Inline gas filters (1 Viewer)

[TM59]

Have twin gaslow bottles fitted. I am now considering inline filters to hopefully prevent regulator failure. Last year in Spain I had a truma regulator fail, possibly dirty gas.

It would appear gaslow do filters, as do truma. Both expensive.

Any thoughts welcome.

Trevor

 

[Camping Gaza]

Try Gasit, probably cheaper

 

[Lenny HB]

Had Gas-it ones in the last van took them out after a year as kept getting leaks at the connections, opened them up to see the state of the filters, they were like brand new don't reckon any gas ever passed through them.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Chocy boy]

I bought one at the NEC motorhome show October last year. Truma were doing an offer £30. Realised later I had two bottles. Had to buy the other off Ebay £70.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

I have had the Gasit filters fitted to the outlets on my cylinders for approx. 14 months now and not had any issues with leaks. I have not yet opened them up to check the filters so I can't say whether they have had to do any work or not.

An easy alternative might be the Gasit Direct Gas In filter, you screw that to your fill point and it filters the gas going into the bottle rather than filtering the output. These are relatively cheap, approx. £15 plus postage on the web, I got one for £17 at the Malvern Show. You can screw any of the continental adapters to this.

http://www.gasit.co.uk/gas-it-direct-gas-in-filters-d-g-i.html

 

[Chocy boy]

Would that fit Alue gas system

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

Would that fit Alue gas system

I have a Truma filter in line with my Alugas cylinder. No problem installing, remove gas inlet pipe from regulator, screw filter to regulator and then attach gas pipe to filter. A recent installation so unable to give a long term view. I fitted it because with the 14kg Alugas cylinder there was very little fall from the regulator to the cylinder, so there was a possibility of any residue not running back to the bottle. The body of the filter forms a trap for any liquid elements that might be going the wrong way, hopefully the filter element won't need replacing too often.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

Would that fit Alue gas system

If you are asking about the external filter, it screws into the fill port and so the type of cylinder does not make a difference. You screw in the filter then screw the fill adapter to it.

 

[Pia]

Have twin gaslow bottles fitted. I am now considering inline filters to hopefully prevent regulator failure. Last year in Spain I had a truma regulator fail, possibly dirty gas.

It would appear gaslow do filters, as do truma. Both expensive.

Any thoughts welcome.

Trevor

We had gaslow bottles fitted to our MH in January ...we've not had any problems but as we intend overwintering in Spain and having read this am wondering if we ought to have some sort of filter system fitted is dirty gas a common problem?

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Mickey1]

I was about to order one until I saw the £6 postage.

Mickey.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

I was about to order one until I saw the £6 postage.

Mickey.

That is why I waited to buy at a show.

 

[MitchandJenny]

Thanks Whitebirdyman.
It makes good sense to filter the gas BEFORE it even gets into the system.
Excellent.
Mitch.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Robert Clark]

Anyone with a recent Gaslow system won't need this as the bottles now contain an integrated filter.

 

[icantremember]

Thanks Whitebirdyman.
It makes good sense to filter the gas BEFORE it even gets into the system.
Excellent.
Mitch.

The main problem as I understand it is that a tar like substance leeches out of rubber lpg tails which wont be stopped by a filter before the bottles although it should help with the possibility of dirty fuel from the forecourt.

 

[Pausim]

The main problem as I understand it is that a tar like substance leeches out of rubber lpg tails which wont be stopped by a filter before the bottles although it should help with the possibility of dirty fuel from the forecourt.

That was one theory. However, whilst Calor were blaming the hoses Truma was blaming the gas. The National Caravan Council investigated and came up with positioning the regulator higher than the gas bottle so that condensates (whatever the source) would run back away from the regulator. Because my new bottle leaves very little slope in the pipe I decided to fit a filter/interceptor at the regulator just to make sure no grot gets through.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pia]

If you are asking about the external filter, it screws into the fill port and so the type of cylinder does not make a difference. You screw in the filter then screw the fill adapter to it.

We might get one of these...sounds a lot more simple than the 'out' option...thanks for the information

 

[Chocy boy]

If you are asking about the external filter, it screws into the fill port and so the type of cylinder does not make a difference. You screw in the filter then screw the fill adapter to it.

If I purchase one can I use it to fill from garages.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

Yes, you just fill as normal.

If you have the compact fill point you screw in the filter then screw in the appropriate UK or continental adapter.

If you have the standard gaslow fill point and are in the UK you are going to need a UK adapter as the filter is going to block the lugs on the standard point. On the continent it would just be the same as usual.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Pausim]

This thread started on a question about filters protecting a regulator from contamination damage and is now looking at filtering lpg at the point of filling. Now I am no expert but it seems to me that these filters are doing different jobs, both beneficial but different.
A filter at the fill point should remove dirt and particles suspended in the liquid from entering the system but I can't see how it would intercept dissolved elements, such as the oils that can sometimes be found in lpg. The solid bits if they got into the cylinder would surely be trapped there, because the gas only leaves the cylinder in the form of vapour having boiled off from the liquid as pressure is released. Surely solid particles could not be carried in the vapour?
The problem with damaged regulators is confused by the blame game that went on beween Calor and Truma. What all seem to agree on is that the blockages were caused by oily type substances, not particles or solid contamination. Whether the oily type substances were caused by oils from the lpg condensing in the hose or plasticisers leaching out of rubber pipes themseves is perhaps less important to us than how to stop them getting into the regulator. The official advice was to mount the regulator high enough to encourage whatever it is to run back to the bottle and not into the regulator.
My thinking is that whatever oily substance is causing regulator problems, it is not likely to be filtered out at the fill point. If the lpg is "dirty" because it has too many oils dissolved in the liquid gas I would expect them to pass through the fill point filter. I could go on but my thinking is that the problem is with damaged regulators so I have chosen to trap/filter at that point to protect it.
This is only my thinking and reasoning because I am trying to understand the problem. If you think I have got it wrong then please explain where my reasoning falls down, I am always open to learn something new.

 

[Whitebirdyman]

A filter at the fill point should remove dirt and particles suspended in the liquid from entering the system but I can't see how it would intercept dissolved elements, such as the oils that can sometimes be found in lpg.

I use both because of the issues you mention.

The Gasit gas in filter, from their website, removes "dirt" from the incoming lpg. They further say that the filter is superfine so it lets through lpg "but very little else" That is all a bit vague and I would not have bothered with it, except it was cheap and may do something useful.

 

[Robert Clark]

These contaminants only seem to appear in refillable systems

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lenny HB]

These contaminants only seem to appear in refillable systems

You still get it in exchange bottles but they are cleaned when refilled where as in a refillable the oil stays at the bottom and builds up, causes more of a problem with fridge burners sooting up. The regulator problem is more due to reactions with the hoses.

 

[Pausim]

These contaminants only seem to appear in refillable systems

Not only refillable systems it seems. As I understand it the original arguments involved Calor bottles and Truma regulators, each company blaming the other. This caravan (sorry, do I have to do a penance) article gives some of the story https://www.practicalcaravan.com/advice/28426-gas-regulator-change-has-resulted-in-blame-game