5th Propane 2-stage Regulator

[Born2RV]

How long should a propane 2-stage regulator last? I am getting about a year out of them. We have been full-time in our 5th wheel for almost 2 years and this is the third regulator, 5th since we got the RV in 2007.

The reason I know it needs replaced is we have a Precision Temp on-demand hot water heater that fluctuates if the propane pressure is not just so. Also the stove does not light on the first two tries.

Thanks in advance.

[dougrainer]

To adjust you MUST have a LP pressure MONOMETER, connected to the LP system and you CANNOT connect it to a stove range burner. The LP pressure(NO LOAD) is set at 11.5 inches water column. You then turn on the furnace and water heater and see what the pressure drops to. It should NOT drop below 11 inches with a large 50% load. The rating of a LP regulator is about 200,000 BTU's. The furnace will pull anywhere from 20K to 45k depending on the model. The refer is minimal. The Stove range will be 5600 to 9000 for the burners and I believe the Oven is about 7000 btu. The precision temp is about 55,000 btu's. A standard water heater is about 9000 btu's. Doug

[Born2RV]

Forgot about the stove... yes, I meant the range top burners and using a piezo knob to light it. Multiple clicks... OK. Thanks again, I will cross that off the list.

[Born2RV]

Thanks all! Great info... I did not know the regulators were adjustable. Who or how does one adjust them? The first two replacement regulators leaked. We could smell it in the propane compartment, hoses checked OK. Then we switched to a different manufacturer.

Doug .. I "think" the regulator is malfunctioning, no test preformed. It is doing the same stuff it did last time we replaced it. My husband was on the phone with a Precision Temp technician who had him do a bunch of tests. The result was replace the regulator. Admittedly, the water heater is a little picky and it is not the latest model but it is ours until death do us part.

Old-Biscuit... we rotate between three tanks. 2 30# in the 5th wheel and a big one, 50 gal, at our home base. The 30# ones are filled when we are on the road where ever it is convenient. The propane company fills the big tank. I do not think the propane company sells regulators, but they did make the hose to connect to the big tank for us. We have been on the big tank for almost a month. When we are on the 30# tanks, we do not keep both tanks open. We use one until it runs out, then switch over. The directions for the new regulator says to leave both tanks open, it will switch automatically and turn red. Yea... right. Like I will see that... don't know if that makes a difference. The 30# tanks are off when we are on the 50 gal. Cylinders filled at different locations and no icing. Overfilled is a possibility, but not on the 50 gal.

The current regulator makes a clicking or faint knocking noise. It is random and does it on both the big tank and when on the road, on the 30# tanks. When I turn the A/B switch it stops. Sorry... I forgot to mention that.

Also no leaks from the hoses. Another point... we just learned that there is Teflon tape for propane - it is in a yellow spool, not white. I am fairly certain we used white tape in the past or none at all.

Water pressure fluctuations.. we have been at our home base the past month on well water with a pretty good (and well maintained) pump and filtering system. The Precision Temp tech spoke of that in our last conversations but said our pressure was good.

Next steps? Pressure test? Regulator adjustment ? Is that a pay-the-expert thing or can we do it?

Thanks again.

[wa8yxm]

I have seen them last 20 years... Give or take a couple.. Longer than that I have yet to see a single regulator (That is I moved, it did not).

[partsman01]

my 1986 never gave a problem and so far no problem with the one on our 2004 model.

[Old-Biscuit]

I know you said you FT but does that mean you are traveling or staying in one locale?
Reason I ask...are you getting your cylinders filled at same place or various places around the country?

Are the regulators frosting up when they start failing?

Liquid LP getting into reg will kill them fast.
Tanks getting overfilled?

My OEM regulator has been in service since Nov. '06 full time.

[GASMAN6674]

I agree with donn0128. Some appliances are picky when it comes to inlet pressure and lets face it the auto change over regulators on most RV's are low bidder pos and can not handle the pressure swings your water heater can tolerate. Contact your local LP Gas dealer and get a NAME BRAND (Fisher or RegO) regulator for your rig. With rego you will get a 10 year warranty.
Good Luck

[donn0128]

On demand water heaters are very suseptible to water2 pressure fluctuations. I think you may be throwing band aids at a problem that has little to do with gas

[MEXICOWANDERER]

A HIGH PRESSURE LPG filter like is used on motor fuel applications will absorb oil and debris out of the dirty gas you are getting.

[NRALIFR]

All of the regulators I've seen are adjustable, maybe yours just need adjusting? They sometimes get contaminated the that brown oily goo that collects in propane systems, which can affect the way they work.

:):)

[dougrainer]

LP regulators last almost forever, at least 3 to 4 years or more. I rarely have to replace LP regulators and I am a tech at a large RV service center. I do have to replace the feed pigtails from the tanks to the auto switchover because THEY will leak at the hose crimps. Do the regulators fail and leak or you just "think" they are bad due to your Precision Temp water heater and your stove? If so, that is a BAD way to determine your LP regulator is bad. You need to have the LP pressure checked when you have appliances running and when no appliances running. LP regulators ARE adjustable if the pressure is not correct. If I were you, I would get rid of the On Demand and get a regular 120/LP water heater. On Demand RV water heaters are ALL problematic and as you found out, very finicky on operation. When you state the stove does not light on the first 2 try's. You mean the range top burners and you are turning the manual piezo knob to light? If so, THAT is normal. It can take multiple clicks on the Piezo to light range top burners. Doug

[RoyF]

Mine is in its seventh season. Maybe a squirt of WD40 up the hose once in a while might help. Can't think of anything else they could need.