Propane Auto Change Over Did not work

[dee74]

I have a propane auto change over valve did not work on my 2015 Springdale this weekend and I am not sure what happened. I went out after I could not light the stove and the indicator was red but the valve did not switch over to the full tank. I eventually was able to get the full tank going by disconnecting both tanks and letting the pressure out of the lines. Anybody experience a similar problem? Is there anything I should be looking for?

[allen8106]

I had a similar situation and thought it was the changeover valve. It ended up being the pigtails connecting the tanks to the propane plumbing system. The drivers side failed first then the passenger side about 2 weeks later. The pigtails have a high flow shut off valve built into them that can sometimes fail to open properly which stops or restricts propane flow.

[Harvey51]

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
Sorry if this sounds silly but you do understand that the valve does not physically move during switchover....it merely determines the primary tank.

I didn't know that. Thank you!

My new regulator sometimes makes a humming or buzzing noise, buzz for a second, quiet for a second, repeating. The buzz is a little higher in frequency than a 60 Hz hum.

[ktmrfs]

Golden_HVAC wrote:
What I would do with my BBQ that had a excess flow safety switch was turn on the valve, and it will let a little pressure seep by the valve. Then shut off the valve (to reset it) and then turn it back on slowly. With a little pressure at the outlet line, then it will usually always say set to run.

You also need to have the regulator 'snug' into the valve of the tank. If the tank to regulator is loose, then it will not 'set' the safety valve.

So try to turn it on, then back off, and then slowly turn it back on. This process should pressurize the line between the tank and auto change over valve.

Some have a 'way' to use up one tank first. Make sure that the switch over is not set to use say the left tank first, but rather to auto chance over to the higher pressure tank. At any rate, should you want to 'use up' one tank first, then just shut off that tank, with the other on, then it will switch back to tank "A" before you are done. At that point, if you want to run tank A, but still want auto change over to tank B, then you can turn on B again slowly.

Good luck,

Fred.

good point on making sure the pigtail is fully seated on the tank valve. Recently we were camped with friends and he was having trouble getting his propane firepit to light, tank was full. He had arthritis and after some checking I noticed when he put the hose on the tank it didn't seem to be tightened down completely. I tightened it another full turn or so and success.

[Lynnmor]

I open only one bottle at a time. After having a failure, I don't trust the automatic units. I would only use it if I were to be away for an extended period of time, had no electric or there is danger of freezing temperatures. What's the worst that can happen if a bottle empties?

[dee74]

FLY 4 FUN wrote:
Have you ever had the auto-switchover work before on this rig? Sorry if this sounds silly but you do understand that the valve does not physically move during switchover....it merely determines the primary tank. Once you know that the tank is empty...and its properly swapped to full tank you can physically flip the lever, and then disconnect the empty tank to refill. I also suspect that the overflow preventer kicked in and you had a full tank that wouldn't let you have any flow.

This was the first time the primary tank was empty. On my last tt the propane just switched over and I did not need to do anything. I knew the tank was empty when the indicator was red so I would flip the switch and fill the empty tank.

[Old-Biscuit]

Flipping lever resets Indicator from RED to GREEN by porting to full tank.


As suggested by 'ktmrfs' Item #1

when you disconnected pigtails you reset excess flow check valve

[FLY_4_FUN]

Have you ever had the auto-switchover work before on this rig? Sorry if this sounds silly but you do understand that the valve does not physically move during switchover....it merely determines the primary tank. Once you know that the tank is empty...and its properly swapped to full tank you can physically flip the lever, and then disconnect the empty tank to refill. I also suspect that the overflow preventer kicked in and you had a full tank that wouldn't let you have any flow.

[philh]

I just replaced a brand new failed unit. Never considered looking at the check valve.

[TucsonJim]

I just went through this with my 2014 unit. Come to find out, it was a bad "back check" valve on the inlet of my regulator. Here's some pictures:






On a properly working back check valve, you can blow into the inlet side and air will flow, but won't flow backwards. On mine, the air wouldn't flow either direction. What was interesting was that the manufacturer of my RV only installed a back check valve on one side, and the other input fitting to the regulator didn't have one. The unit really didn't need one because the pigtails also have a back check valve which makes one of them redundant when you have two in the system.

[Golden_HVAC]

What I would do with my BBQ that had a excess flow safety switch was turn on the valve, and it will let a little pressure seep by the valve. Then shut off the valve (to reset it) and then turn it back on slowly. With a little pressure at the outlet line, then it will usually always say set to run.

You also need to have the regulator 'snug' into the valve of the tank. If the tank to regulator is loose, then it will not 'set' the safety valve.

So try to turn it on, then back off, and then slowly turn it back on. This process should pressurize the line between the tank and auto change over valve.

Some have a 'way' to use up one tank first. Make sure that the switch over is not set to use say the left tank first, but rather to auto chance over to the higher pressure tank. At any rate, should you want to 'use up' one tank first, then just shut off that tank, with the other on, then it will switch back to tank "A" before you are done. At that point, if you want to run tank A, but still want auto change over to tank B, then you can turn on B again slowly.

Good luck,

Fred.

[dee74]

ktmrfs wrote:
3 possibilities

1) It switched, but when you opened the valves initially, you opened the second tank valve to quick and it triggered the excess flow port. once that happens, you get about enough flow for pilot lights, not much else.
2) you DID have BOTH tank valves open right??
3) Bad changeover valve.

I'd put my money on (1) or (2)

I definitely had both valves on but I may have opened one too quickly I really do not remember. I have definitely had that happen before and I noticed it right away but both tanks had propane at that time.

[ktmrfs]

3 possibilities

1) It switched, but when you opened the valves initially, you opened the second tank valve to quick and it triggered the excess flow port. once that happens, you get about enough flow for pilot lights, not much else.
2) you DID have BOTH tank valves open right??
3) Bad changeover valve.

I'd put my money on (1) or (2)