Propane regulator

1231ChaseB

Well-known member
Could someone please tell me the purpose of the regulator on the left side tank ? There is already a regulator where this tank feed's into the auto switch regulator on the right side ? A guy at the RV place said he sure didn't see the need for 2 of them ! Thanks ahead of time !
chaseb
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi 1231ChaseB,

I believe it's a safety issue. The doorside tank output is routed across the RV, underneath your living quarters. You don't want high-pressure propane routed through an unventilated area under living quarters. Having a regulator at the tank drops the pressure before the propane goes across the RV.

I think to eliminate the regulator, you'd have to replace the hose with iron pipe.
 

hriker

Well-known member
This past summer my door side regulator failed and I was smelling gas from the door side tank. My RV guy told that regulator is only needed if you have a generator. He indicated I could connect the line to the tank directly because we also have the off door side regulator. I opted to install a new regulator because I wanted my rig the way it was designed from the factory.

Sent from my Nexus 10 using Tapatalk
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Hi 1231ChaseB,

I believe it's a safety issue. The doorside tank output is routed across the RV, underneath your living quarters. You don't want high-pressure propane routed through an unventilated area under living quarters. Having a regulator at the tank drops the pressure before the propane goes across the RV.

I think to eliminate the regulator, you'd have to replace the hose with iron pipe.
I've wondered what the reason was for this regulator and this makes sense to me.
Our current problem makes me wonder if this regulator is starting to fail.
We have a device that alerts us to an empty LP Tank. It's a switch that sits on top of the main regulator. This switch is triggered by the "pop up" flag that turns red when one tank is empty. When the flag pops up it sends a signal to our inside box and an led begins to flash.
Lately, when we use the furnace or oven, this device lights indicating an empty off door side tank. When I check the tank, it's not empty. When we turn off the stove or furnace, the light goes out, back to "normal". The pop up on the main regulator stays in the green.
I've tried switching tanks side to side and the same situation occurs. I'm wondering if the door side regulator is the culprit by not allowing enough propane to the other side.
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi Ray,

I've had past problems with the doorside regulator and pigtail. Oil in the propane can clog the lines or fittings. Some pigtail fittings have very small orifices and I suspect this may be where the propane flow gets reduced from oil gumming up the fitting.

Since you have to disconnect the pigtail to replace the regulator, and it's only a few dollars more, replacing regulator and pigtail as a set makes sense to me.
 

Ray LeTourneau

Senior Member - Past Moderator
Dan, I remembered a post of yours from the past. I removed all the hoses and blew compressed air through them and everything seemed OK. No oil either. Maybe I'll try replacing the pigtail on the door side and see if that might be the culprit.
 
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