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Old 02-10-2008, 07:15 AM   #1
Katja_and_Michael
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LP changeover valve question

Hi everyone,

We've had some problems with the LP changeover valve - it can indicate that it's emptying the driver's side tank, and it's actually emptying both tanks. Could this be a faulty valve? This is a replacement that my DH installed a couple of weeks ago, since the original valve was doing the same thing. Has anyone else had this problem and found a way to solve it?

Thank you!

Katja
 
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Old 02-10-2008, 07:18 AM   #2
H. John Kohl
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Not trying to be smart but is the valve stitch manually moved to point at the full tank after the other tank empties?
I am asking how you use the valve switch. So we have a reference to help trouble shoot.
Good luck.
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Old 02-10-2008, 07:44 AM   #3
ols1932
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I believe that there is one position where you can draw from both tanks. Which way do you have the lever pointing? It should be pointing at the tank you want to draw from and then when that tank is empty the valve will internally automatically switch to the full tank. Then you switch the lever to that tank.

ORv
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Old 02-11-2008, 01:49 PM   #4
Army Guy
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Hey Orv, your saying the valve will switch internally.....in short, if you don't switch the valve over, it will still continue to draw from the other tank until they are both empty?
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Old 02-11-2008, 02:23 PM   #5
stiles watson
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When I have 2 full tanks, I set the valve to empty the far side tank first. When that tank empties, it automatically switches to the near side tank. If you are not keeping up with the tank level, you can get a surprise when both tanks are empty on a cold night.

If I am not mistaken there is a pamphlet that tells how the valves work in the pile of info I got with the RV when I bought it.
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Old 02-11-2008, 02:49 PM   #6
ols1932
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Army Guy

Hey Orv, your saying the valve will switch internally.....in short, if you don't switch the valve over, it will still continue to draw from the other tank until they are both empty?
Correct. The lever just merely manually switches over to the other tank. Thus, if you run one tank out and the flag is red, the valve automatically switches over, and the flag remains red until you switch the lever towards the other tank. That's why I find in my experience that a lot of people run both tanks out. They neglect monitoring the little red/green flag on the valve. I monitor mine daily when in very cold weather and less frequently during warm weather.

Orv
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Old 02-11-2008, 03:18 PM   #7
Emmel
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Orv, I'm one of those people that always draws from one tank at a time. I do not open the valve to the second tank until the first one actually runs out. My reasoning for this is that I don't ever want to run out on both tanks at one time. I know I've had to get up at 3 am and turn the valve to the other one, but I'n afraid I will forget to look to see if I need to turn off one valve and fill it.
At that point, I would be out in both tanks and could get very cold!
Being a p/t camper, I don't do what I should by checking the tanks the way I'm supposed to!
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Old 02-12-2008, 10:29 AM   #8
Waynem
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Ditto on one at at time. Just don't want to run out and I'm not that good on checking the gauge.
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Old 02-13-2008, 05:06 AM   #9
sreigle
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Kartja, as OLS1932 said, there is a position for the handle from which it will draw from both tanks. That position is usually straight up. When we say point the lever towards the tank you want to draw from as primary tank, we mean point the lever to the hose it is to draw from.

At first, I was confused as to what was meant by "point" the handle. To me, the lever was the tail and the head of the "arrow" that was being pointed was the point where it pivots. I was wrong. The tail, or lever, is what is pointed toward the hose from the tank to be used as primary.

As others said, when that primary tank is empty, the red flag goes up on the regulator but it will automatically switch to draw from the other tank, assuming that valve's tank is opened. I do not like losing heat from the furnace in the middle of the night so I keep both tanks open.

We, and a few others here, have a remote changeover indicator, a light inside the bedroom that flashes when the red flag on the regulator goes up. That tells me to go switch the lever and get the primary tank filled. The place I bought mine got bought out by Camping World, who does not offer this remote indicator. However, someone posted a link awhile back. It's made by Marshall, the same people who make the regulator. A google search on remote propane indicator should turn up the source. The cost is right around 35 dollars.
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Old 02-13-2008, 08:32 AM   #10
Katja_and_Michael
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Thank you, Steve and others who have replied.

I'm at work now, or I could ask Michael this, but what he does is, when the driver's side tank is empty, and the propane is being drawn from the passenger side tank, the switches the handle to point to the passenger side tank, then puts a full tank on the driver's side and opens the valve. When he checks it later, he finds that both tanks are being drawn from (being emptied). The thing that I can't ask him about is whether he does point the handle to the passenger side tank when that tank is being drawn from. I think yes, but I'll ask tonight when I get home. Regardless, a look for a remote propane indicator may be in order!

Thanks so much everyone for taking the time to reply to this.

Katja
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Old 02-14-2008, 02:04 PM   #11
sreigle
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Katja, please let us know what you find out. I think many of us are curious as to what is causing the problem. Your description is exactly as I would do the same process, assuming the lever is being pointed to the other tank and not straight up. If he is doing it correctly, then it sounds like the regulator may be faulty and is not closing off the driver side tank. I don't know how long the warranty is on a regulator but it might be worth checking with your dealer.
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Old 02-14-2008, 04:04 PM   #12
EagleRunner
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Steve,
Thanks for the clarification on the handle. I have been wrong all along and I think that explains why I wound up with an empty tank one time. The driver's side tank was empty so I switched over to the curb side tank, so I thought. The driver's side tank was just filled the day before so I knew it was full when I left to go fill the curb side tank. When I got back. the driver's side tank was completely drained and an awful gas smell was present. No matches please!!!! What I now know was happening, thanks to you Steve, was the gas was flowing from the full tank into the regulator switch and out the disconnected hose (path of least resistance). I thought I had a bad regulator switch. Now I know, use the long "handle" end as the pointer to the hose you want to draw from....

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Old 02-14-2008, 04:14 PM   #13
EagleRunner
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Now that I re-read my post, it makes no sense. Sorry for the confusion. The basic point is, because I was using the incorrect end of the regulator switch as the reference to which tank I was pulling from, I had switched to the wrong tank, the one I had removed to be filled, leaving an open path for the gas, from the full tank, to escape out the hanging hose from where I pulled the empty tank.

Long end is the reference "pointer" not just the "handle"!!!

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