors(jets) as such & need a regulator to reduce gas flow to manageable levels.
Im no expert but think that covers it. Others may have more info.
PS Make sure U have some spare jets for your primus type stoves!
AnswerID:
101213
Follow Up By: Member - Sand Man (SA) - Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 15:07
Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 15:07
Yep, that reply is spot on ianmc.
Also, the Coleman having no restrictor jet results in a much better control over flame height from full to simmer.
I ditched my Companion stove (same principal to Primus) on my return from
Corner Country where bulldust had completely blocked two out of three jets. Bought the Coleman and it has been worth the investment.
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Reply By: Member - Banjo (SA) - Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 15:11
Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 15:11
Indeed re the above - was explained to me as the "physics associated with gas coming out of tiny jet holes and needing to mix with air for burning". Different jet designs for various performance requirements means ideal pressures at the back of the jet vary, hence regs for some and not for others. Also - a bloke told me regardless of the size, all gas bottles start with the same pressure when full - guess the drop off would vary in all of them as they empty. I blame Archimedes for all of this ...........
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Mark M (WA) - Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 19:02
Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 19:02
or even Boyle?
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Follow Up By: Member - Banjo (SA) - Sunday, Mar 06, 2005 at 08:25
Sunday, Mar 06, 2005 at 08:25
Him too... we shouldn't forget Lance.
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Follow Up By: Patrolman Pat - Sunday, Mar 06, 2005 at 09:22
Sunday, Mar 06, 2005 at 09:22
The pressure in the cylinders will remain fairly constant whilst the LPG is still in liquid form in the cylinder. Usually around 150KPa, some appliances such as the screw on burners can cope with this by having very small injectors (which can get blocked very easily). Most domestic LPG appliances run at 2.75KPa and therefore need the regulator, theses would include a lot of BBQ, camping stoves etc which get fitted into CTs and caravans. Using an appliance that needed a regulator without one would be very dangerous as the fittings, taps etc are not rated to take that pressure and the flame characteristics would be all wrong.
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Reply By: Member - Meggs - Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 22:29
Saturday, Mar 05, 2005 at 22:29
My guess would be the difficulty of sealing high pressure gas lines when used indoors. If a high pressure gas line started to leak the volume of gas released would be much highter than low pressure gas. Non regulated gas appliances should be used outdoors so if there is leak it is dispersed in the air.
I had a gas ring that leaked at valve spindle and caught fire not a real pleasant experience stopping the fire. I was sure glad the bottle had an valve.
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101265