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Old 09-11-2013, 09:00 AM   #1
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Gas tank issue

We're camping in our new 2013 5.0 and seem to have hit a snag with one of the gas tanks. The right one works just fine, but, if I move the regulator to the left one, close the right, open the left, I get no gas and it's stuck on red. Leslie's checked all the attachments and all seem fine.

We weren't using the automatic regulator because I wanted to make sure both tanks worked individually ..... and they don't :-( And yes, they're both full :-)

Before I bother Reace (again!), can anyone think of anything I'm missing?

Thanks!
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:24 AM   #2
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Try leaving the left one's valve open before you switch over to it. The auto switch over might need to read that there is pressure on that side before it opens to that tank.
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Old 09-11-2013, 09:27 AM   #3
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It can be a little tricky to diagnose the tanks or the change over valve because propane tanks have an additional hidden valve (OPD) that can prevent discharge if it sticks. I would first try changing the problematic tank to the other side. Point the auto changeover lever towards it BEFORE you open the tank valve and see if the indicator goes from red to green.
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Old 09-11-2013, 10:09 AM   #4
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Thanks, guys! This is very helpful. We'll give it a go!
Christine
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Old 09-11-2013, 10:18 AM   #5
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When Reace explained the auto switch over to me, he said to leave both tanks valves open. The lever determines which tank the auto valve will start using. Once the first is empty the indicator goes red for that tank and it auto switches to the other. Then if you move the lever to that full tank side the indicator should show green. I believe it will not attempt to make the switch over automatically if the second tank's valve is not open when the starting tank goes dry.
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Old 09-11-2013, 11:06 AM   #6
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You have to have both valves open for the auto switchover to work.
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Old 09-11-2013, 12:45 PM   #7
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As others have said, the system is designed to work with both valves open. When the tank the lever points to is depleted, it will switch to the other tank and give you the red indicator. Then, you point the lever to the remaining fresh tank and you can go about removing the empty for refilling while continuing to operate. But I bet you knew all that already.

If you're trying to simulate tank depletion to see if the auto feature works, I suggest this:

Open both valves and start running something on propane.

Then close the valve on the tank the lever is pointing to. The pressure from that source will eventually drop, giving you the red indicator, and propane should start flowing from the other tank and keep supplying whatever you have running. This may take a few minutes, as even that small amount of high pressure propane between the valve and the regulator will run our low pressure appliances for a while.

After you get the red indicator, you can move the lever to the new tank, and it should go back to green, but that doesn't happen very quickly. The important thing is that you have uninterrupted propane flow during all this.

Or, just go camping. I bet it works fine. And in the very unlikely event of a problem, you can physically swap the tanks and have another look at the valve when you get home.
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Old 09-12-2013, 08:27 PM   #8
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Thanks, everyone! The problem is sorted. Remember when I said Leslie had checked all the connections? Well, let's just say they're all okay now and the tank is working fine!
By the way, we never use the auto feature. You can also just have one tank open, point the regulator that way and when it's done the gas goes out. Preferable to me as otherwise you risk having both tanks depleted before you know it unless you're diligent about checking, which we're not.
And I really appreciate all the responses - I know what to check for now!
Christine
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Old 09-12-2013, 08:29 PM   #9
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I drilled a 1/2 hole in the front cover, right above the jack and can see the indicator each time I jack the trailer.
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Old 09-12-2013, 08:38 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Minnie View Post
Thanks, everyone! The problem is sorted. Remember when I said Leslie had checked all the connections? Well, let's just say they're all okay now and the tank is working fine!
By the way, we never use the auto feature. You can also just have one tank open, point the regulator that way and when it's done the gas goes out. Preferable to me as otherwise you risk having both tanks depleted before you know it unless you're diligent about checking, which we're not.
And I really appreciate all the responses - I know what to check for now!
Christine
Glad to hear it is all working properly . Something to consider about not using the auto switchover: if you are running the refrig with gas and the tank empties overnight, or if you are camping in cold weather and using the furnace to keep warm at night.
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Old 09-12-2013, 10:20 PM   #11
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Thanks, Thoer. So far I've been attuned to the click click clicking of the hot water heater without gas and the fridge without power - I'm one of those odd bods that wakes up whenever something doesn't sound right - but I get your point and it's something to keep in mind. Thanks again!
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Old 09-13-2013, 12:30 AM   #12
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There are remote indicators for auto-changeover regulators, so you see at some obvious location of your choice when the selected tank has run out and the reserve tank is in use. I've never tried one, but they look like a good idea to me.
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