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Old 01-25-2010, 05:56 PM   #1
sandslugs
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Propane leak?

When i remove one of the dual 30lb tanks from my fifthwheel to get it refilled i can hear gas leaking out of the open hose Is that normal or should the gas not leak out of the full tank to the open hose. Is the regulator faulty or is this normal?

Don
 
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Old 01-25-2010, 08:00 PM   #2
Art-n-Marge
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This is not normal. You might get a very brief burp of propane from what's left in the line but it should be very brief and very minimal. However this only works if you follow the correct procedure.

First make make sure you point the autoregulator switch to the other propane tank before removing the empty one (It should not be straight up). Then turn off the propane tank valve on the tank to be removed. If you do this and you still hear hissing the regulator might be bad since it is not shutting that line completely off.

What is the outside temperature when you do this? I don't know if extreme cold makes thing work slowly or sticky, so I hope someone can comment.
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Old 01-26-2010, 12:29 AM   #3
Bill-N-Donna
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I have noticed that on ours when changing a bottle. I don’t know if it’s normal or not but I always valve off both bottles and that seems to stop the leaking propane.
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Old 01-26-2010, 12:46 AM   #4
ols1932
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That only happens to me if I forget to switch the regulator to the full tank. Then there might be a short ssst when I remove the empty tank, but that's it.

Orv
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Old 01-26-2010, 01:00 AM   #5
Bill-N-Donna
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by ols1932

That only happens to me if I forget to switch the regulator to the full tank. Then there might be a short ssst when I remove the empty tank, but that's it.

Orv

I may have not been watching the regulator close enough. I will have to check that out the next time I need to change one.
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Old 01-26-2010, 01:18 AM   #6
HamRad
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My regulator is on the curbside of the rig. If I need to fill the street side tank I follow the procedure of turning off the tank valve and make certain that the selector switch on the regulator is pointed at the full tank on the curbside. When I disconnect the tank from the streetside line I get a long leak until the propane has purged itself from the length of line from the streetside to the regulator. Then NO more leak. And the curbside tank is on and supplying fuel to the trailer.

If, however, I reverse the process and take the curbside tank out of service to refill I get a slow ongoing leak. Obviously the streetside tank is supplying fuel to the rig but a small amount is leaking out of the curbside connector.

I assume I have a faulty regulator and one of these days I'll change it out. But for now I simply turn off the streetside tank until I return with a now refilled curbside tank and reconnect it. I then simply turn on the streetside tank and we're back in business. That means, however, that the rig is without fuel for the lenght of time it takes to remove, refill and then reconnect the curbside tank. Most of the time this is not a problem but sometime I would still like to have fuel being supplied while the tank is being refilled.

I wonder if there is anything else I could do? Maybe give the regulator a good but gentle 'whack'? Otherwise replacement seems to be the way to go.

Good luck to us all.

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Old 01-26-2010, 08:14 AM   #7
Art-n-Marge
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I think Orv describes it perfectly, just make sure there are as few S's in the sound as possible. "ssst" is good.. "sssssssssst" is not good. "sssssssssssss...." is real bad. It sounds like Hamrad is describing the problem pretty good. Turning off both valves should be a good work around until the regulator gets addressed.
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Old 01-26-2010, 11:30 AM   #8
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Hmmm, I think that the pigtail with the Acme connector has a check valve in it to prevent backflow. I know ours will give a short burst and that is all. I would suspect a bad pigtail connector, which is relatively inexpensive, and easily changed.
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Old 01-26-2010, 11:53 AM   #9
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Will,
Thanks for the suggestion. I assume there should be a working backflow valve but did not realize it would be in the pigtail. I'll check that out. As you indicated it should be a relatively cheap fix if that is the problem. As to a "short" burst mine is still leaking and hisssssing after more than a minute. I think that is too long to qualify as a 'short' burst.

Thanks for the info.

Dennis
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Old 01-27-2010, 07:35 AM   #10
snfexpress
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I had to replace the regulator. It was about $30 and easy to replace.
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