I'm wondering how many propane accessories can be expected to operate simultaneously. This is my first time purging the fuel lines this year (late start, busy life, blah blah blah), so maybe things will improve on their own. But with a full tank of propane and the fridge running off gas, I notice that my stove seems starved for fuel if I light all 3 burners. The dials are all on high but the flames are very small. As I turn burners off, the remaining lit burners have increased flame. A single burner on high has the expected normal flame size. It seems like a full tank of propane with the valve all the way open should be able to provide enough flow to get full flame out of all three burners and fridge simultaneously. Right?

Your propane regulator is sized (btu flow) to allow ALL OEM propane appliances to be fully operated...fridge on propane, water heater on propane, stove top burners on, oven on, furnace on.Regulators should be set to maintain 11" WC with 100% of propane equipment in service (although 50% will work).Sounds like your LP regulator is NOT working correctly.....could try to adjust it but may just want to replace.

I installed a large Rego automatic switch over regulator and have had no issues running everything, including an external 30,000 btu stove at the same time.

Before you do anything try this. Turn off all propane appliances and turn off the tanks. Now disconnect the pigtails from the tanks for a few seconds to let the pressure bleed out of the lines (Maybe turn on a stove burner for until pressure is gone). Now Reconnect the pigtails and slowly turn the propane back on. See if it's any better after that.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I had a suspicion that the fuel lines just needed a full and proper purging. I tried the stove burners again at lunch after the fridge had been running in its own for about 4 hours and they all lit up full strength.

Old-Biscuit wrote:Regulators should be set to maintain 11" WC with 100% of propane equipment in service (although 50% will work).Sounds like your LP regulator is NOT working correctly.....could try to adjust it but may just want to replace.This is not entirely true. The regulator only regulates pressure and not the flow. Correct pipe sizing for the total BTUs at the specific long run to maintain no more than a 1/2" drop on an 11" water column is the standard. This means that your system should be sized such that each appliance, when turned on will not cause more than a 1/2" drop on an 11" water column at the appliance. If you now have a 3/8" regulator, you might add enough to cause you to need a 1/2" regulator, or a 3/4" regulator, or maybe even a 1" regulator. You don't increase the pressure (water column) on an undersized regulator when you add more appliances -- you increase the size of the system and maintain the same water column.Bruce

How many propane accessories can run at once? | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

Gjac
Explorer III
Jul 26, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Under the 'cap' on 2nd stage of regulator is adjustment screw....

Thanks for the photo Old Biscuit, glad you got your system working Ed.
ewarnerusa
Nomad
Jul 26, 2014
OP here,
This morning I had the fridge, furnace, water heater, and one burner on the stove on Hi heating water for coffee. Everything seemed to be working at full capacity.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jul 25, 2014
Under the 'cap' on 2nd stage of regulator is adjustment screw....
Gjac
Explorer III
Jul 25, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Gjac wrote:
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Gjac wrote:
I have noticed that if my refer, HWH, and stove is on propane and the furnace kicks in the stove flame gets very lazy and yellow. I have a gauge that tells me that my propane pressure is good.

What kind of gauge?

11" WC is roughly 0.4 psi
This is a photo of my Gauge, the OM calls it a Mamometer gauge and as long as it is in the green it is good. If you look close it is not measured in ins of HG or WC the units are oz/sq in.

Nice gauge.......fairly accurate means of measurement.
16 oz/sq. in equals 1 PSI
11 inches of water column or about 6.3 oz/sq.in (that's about 0.4 psi).

IF stove flames get lazy/yellow with those other appliances in service on propane then your LP Regulator is NOT keeping up with demand. May need adjusted or replaced....it should maintain 11" WC with 100% of appliances in service.

On Edit: The 'Green' scale-------5.5 to 8 oz/sq. in equals 9.5 to 14" WC.
9.5" WC is what LP Regulator should maintain at full flow......but is too low for proper operation of furnace, water heater & fridge.
At 10" WC....they will have issues lighting off, maintaining flame and not enough btus being released for good heat transfer.
It always stays in the green even with all appliances burning. I will have to check next time to see if it is closer to 5 or 8 when all is on at once. Where is the adjustment on the regulator?
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jul 25, 2014
Gjac wrote:
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Gjac wrote:
I have noticed that if my refer, HWH, and stove is on propane and the furnace kicks in the stove flame gets very lazy and yellow. I have a gauge that tells me that my propane pressure is good.

What kind of gauge?

11" WC is roughly 0.4 psi
This is a photo of my Gauge, the OM calls it a Mamometer gauge and as long as it is in the green it is good. If you look close it is not measured in ins of HG or WC the units are oz/sq in.

Nice gauge.......fairly accurate means of measurement.
16 oz/sq. in equals 1 PSI
11 inches of water column or about 6.3 oz/sq.in (that's about 0.4 psi).

IF stove flames get lazy/yellow with those other appliances in service on propane then your LP Regulator is NOT keeping up with demand. May need adjusted or replaced....it should maintain 11" WC with 100% of appliances in service.

On Edit: The 'Green' scale-------5.5 to 8 oz/sq. in equals 9.5 to 14" WC.
9.5" WC is what LP Regulator should maintain at full flow......but is too low for proper operation of furnace, water heater & fridge.
At 10" WC....they will have issues lighting off, maintaining flame and not enough btus being released for good heat transfer.
Gjac
Explorer III
Jul 24, 2014
Old-Biscuit wrote:
Gjac wrote:
I have noticed that if my refer, HWH, and stove is on propane and the furnace kicks in the stove flame gets very lazy and yellow. I have a gauge that tells me that my propane pressure is good.

What kind of gauge?

11" WC is roughly 0.4 psi
This is a photo of my Gauge, the OM calls it a Mamometer gauge and as long as it is in the green it is good. If you look close it is not measured in ins of HG or WC the units are oz/sq in.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jul 24, 2014
I my motor home I have run stove, (Both oven and at least 2 burners topside) and water heater at same time.. Can't recall if I've ever added furnace and fridge to that mix (But doubt it cause with oven going furnace not likely active and fridge normally eats 120vac not gas) but Im' sure system could handle.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jul 24, 2014
Gjac wrote:
I have noticed that if my refer, HWH, and stove is on propane and the furnace kicks in the stove flame gets very lazy and yellow. I have a gauge that tells me that my propane pressure is good.

What kind of gauge?

11" WC is roughly 0.4 psi
Gjac
Explorer III
Jul 24, 2014
I have noticed that if my refer, HWH, and stove is on propane and the furnace kicks in the stove flame gets very lazy and yellow. I have a gauge that tells me that my propane pressure is good.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jul 23, 2014
nomad297 wrote:
Old-Biscuit wrote:

Regulators should be set to maintain 11" WC with 100% of propane equipment in service (although 50% will work).

Sounds like your LP regulator is NOT working correctly.....could try to adjust it but may just want to replace.

This is not entirely true. The regulator only regulates pressure and not the flow. Correct pipe sizing for the total BTUs at the specific long run to maintain no more than a 1/2" drop on an 11" water column is the standard. This means that your system should be sized such that each appliance, when turned on will not cause more than a 1/2" drop on an 11" water column at the appliance. If you now have a 3/8" regulator, you might add enough to cause you to need a 1/2" regulator, or a 3/4" regulator, or maybe even a 1" regulator. You don't increase the pressure (water column) on an undersized regulator when you add more appliances -- you increase the size of the system and maintain the same water column.

Bruce

But if the regulator is undersized you will need to increase the btu flow capacity of regulator along with the increased pipe sizing or the regulator will not be able to flow enough propane to maintain the 11" WC.

Regulators do have different flow capacities.
Typical 2 stage RV regulator has roughly 210,000 btu flow capacity so that 11" WC can be maintained when ALL appliances are in service