Propane tank makes "pinging" noise.

I was out camping this past weekend in Gettysburg and my pinging returned! So at 4:32am I went out and opened the valve on tank #2 only to have the pinging return later. The next day the pinging returned so I moved the selector to tank 2 that night no pinging! So I guess I have narrow it to tank 1 or its hose.

OP

I used to hear a pinging sound from a propane cylinder. I figured out that only one cylinder did it and only when it was close to full (and running the fridge on propane).

I labeled that cylinder "pings" and filled it one gallon less than full from then on. That stopped the pinging.

I forgot once and completely filled it, the pinging was back. After running the refrigerator on propane for a few days the pinging stopped again.

If you can't get it to stop, I recommend a new cylinder.

Passin Thru wrote:
Bring it by and I'll tell it not to ping. I'm an Aircraft Mechanic, the pilot said, Plane lands crooked so I told it to straighten out and run right. Put some rubber gasket about 1/4 in thick under the tanks and that will muffle it.

Well,,,, I didn't get all of this. But, maybe if you put some padding under the tanks where they set, it may solve the problem. What ever in the tank that is making the noise it is probably being magnified by what they are setting on. It would be the easy thing to try !

Bring it by and I'll tell it not to ping. I'm an Aircraft Mechanic, the pilot said, Plane lands crooked so I told it to straighten out and run right. Put some rubber gasket about 1/4 in thick under the tanks and that will muffle it.

myredracer wrote:
If you read the posts from around the internet, they all seem to say it's the regulator and/or the hoses.

I believe it's the OPD valves on the tank. Mine make a pingy-moany sound when gas is being used. It's not loud enough to be heard inside the trailer.

Maybe the built-in sonar?

According to google ("RV propane tank noise"), the tanks can make noise described as whining, chirping, beeping, humming, thumping, sputtering, pulsing, hissing, whistling as well as "pinging".

If you read the posts from around the internet, they all seem to say it's the regulator and/or the hoses. One person said it will simply go away in time. Other than replacing the regulator, the first (and cheaper thing) is to try changing the pigtail hoses.

What would we do without google nowadays? :)

I had the same thing happen. I'm old school I like to have one tank valve open at a time even though my unit has the automatic switching valve. I found having both tank valves open stopped the "pinging". Maybe some type of pressure differential inside the automatic valve. I guess it could have been a coincidence?

Brand new cylinders? Swap from one cylinder to other....do both 'ping'

Could be due to improper purging prior to filling with propane.
Air needs to be completely purged out of tank.
Brand new......have dealer 're purge' cylinders. (IF dealer had cylinders filled..otherwise take back to place that did the purging/filling)
That ping is air 'exploding' when propane changes to vapor (rapid expansion) and can damage OPD (float---vlave internals)

Could be regulator and/or pigtail hoses faulty.
Hoses have a check valve in the ACME nut (ball bearing that floats). It closes off in the event of a leak downstream (excess flow).

But usually if regulator or check valve are problem they hummmmmmm or chatter not ping.

We also had the same happen in our last RV and after researching found it was the valve or nature of that type. Keeping the tanks full helped. Also, in our current rig, when it gets really cold, our tanks will make a noise that sounds like a siren. Scared the heck out of us one morning up in the middle of nowhere to hear sirens early in the morning. It was the gas going through the lines. We don't always hear it but seems to occur more at high altitude.

I have never heard of this problem before, but I would suspect that it has something to do with the valves coming out of the tank or tanks. Perhaps the valve that determines which tank is being used. If you have two tanks does the ping sound exist no matter which tank is being used?