LP Gas Regulator problems
Submitted: Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 20:39
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50785
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Old Mal
During the last 4 months on the road, we have had to replace the 2 stage LP gas regulator on our campervan twice and having just got
home, it looks like I'm having to replace it a third time as the gas flame on our stove is minimal but plenty of gas left in the bottle. Each time this has happened, the people selling the regulators have blamed "dirty gas" but a bit of Google research has come up with the theory that the flexible hose from the gas bottle to the regulator is the problem. Have a look at the attached link if you have had this problem too. :-
http://www.energysafety.wa.gov.au/EnergySafety/media_include/G064_0207_Publicatio.pdf
Reply By: Andrew from Vivid Adventures - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 20:49
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 20:49
hmmm - interesting.
No, I don't have exactly this problem, but have had a situation where an oily substance is appearing at the fitting on the bottle (I have a 9kg bottle without regulator and with a fitting to reduce the size of the thread). And I have had something block a burner's small inlet thingy which is an extremely fine hole - I chucked it and got a new one.
This appeared to have happened when it was connected to a Wild Country (as I recall - Ray's Outdoors cheap chinese anyways) stovetop via a flexible hose.
Does anyone know what the consistency of this plasticiser is?
Cheers,
Andrew.
AnswerID:
267863
Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:18
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:18
Can't help with the plasticiser but the jets can be usually be cleaned by boiling them in water and then gentle air drying in the reverse direction if compressed air is available.
Most of the gas jets have an extremely fine hole and an even finer piece of gauze in the back which is what clogs, poking a fine wire through usually stuffs the jet as you poke a hole in the gauze.
FollowupID:
530261
Follow Up By: Andrew from Vivid Adventures - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:20
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:20
Thanks Peter - that explains why I stuffed the jet trying to clean it.
FollowupID:
530263
Follow Up By: Peter 2 - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:35
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:35
Years ago we stopped taking the gas stove and now just use a single burner straight on the bottle, funnily enough I've never had another blocked jet since. NO hose!!
The only time we've had a problem with the burner was when a little
spider decided that the space between the jet and the burner was a
good spot to live, was a real bugger to get it out!
FollowupID:
530274
Reply By: Member - Ian W (NSW) - Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:17
Monday, Oct 22, 2007 at 21:17
Seems to be the "oily deposit" thingie.
Have had no problems for over six years then all of a sudden the old stove flame shrinks to nothing almost overnight and the
cook turns nasty.
Read a few posts on various forums and pulled out the regulator, tapped the sucker on the back deck and the
cook went ballistic about the oil stains in the timber.
Chucked the regulator over the left shoulder and went out and purchased a new one, on the
home picked up the aluminium window (which cost twice as much as the regulator), from the company who replaced the glass broken by a flying regulator and all is now
well.
The
cook is happy and I don't give a damn how much it all cost cause nothing spoils a
camp more than an unhappy
cook.
I reckon its something to do with the gas now being supplied to the market place.
Ian
AnswerID:
267874
Follow Up By: ross - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 16:01
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 16:01
I had a similar problem with an oily substance blocking the hose.
I never did work out whether it was from the hose or bad gas.
Ruined 2 weekends as it worked perfectly at
home then wouldnt allow me to
cook at the
campsite.
Ranger camping said there was no such problem with any stove or gas they had sold,yet the whole lot came from there.
In the end they said it was the hose they sold me wasnt pushing in the pin far enough to let the gas flow.
And no, they wouldnt replace it because it was a cheapy and didnt deserve a warranty.
FollowupID:
530398
Reply By: Old Nick - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 07:49
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 07:49
We bought a new Jayco offroad Hawk and went to Tassie for a month in June. First night in a caravan park in
Somerset, I turned on the fresh bottle of gas - nothing. Mucked around, nothing coming out of the regulator.
Next morning I find a big caravan place in
Somerset (Austins I think), tell the bloke behind the jump me problem, and yes explains its the flexible hose, and said that it should have been replaced before I took delivery.
Rang the Jayco dealer I bought it from, yes diagnosis was correct, told to get the regulator replaced and a copper pig tail from the bottle to the reg. and they would reimburse me when we get
home. Did that , fixed the problem and was all done.
Never anymore gas problems since and more than happy with the van. Regards Nick.
AnswerID:
267907
Reply By: T.D. - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 13:21
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 13:21
Any LP Gas appliance without a regulator is referred to as a high pressure appliance and the fine jet is the gas reg. After a period of time the fine hole is coated with a varnish type material and the best way to clean this is with thinners. Do not use a wire to clean it as the hos to the reg is pressurised with 600kpa pressure.
The oily substance in LP Gas (liquid Petroleum)is heavy ends and very rarely finds its way into the regulator unless the cylinder has been lain down.
A small or sooty flame is often Auto Gas 50/50 Propane Butane mix being used to fill cylinders.
Gas regs dont often fail unless the cylinder has been over filled (liquid enters the diaphram body at -44degrees)
Never leave pig tales unconnected as wasps or spiders love to make them their
home and is the main cause of gas failure.
TD
AnswerID:
267951
Reply By: Neil & Pauline - Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 15:18
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 at 15:18
The answer to the regulator is to replace the flexible hose on the bottles with a copper one. Apparently the rubber inside hose breaks down with the gas being on for extended periods. They meet the Australian standards but the specification standard is not high enough for a caravan system.
Another case of caravan owners relying on integrity of suppliers and manufacturers to fit the correct materials into caravans. Compliance plates are fitted but no one polices that they are correct.
AnswerID:
267971