The reason for this is to get every drop of gas out of the cylinder, otherwise you get to pay for the propane twice. When the cylinder gets almost empty it will not supply the demand so the full cylinder makes up the difference.

Rockintom,
Did the regulator come with some sort of mounting bracket?
Paul

No, it is not in a mounting bracket. The only support is the clamp that is already there for the original 1/2" pipe. I will send you pix of the regulator installed. The pieces need to do this update is:
*30 psi high pressure regulator
*1/2" to 1/4" reducer
*1/4" pipe 2" long
*1/4" to 3/8 flare fitting
*Thread sealant or equivalent

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rockintom,

A little information for you on LP. No where in any mputs does it talk about Gas Pressure. Your LP system, past the regulator should maintain a pressure of 11.4 WCI (water column inches) of pressure with 75% of your appliances running on Gas (RE: water heater, furnace, refer., stove.) Of these appliances the stove is the one appliance that will work off the weakest pressure. So if your furance does not seem to operating and you turn your stove and it works this is one reason why, you will have low gas pressure, and your stove should not be the indicator that you have plenty of Gas, as it will run on the bottom portion of the Gas system, (Now mostly liguid). Now Gas systems with LP bottles on both sides of the unit. If your regulator is on the door side and that bottle goes dry, your regulator should changeover to the next bottle. With the new OPD values and connectors that are put on today, without the extra regulator on the ODS, you will experience problems, especially in Colder temps. The Oversize fitting (Green) that connects the bottle on the ODS, has a built in ball bearing with a spring in it to help indicate if there is a major leak in the system and will shut down any pressure coming out of the the tank. Now what the manufactures have down is install a 1/2" pipe to go accross the coach and tie into the line coming from the regulator. If the furnace is operation of in startup operation it will call for a large amount of Gas (Water Heater #1 large amount use, and Furnace #2)to make it operate. With the bottle trying to keep that 1/2" line full, which the furance as depleted, the value on the bottle shows indication of a large amount of gas leaving the unit. It now goes into a shut down mode. Unless your unit is completely purged with gas it will seem that system is not working right. Now with the regulator that Marshall Gas Controls has put out, it will hold that pressure in the system and it will not indicate a large leak from the tank through the pigtail hose to the regulator and your system will run as it should. (Marshall Gas Control part number C6121#2049-High Pressure Regulator Preset at 30 PSIG) As stated in a eailier comment as of Sept. 1, 05 all manufactures are to be installing this Regulator on Split Tank systems. If you want to attempt a test to see if this is what is going on, remove your Tank from the ODS along with LP pigtail, and place it on the DS at the Regulator. Run the furance and hot water heater at the same time with gas supply coming from the tank that is on the door side. With both bottles on, shut off the DS tank and you will see it changeover to the 2nd bottle without problem or issues, and will continue to run. I have done this to see, then have installed the regulator on the ODS (which it is orange as well) and now have no problems with interruption of gas applicances. This is all for FYI.

Folks, WRONGWAY has it exactly right. This is why you need to pony up and get the street side regulator even if you have never experienced a problem. Eventually, you will experience this phenomenon when all the right conditions are met.

I love it when the so-called experts don't know their a from a hole in the ground.

I had this happen last night in Colorado when the temperature hit a balmy one overnight. We are getting ready to go out this weekend and went out to the trailer this morning and it was a bit brisk in there at 35.

Knew the tank was empty but I thought the roadside tank was full, it was.

After I filled up the curbside tank and started playing around it started to work.

Read this thread and felt armed with the knowledge that I needed to find the proper parts.

Went and talked to the local LP gas guy and told him what I wanted. Well he said basically I didn't know what I was talking about suggesting that I wanted a 30# regulator.

I tried to explain to him what was happening and that all RVs since Sept. 2005 know have these installed on the roadside and you would have thought I had nine heads.

Went to the local RV service center and again they were lost. Now I started to think maybe it was me. Came back here and read this thread again and sanity set in once again.

I should send them the write up that Tom pointed us to which might help educate them.
I will be ordering the needed parts today.

Larry, I know what you mean. I spent my previous life in the auto industry and thought we were behind with some of the folks on the street. Then I got involved with the RV industry and found it's about 15 years behind the auto industry. Sad, very sad. Don't mean to be so negative.

Anyhow, might suggest you run off your roadside tank as your primary tank until you get your rig updated. That way when the switch over occurs you don't have that roadside to curbside pipe to fill. I do that even with updated regulator.

Is it a bi*** to have that problem when it's the coldest....especially when it's the middle of the night. Out of every adversity...something alway good happens. Oh baby! Let's cuddle to keep warm!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: rockintom,

Great idea Tom, see you do have them.

I would hate to be the expert of anything with the internet around.

I did it some years back with my wife's doctor. He was a so called specialist and I was asking pointed direct questions and he said I would have to talk to another specialist to get the answers.

Needless to say that was our last visit with him.

There are to many people on these forums that have in the trenches knowledge which as one person you would never be able to learn.

Now if I could get the darn bedroom TV to work on the sat I would be a happy man.

I would love to help on the satellite, but you may recall, I'm the one that asked "what's a that there satellite?)!!

quote:

OK, where I'm left head-scratching on this is why the range would work and the furnace wouldn't.

lots of good stuff. wrongway has me confused as I thought the typical water heater burner was rated at about 15k BTU/hr while the furnace is 30k - 50k BTU/hr and a range top burner 5k BTU/hr

Since the range is just a mixed flame, it should burn at low pressure - but it should be rather obvious it doesn't have the pressure behind it.

Another thread mentioned the problem of propane and temperature (see flame engineering). The horizontal tanks in a motorhome should have plenty of surface area for vaporizing the needed fuel for the furnace even when very cold, but it might be a factor.

I have also heard that the perfumed oil they put in propane can accumulate in low spots and cause problems. This is one reason regulators need to be mounted higher than the tanks.

And there are stories of the OPD valves shutting down if turned on too fast to an empty line. (and that the green outside connectors are not doing that well in actual use age testing)

Having a simple manometer handy might be one way to see if supply pressure is a problem.

Also note that a 3/8 tube can only carry about 50k BTU/hr of propane at 11" WC pressure.