Propane pressure

New regulator and one hose and I'm back in business! Oil dint make it past regulator.

I don't know where in So. Cal. you are but if you're near the Burbank/Glendale area the propane dealer there is really sharp, he is a little gruff especially if he's reading his morning newspaper.

And last week propane was only $2,09.

jimh425 wrote:
Could be the regulator, but it could be the furnace needs cleaning. You can try using an air hose, but if that doesn't work, you'll probably need to remove the furnace to clean it.

And t
A dirty furnace has what to do with the insufficient pressure at the other appliances mentioned?

RVnRobin wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Also the ACME nut has a 'thermal bushing' that will melt in a fire and then the cylinder spring loaded valve will not be held open anymore....no propane flow.

This is the first time I've seen anyone refer to the white washer inside the ACME nut as a thermal bushing. However, if that is what it is I have had many problems with split and falling out washers in cold climates. And, here in Death Valley, at 120 degrees, they soften and flatten. I never had one that lasted more than 5 or 6 months. My solution was to change the pigtails to the old style propane fitting that you tighten with a wrench. No problems since.

The thermal bushing is built into the ACME nut......located between the green nut and the flexible hose.
2 versions of ACME nut. Older type 1 you can see the black bushing. Newer Type 1 bushing can not be seen. Both do the same thing....melt and no longer allow cylinder spring loaded valve to stay open

Older Version


Newer Version

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Also the ACME nut has a 'thermal bushing' that will melt in a fire and then the cylinder spring loaded valve will not be held open anymore....no propane flow.

This is the first time I've seen anyone refer to the white washer inside the ACME nut as a thermal bushing. However, if that is what it is I have had many problems with split and falling out washers in cold climates. And, here in Death Valley, at 120 degrees, they soften and flatten. I never had one that lasted more than 5 or 6 months. My solution was to change the pigtails to the old style propane fitting that you tighten with a wrench. No problems since.

Just for some clarification........


Opening the cylinder valve slowly.......this is for the 'excess flow valve' inside the big green ACME nut on the hose. It is a ball bearing that moves towards close when valving in a cylinder. When the downstream pressure builds up the pressure equalizes and allows the ball bearing to move back towards center. If you valve in the cylinder to quickly the ball bearing can fully close stopping flow.
It is a safety device...should a line/fitting break downstream (excess flow) the ball bearing closes stopping excess propane flow.

The 'OPD'.......overfill protection device. Basically a float that closes when liquid level reaches 80% capacity. Sometimes the float can stick and 'banging cylinder' on ground will free the float allowing propane to flow.

The cylinder also has a spring loaded valve in hose connection. IF a hose is not attached to cylinder the spring loaded valve is closed...no propane can flow.

Also the ACME nut has a 'thermal bushing' that will melt in a fire and then the cylinder spring loaded valve will not be held open anymore....no propane flow.

Two Things:

1) I just had one bottle refilled, put it back on line and the same thing - barely any flow...I disconnected this bottle and hooked up the standby bottle and all was well again, thus the regulator and hose were not the problem...

So I lifted up the newly refilled bottle about 1" off the floor and let it drop once or twice, then put it back in service and no more problem - apparently the OPD's ball-check device got lodged shut when the bottle was filled.

2) For redundancy, the hoses also have a built-in ball check that can fail closed...

The OPD only acts on the liquid inlet doesn't it?

So I removed the regulator and oil came out of it. I ordered a new one, we will see if that does the trick

Ideally the regulator should be mounted well above the bottles so there is a gradual slope back down towards the bottle.

H2oSprt wrote:
So I removed the regulator and oil came out of it. I ordered a new one, we will see if that does the trick

Then there is a very good chance you may also have oil traps else where in the piping. The oil traps can move around in transit and change viscosity with temperature making symptoms change.