Newly-filled Propane Tanks empty in four days-not used much

[CarolineGates]

I am back, pretty sure I got my breaker problem resolved. Now I have a new one with my 2010 Cougar. I have two 7-gal propane tanks, one on each side of the front end of the rig. I use propane only for furnace and stove and seldom use either as I prefer elec/microwave/gadgets etc. I went to turn on the furnace during a cold spell we just had and it was empty. OK, got the two filled up and installed them. Forgot to turn on furnace at 65 degrees over Thanksgiving, so it did not use propane then. Since then I have kept it at 65 degrees and on but it doesn't come on because I have my space heaters going and they keep rig warm. So I use furnace only in the a.m. at 75 degrees, then down again to 65 and it doesn't come on. My point is that I have not used up any of the propane I bought just before Thanksgiving. The red marker shows them empty. We have used the soap method to check for leaks on/around the tanks. All looks good. Local dealer said even with bubbles those tanks would lose only a small amount if they were leaking. One person smelled propane near the tanks. Dealer also said someone probably stole the tanks by switching them with empties. I tried to turn on the stove burners and there is no propane in those lines. The stove has hardly been used. Two summers ago someone came into our RV park where I and many others live full time and stole the gas tanks out of three river boats during the night right under bedroom windows (it was windy/raining) so I guess someone could have switched. What I am going to do about this is fill the front/main propane tank again, install it, turn the secondary off completely so it won't transfer over, and see what happens. I did run the furnace yesterday a.m. for 15 min. That's it. Turned it on again this a.m. and the furnace started, air blew out, no heat came out, and furnace shut off. That is when I checked the tanks, both empty. My question, after all of that, is between the tanks and the furnace and stove, which are close to each other, could there be any kind of leak problems that would use 14.2 gal of propane up and I am still alive having been inside this rig most of the time? I can't smell anything due to sinus surgeries, so I have to depend on others. Thanks

[CarolineGates]

Shepstone, what did you do to fix the problem that you say is similar to mine?

[shepstone]

One of the regulators went on my old rv with similar symptoms . But it had a tank on both sides with 2 regulators.

[rhagfo]

eHoefler wrote:
The furnace is a gas hog, it will use more than you may think!

Well we were on that coast over Thanksgiving, and used the furnace exclusively for heat (65), and cooked a roaster chicken Thanksgiving evening. We used less than 6 gal, over the three days, including leaving the furnace on for the about two hour drive home.

The OP has a leak, or swapped tanks.

[eHoefler]

The furnace is a gas hog, it will use more than you may think!

[2324delk]

What red lines? the one at the switch over valve?

Or do you have them on the tanks themselves.

My Cougar shows red if I turn the valves on to quickly.

You might want to check the weight on the tanks and weigh them on a bathroom scale.

If you have gages on each tank, never mind what I just said

[lostbytes]

Use gas type spray bubbles to find leaks. Otherwise, a gas sniffer could be used.

[CarolineGates]

Thanks for the advice. The two tanks are the same ones I have been using for three years and someone else before me. About someone stealing the tanks and putting empties in their place...they might be hoping I fill them again and they can again "swap!" I put my name on the tanks in black permanent ink. I will check out what you advised about. Thanks

[dapperdan]

I agree with Old Biscuit, OP most likely has a leak somewhere.

But I have a couple of buddies, both in the same CG (seasonals) that had their propane tanks "swapped"! Turned out somebody was staying in the park over the winter against owners' rules, was running out of propane and decided to help himself as long as nobody was around to catch him. Turns out somebody eventually spotted him making a "switch". Now the one guy came up with a way to cable lock his tanks, making more difficult to "swap".

Dan

[rrupert]

I had a cracked fitting in the main line under the trailer. That emptied the tanks in a couple of days. We could smell the gas, and it wasn't a strong odor, but couldn't find the leak at first.

[Old-Biscuit]

TrickyRicky wrote:


Old Biscuit I have to disagree with your purging instructions. My method would be to fill the tank with vapor propane at a pressure of approx 15 psi and then bleed it off and redo it 5 more times this will flush almost all the air and associated contaminates from the tank now it can be filled.

I gave the shorten version of 'purging' cause that is not OPs issue. Her cylinders are not brand new just empty.

And I could have copy/pasted those instructions from website also.

MY question about purging and how it controls the amount of propane placed in the tank. These are two operations and yes a new tank is to be purged. If the tank is filled without purging in the normal manner of opening the spitter valve and with the tank on a weigh scale then the same amount of propane should be in the tank when liquid propane starts to exit the spitter valve and the scales show the proper weight . Without purging some moisture and contaminates may still be in the tank.

Sometimes the high flow valve on new tanks may be stuck from somebody opening the main valve with a high pressure of air escaping similar to a propane leak. If this condition exist then it will not be possible to purge or fill the tank.

Unless a hose is connected to cylinder OPD opening it will not allow anything to flow due to spring loaded shutoff that has to be held open by stub inside hose ACME nut.

And the high flow (Excess flow device) is internal part of ACME nut.
OPD has shut off float, bleeder port, relief port and spring loaded shutoff

OP has a leak

[TrickyRicky]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

TrickyRicky wrote:

downtheroad wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Did they purge your tanks and get the air out before they were filled?

B.O.

My guess too...if these are new tanks and never "purged."

How does purging control how much propane is put in tank?

New tanks have air.......first fill up the bleeder valve is fully opened until propane flows out. This expels air in cylinders.

Subsequent fills bleeder valve is only cracked open until propane spits out then filling is stopped (80%)



If air is not purged then you will hear pinging at regulator as the chilled air goes thru it.
Not what is going on with OP

She has a leak and with both cylinders going empty then suspect changeover valve/fittings and/or regulator as those are common to both cylinders

Old Biscuit I have to disagree with your purging instructions. My method would be to fill the tank with vapor propane at a pressure of approx 15 psi and then bleed it off and redo it 5 more times this will flush almost all the air and associated contaminates from the tank now it can be filled.

MY question about purging and how it controls the amount of propane placed in the tank. These are two operations and yes a new tank is to be purged. If the tank is filled without purging in the normal manner of opening the spitter valve and with the tank on a weigh scale then the same amount of propane should be in the tank when liquid propane starts to exit the spitter valve and the scales show the proper weight . Without purging some moisture and contaminates may still be in the tank.

Sometimes the high flow valve on new tanks may be stuck from somebody opening the main valve with a high pressure of air escaping similar to a propane leak. If this condition exist then it will not be possible to purge or fill the tank.

[rhagfo]

Check all your hoses and fittings. I just replaced all the hoses on our rig, as they were all very old and stiff. That an the regulator side tank hose was leaking.

[Old-Biscuit]

TrickyRicky wrote:

downtheroad wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Did they purge your tanks and get the air out before they were filled?

B.O.

My guess too...if these are new tanks and never "purged."

How does purging control how much propane is put in tank?

New tanks have air.......first fill up the bleeder valve is fully opened until propane flows out. This expels air in cylinders.

Subsequent fills bleeder valve is only cracked open until propane spits out then filling is stopped (80%)

If air is not purged then you will hear pinging at regulator as the chilled air goes thru it.
Not what is going on with OP

She has a leak and with both cylinders going empty then suspect changeover valve/fittings and/or regulator as those are common to both cylinders

[downtheroad]

Why purge...

New propane tanks for sale like a 20 lb (5 Gallon) are generally shipped with air pressure, sometimes as much as 100 PSI, to provide a balance of pressure while being shipped over various altitudes.
Air may contain certain levels of moisture content and other contaminants.

Water vapor present in propane gas vapor may cause regulator freeze ups and other problems.

Failure to purge the high air pressure will prevent the tank from being filled completely.
Air left in a propane bottle will negatively affect the burners on your appliances causing the flame to be unstable.

[TrickyRicky]

downtheroad wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Did they purge your tanks and get the air out before they were filled?

B.O.

My guess too...if these are new tanks and never "purged."

How does purging control how much propane is put in tank?