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AZ_T_T's avatar
AZ_T_T
Explorer
Jul 29, 2014

Regulator Issues?

This weekend while dry camping one of my 2 propane bottles ran out of gas. When I opened the second bottle and turned the regulator to the other bottle we had no pressure in the system. The bottle was completely full. Thinking the regulator switch (which is an auto switch) was bad I changed the full bottle to to position of the empty bottle and still no pressure. I had a little 2 gallon propane tank to use with a weed torch so I hooked it up and also nothing.

Now I'm thinking it is vapor locked so I unhook both bottles and turn the stove on to clear the vapor lock. After that I hook up the large empty bottle and full bottle, still no pressure. Last resort I re-hookup small 2 gallon bottle and finally I have pressure. I switch to the large bottle still nothing, so I switch positions still nothing from large bottle.

Now I think I have a bad bottle so I hook it up to the weed torch and it's fine.

After all of this I ran the fridge on the small bottle. Went to install the large bottle to drive home (the little bottle would just flop around) all of a sudden it now will pressurize the system. Everything is normal.

Has anyone else ever experienced something like this? If so what was the culprit?

19 Replies

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  • GASMAN6674's avatar
    GASMAN6674
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2014
    jetcare wrote:
    TXiceman wrote:
    The excess flow valve is not in the hose. It is in the valve mounted on the tank. If you open the valve slowly, and you can hear and feel a click if it is flowing it a hose with no pressure. If it clicks, shut the valve and wait unit it clicks again. Now open the valve very slowly to keep it from clicking and seating the excess flow.

    I would expect some one with the screen name of gasman would know how these excess flow valve work. Replacing the hose will not fix the excess flow valve.

    Ken


    Ken,

    I think you need to review what you said. Gasman is 100% correct. The excess flow valve is in the hose. When you get some spare time not surfing these forums, take a old hose and cut it apart. You will be able to see the spring and check valve in the fitting where the green know connects to the bottle. I was always curious what the truth was so I did some investigating. The fill valve on the LP cylinder contains the Overfill Protection Device.


    The OPD valve also has an excess flow. I didn't mention it because it very rarely an issue. The excess flow in the pigtail has a lower flow setting and will always close first by design. And yes 40 years in the LP gas business. But I bow to your wisdom.
  • oh_boy's avatar
    oh_boy
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2014
    I had the same issue. Replaced the regulator and still had the same problem. Only one side would work. Changed the bad hose for a new one and viola it all works now. I now have a spare regulator..Some propane is very oily.
  • edatlanta's avatar
    edatlanta
    Explorer II
    Jul 30, 2014
    I had to change my auto switchover regulator a few weeks back. It would flow from one side only. I switched the full tank to the other side and it would flow, but not from the "bad side". New regulator fixed the problem. And I changed pigtails from one side to the other also. It was definitely the regulator.
  • Vette_Racer's avatar
    Vette_Racer
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2014
    I have found that both the tank and the hose have the excess flow valve and can cause the same thing. There was a group of hoses that had issues with the flow, don't remember how you can tell what these are but had to replace both of mine.
  • jetcare's avatar
    jetcare
    Explorer
    Jul 30, 2014
    TXiceman wrote:
    The excess flow valve is not in the hose. It is in the valve mounted on the tank. If you open the valve slowly, and you can hear and feel a click if it is flowing it a hose with no pressure. If it clicks, shut the valve and wait unit it clicks again. Now open the valve very slowly to keep it from clicking and seating the excess flow.

    I would expect some one with the screen name of gasman would know how these excess flow valve work. Replacing the hose will not fix the excess flow valve.

    Ken


    Ken,

    I think you need to review what you said. Gasman is 100% correct. The excess flow valve is in the hose. When you get some spare time not surfing these forums, take a old hose and cut it apart. You will be able to see the spring and check valve in the fitting where the green know connects to the bottle. I was always curious what the truth was so I did some investigating. The fill valve on the LP cylinder contains the Overfill Protection Device.
  • TXiceman's avatar
    TXiceman
    Explorer II
    Jul 30, 2014
    The excess flow valve is not in the hose. It is in the valve mounted on the tank. If you open the valve slowly, and you can hear and feel a click if it is flowing it a hose with no pressure. If it clicks, shut the valve and wait unit it clicks again. Now open the valve very slowly to keep it from clicking and seating the excess flow.

    I would expect some one with the screen name of gasman would know how these excess flow valve work. Replacing the hose will not fix the excess flow valve.

    Ken
  • patnchris's avatar
    patnchris
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2014
    Had the exact same issue. I second what Gasman says. It worked for me.
  • GASMAN6674's avatar
    GASMAN6674
    Explorer
    Jul 29, 2014
    Your pigtail (the hose from the tank to the regulator) has an excess flow device in it. Its suppose to stop the flow if the hose blows. First make sure it is screwed all the way into the valve, then slowly and I mean slowly open the valve and let pressure equalize. If you do not get flow close, wait 30 seconds and repeat. If that doesn't fix it replace the pigtail. As for your original issue the regulator would have switched if the reserve tank was open. Would have saved you a lot of frustration.

    Good Luck

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