Help please, scary gas problem

[Hel999]

hi all,

After being away 2 weeks with no gas problems whatsoever this morning it has started acting weird.

When you press the knob for the hob the gas absolutely hisses out and the flame way too high for a few seconds before it evens itself out to how it should be. This results in a strong smell of gas in the van for a while and I’m having to leave the doors and windows open to get rid of it.

We filled up the gas the day before yesterday but used it yesterday with no problems. We used it briefly this morning for the heating no problem. Does anyone know what I should check as I’m really nervous about this at the moment.

 

[The Wino]

Have you cleaned the hob/let the kettle boil over and got some water in the hob jets? if so just let it dry our or get the top off the burner and dry it

 

[Robert Clark]

Sounds like your regulator may be broken and not reducing the pressure sufficiently
Did you remember to turn off the gas bottles before refilling as not doing do can potentially cause the regulator to be damaged

 

[Richard n Ann]

Sounds like there is liquid lpg in the pipes. Is the big flame yellow?

 

[Lenny HB]

Sounds like your regulator may be broken and not reducing the pressure sufficiently
Did you remember to turn off the gas bottles before refilling as not doing do can potentially cause the regulator to be damaged

Sounds like there is liquid lpg in the pipes. Is the big flame yellow?

I agree with both although if liquid in the line at any significant pressure the flame would be 5 foot high.
I would change the regulator before using gas again.

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[Hel999]

Thanks all.

It is an underslung gas tank and worked ok since filling 2 days ago.

Nothing has boiled over so there shouldn’t be any water from the top. It also does it when you light the grill and oven

We had heavy rain here last night but not sure how that would have damaged it.

Only thing we have done different is the fridge is now on hook up whereas so far on our journey it has been on gas whenever we have stopped as we haven’t hooked up. Could it be that the fridge was reducing the pressure sufficiently so that we didn’t get a surge?

It settles after about 4 - 5 seconds after igniting and then seems to behave normally. Would that still mean we need to change regulator and if so does anyone know how/where to do that as we are in Spain at Albir near Benidorm at the moment.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Are the big flames yellow?

 

[daveandsan]

@Hel999 how many gas bottles do you have?
I think i read it on here but someone said if you have 2 refillable bottles and only use the one bottle all the while it’s possible you can get an overfill on the second bottle.
I may be talking Botox but I am sure someone will be along to tell me and it may have nothing at all to do with your situation.

 

[Speve]

@Hel999 how many gas bottles do you have?
I think i read it on here but someone said if you have 2 refillable bottles and only use the one bottle all the while it’s possible you can get an overfill on the second bottle.
I may be talking Botox but I am sure someone will be along to tell me and it may have nothing at all to do with your situation.

They have a bulk tank

 

[Hel999]

@Hel999 how many gas bottles do you have?
I think i read it on here but someone said if you have 2 refillable bottles and only use the one bottle all the while it’s possible you can get an overfill on the second bottle.
I may be talking Botox but I am sure someone will be along to tell me and it may have nothing at all to do with your situation.

We don’t have bottles we have an underslung tank. We refilled it 2 days ago but it has worked ok since until this morning. It ran the heating ok first thing then started acting weird when we started to cook breakfast.

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[daveandsan]

It sounds like it could be the regulator then.

 

[Lenny HB]

It can only be the regulator as from your description you are getting too higher pressure at the burners.
I would turn the regulator off and not use any gas until sorted, not worth the risk of using it.

One other possibility but I may be talking BS, if there was a slight leak on the system and when devices are turned off gas leaks out and air gets in so when you light an appliance the mixture has a too higher air content causing the yellow flame.

Either way if you want to live, turn it off at the regulator and don't use any gas until sorted.

 

[SpeedyDux]

If the pressure goes haywire when you light the hob, for safety I would avoid using gas for heating until you have resolved the pressure problem.

 

[Masman]

I had exactly the same happen to me.Big flames from gas rings no warning at all.Mine was the regulator. Luckily I had a propane regulator that I use for Barbecue .so bypassed old regulator and used that until I got another one.

 

[Lenny HB]

I always carry a spare bottle top regulator and pipe to bypass the bulkhead regulator, never needed it but it's cheap insurance.

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[bobandjanie]

Maybe let some gas out ......... in a safe place away from any flames, the tank might not have shut Off at 80% and its over filled. Bob.

 

[Lenny HB]

Maybe let some gas out ......... in a safe place away from any flames, the tank might not have shut Off at 80% and its over filled. Bob.

I take it you are thinking if it has been over filled there is not enough space for vapor take off and liquid is being forced through the regulator.

 

[Basildog]

We always carry a bottle top regulator and a spare bulkhead regulator too but also have all my gas test equipment in the van too so can easily do a tightness/ pressure test
Sounds like the regulator is playing up .
One thing worth asking is what the temperatures are where you are as frozen condensation in your regulator can cause trouble.

 

[bobandjanie]

I take it you are thinking if it has been over filled there is not enough space for vapor take off and liquid is being forced through the regulator.

Yes that my thinking Lenny, if liquid has been forced through the regulator when you turn On a gas appliance pressure in the tank will start to boil / vaporise and the sudden high flame could be liquid in the pipes because it flares up and dies down to normal.

If it's OK after releasing some gas, it might need a new cut off valve and maybe a regulator .
I have only suffered one blocked regulator , and had refillable bottles since 2007.
Bob.

 

[nicholsong]

Not kowing much about regulatoer design, but if it is a regulator failure, and coming from an aviation background, I would expect it to fail/safe, ie. to fail 'closed' rather than 'open'. It is there to regulate down.

As for protection against an 80% cut-off failure, I do a calculation from the LPG contents guage as to how much I expect to fill and then watch the pump meter - if it goes over(usually under) what I expect to see, I would stop filling. After all what does it matter on refillables if one has only 70% not 80%?

Geoff

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[gus-lopez]

Could it be that the fridge was reducing the pressure sufficiently so that we didn’t get a surge?

Yes. it would prevent the pressure from increasing.
It happens quite often on domestic ovens . Normally the bottle as I've had it on occasions & have neverchanged the regulator for it.

 

[grasscutter]

If you need a new regulator the camping shop opposite Raco campsite in Benidorm may have one.

 

[pappajohn]

Sounds like there is liquid lpg in the pipes. Is the big flame yellow?

Are the big flames yellow?

Are the big flames yellow?

 

[Hel999]

Are the big flames yellow?

I didn’t see what colour they were as it only lasts for a few seconds and by the time it’s made you jump and you register the fact it has died back down to a normal rate. it’s stopped doing it altogether now so I can’t even check. We used it this evening and it was fine.

Thank you for all assistance, I’m wondering if maybe it had overfilled. Hubby has had a look through the tool bag and apparently we have a spare regulator so if it does it again we will change it. If it doesn’t do it again we will be more cautious when refilling and not put the full amount in until we are back in UK and can take it in for some proper checks.

I’m pretty certain we don’t have a leak as I am quite senisitive to gas smells and I can’t smell any.

 

[Richard n Ann]

I take it you are thinking if it has been over filled there is not enough space for vapor take off and liquid is being forced through the regulator.

I don't know if it would, we're talking about a pretty extreme condition here, where by you'd fill the bottles to the brim in a cool temperature and then the sun hits the bottles and pressure goes up massively. I don't know for sure but the bottles would probably blow a safety valve (if fitted) or split, or blow up

I don't think it would force liquid through the regulator, the big pressure drop would (should) flash it off to a gas anyway.

In my opinion the regulator isn't dropping the pressure adequately so the LPG is able to condense back into a liquid and sit in the pipe just near the cooker ready to squirt out and ignite as a big yellow flame. If you've filled up abroad where they use a larger percentage of butane it will be worse, because butane will stand as a liquid at a much warmer temperature and lower pressure.

Maybe I think too much though

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[Basildog]

I don't know if it would, we're talking about a pretty extreme condition here, where by you'd fill the bottles to the brim in a cool temperature and then the sun hits the bottles and pressure goes up massively. I don't know for sure but the bottles would probably blow a safety valve (if fitted) or split, or blow up

I don't think it would force liquid through the regulator, the big pressure drop would (should) flash it off to a gas anyway.

In my opinion the regulator isn't dropping the pressure adequately so the LPG is able to condense back into a liquid and sit in the pipe just near the cooker ready to squirt out and ignite as a big yellow flame. If you've filled up abroad where they use a larger percentage of butane it will be worse, because butane will stand as a liquid at a much warmer temperature and lower pressure.

Maybe I think too much though

They all have a pressure relief valve fitted to the cylinder just as Calor type cylinders do .
They are set at 27 bar so nearly 400 psi
Saw a few going off in the heat this summer
The owners needed clean underwear

 

[Sundowners]

We had I similar problem last year----- filled the underslung tank and flames too big and obviously something not right!!!---- we used a bottle with regulator on BBQ point until we could fix it------------- we have a three regulator system, designed as an auto switch over system, I changed one of the regulators for a bottle with regulator, like this we ran for some time-------- we were fortunate to see a brand new but rather old regulator set exactly the same as ours on eBay for not a lot of money!!!!!! We bought it and fitted the whole set to our van, everything works perfectly now-------- I looked at the regulators we took off and the bulkhead main one had loads of oil in it-------- so what i think happened was, when filling the tank I never turned the supply from tank to van off and I think the pressure pushed oil that was in the system into the regulator-------- so now when filling the tank I always turn the supply off to the van!!!


So ------ I suspect you may have oil in the regulator-------- on the other hand it may be something else !!!!!!!!!
Nigel & Pamala

 

[PaulJean]

I would play safe and replace the regulator, im not sure if there is a shop in Albir but I know of two in Benidorm, one on the R/H side of traffic lights as you turn left of main road, the other is opposite el-roco camp site, the number 10 Bus stops almost outside both of them.

 

[bobandjanie]

It is an underslung gas tank, so slightly different to bottles and a blocked regulator is the oil substance that blocks it, if the tanks over full I would think its possibly causing the problem, if you use enough gas and it cures it you will know, but I would undo the pipe near the regulator and see if liquid comes out. Bob.

Ps I assisted @Sundowners Nigel on his repair.

 

[Sundowners]

I thought mine was overfilled and persevered for long enough to run off any excess, the main regulator was full of oil !!!!

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