Propane Regulator Frozen?
We had some rather cold weather here recently (below freezing)and when I went to check the RV furnace it wouldn't fire. I checked the regulator and the gauge of green/red triangles was showing indica...
Forum Discussion
rrunner wrote:
I know some regulators can freeze up as we had some vehicles that were propane powered and at times in the winter we had to pour hot water over the regulator.
I NOW have a happy ending to my problem. I had a suggestion that I remove the tank and tap it on the ground as a check valve ball may have been sticking and then open the valve slowly. I just went out and removed my tank then banged it twice on the driveway. I replaced the tank in the RV, hooked up my pig tail, I then opened the valve slowly to make the regulator think I didn't have a broken line and the site glass on the regulator turned green. I then lite my stove top and furnace and all is well again.
Next time.....just close cylinder service valve. Wait 30 seconds then slowly open service valve
That 'check valve'----it is inside that Big Green ACME Nut on the pigtail hose
Called an 'Excess Flow Device'......ball bearing that is held in center position (open) via spring. When you open service valve the ball bearing moves away from inlet (towards RV) limiting the flow of propane until the downstream system pressure equalizes with the inlet pressure then spring pushes ball bearing back to full open position
Opening service valve to fast 'trips' ball bearing due to sudden inrush of propane (high flow)
Banging cylinder on ground just dents bottom platform of cylinder.
Has no affect on correcting flow issue.
OPD Valve (Overfill Protection Device)has several components
*Float device that 'stops' filling with liquid propane at 80% level
(Stops 'Liquid' IN but has no affect on 'Vapor' flowing OUT)
*Pressure Relief Valve (Opens if pressure exceeds 300 psi)
*Spring loaded shut off valve .....will not allow vapor to flow out of cylinder IF ACME Nut/pigtail hose is NOT connected or if High temp melts the thermal bushing in ACME Nut.
*Liquid Level Fixed Gauge Valve (Bleeder Valve)
(None of which will stop vapor flow and be corrected by banging cylinder on ground)
Just valving out cylinders....making sure no propane appliances are ON/no leaks..then valving in OPD slowly would have corrected your flow issue.
