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Old 07-18-2019, 03:49 PM   #1
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Getting hosed

A recent hose inspection revealed a surprising number of cracks, prompting immediate action. So maybe propane hasn’t been leaking but, after 6 years of use, time for preventative maintenance.

Found a match on Amazon, two for a neat $13.00. Big savings. It came yesterday and guess what: bad match. They sent two but with the ¼ inch male fitting. My regulator takes a ½ inch male fitting. Went back online to look more carefully at the many pictures of my order description. Planned to re-order. Now comes the lesson learned. Though all pictured looked like they had ½ inch fittings it took much hunting to find one actually listed for a ½ inch regulator opening.

Did the re-order but after a couple minutes I got suspicious. Re-examined what I just did. Amazingly, Amazon would be sending new hoses, at a higher price, but they are listed as having exactly the same ¼ inch fitting. Cancelled that immediately.

All confidence in those confusing, inaccurate Amazon listings evaporated. I opted instead to buy two ½ - ¼ inch reducers. $10bucks on Amazon.

Now I’m curious what all this would cost if I just had gone into town to a great trailer parts store on Central Avenue. Their prices are a tad high but, they got it all. The right 12 inch hose there sells for $19 each. The connecting reducer is… 96 cents.
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Old 07-18-2019, 04:59 PM   #2
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I had to replace one of my hoses on short notice last summer and ended up buying one from a local RV shop. I don't remember exactly how much it ended up costing, but was well in excess of what you paid (I seem to recall about $60 Cdn). I ended up biting the bullet and going with the expensive one rather than ordering through Amazon.
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Old 07-18-2019, 05:12 PM   #3
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Myron,
I have returned 6 items this month already to Amazon for inaccurate description. Very easy to return, they send you a email, take it and the product to UPS before noon and that day you get credited for the amount paid. But back to the issue, most of the photos have been enlarged, the items appear bigger than they really are. Most a re foreign made copies...just be careful.
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Old 07-18-2019, 05:44 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
A recent hose inspection revealed a surprising number of cracks, prompting immediate action. So maybe propane hasn’t been leaking but, after 6 years of use, time for preventative maintenance.

Found a match on Amazon, two for a neat $13.00. Big savings. It came yesterday and guess what: bad match. They sent two but with the ¼ inch male fitting. My regulator takes a ½ inch male fitting. Went back online to look more carefully at the many pictures of my order description. Planned to re-order. Now comes the lesson learned. Though all pictured looked like they had ½ inch fittings it took much hunting to find one actually listed for a ½ inch regulator opening.

Did the re-order but after a couple minutes I got suspicious. Re-examined what I just did. Amazingly, Amazon would be sending new hoses, at a higher price, but they are listed as having exactly the same ¼ inch fitting. Cancelled that immediately.

All confidence in those confusing, inaccurate Amazon listings evaporated. I opted instead to buy two ½ - ¼ inch reducers. $10bucks on Amazon.

Now I’m curious what all this would cost if I just had gone into town to a great trailer parts store on Central Avenue. Their prices are a tad high but, they got it all. The right 12 inch hose there sells for $19 each. The connecting reducer is… 96 cents.
Just curious - your pic of the old hose shows what looks like a 1/4" flare fitting in an adapter fitting. (two wrench flats together) Have you tried to unscrew it?
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Old 07-18-2019, 05:52 PM   #5
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Myron, I think there is some confusion here. A 1/2" pipe thread connection would be very strange for RV propane hardware at the regulator inlet - it's probably 3/8". The two connectors shown are not just different nominal sizes, they are different types; the adapter to go between these is not just a reducer. The larger thread appears to be a tapered pipe thread (sealed on the thread with tape or dope) and the smaller one appears to be an inverted flare (sealed on the smooth flare surface by bare metal-to-metal contact)... and those are the two common connection types for RV propane regulator inlets. If you try to put a 1/4" inverted flare male fitting into a 1/4" pipe thread female fitting, it will never safely seal.

Usually, the aluminum regulator body has female pipe thread inlet ports, and an adapter is installed if a pigtail with the inverted flare connector is used (the alternative is to use a hose with a pipe thread end which fits the port directly). If the adapters are used, they can be left in the regulator the next time the pigtails are changed.

It would be interesting to see the specific listings, to see if they are inaccurate, or just not clear. I don't doubt that there are both inaccurate descriptions of appropriate hardware, and accurate descriptions of inappropriate hardware (by companies that one shouldn't buy safety-critical components from), but my guess is that this sort of problem is usually just a misunderstanding.
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Old 07-18-2019, 05:55 PM   #6
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Propane hoses

When I need a propane hose or regulator I drive over to my local supplier about 10 miles from the house. He matches up my old hose and sells me a new one. It’s always the right one, it’s fresh because he does quite a bit of business, and he’s easy to deal with. He will stop what he’s doing to take care of me. When I was in there a couple weeks ago he gave me a huge catalog of RV supplies from 2018 with prices in it. I’ve enjoyed looking at it and learned some from all the choices available. Then on my way back home I stop at Wild Hogs and have a tenderloin and a beer or Pepsi. The RV guy employs local people and so does the tavern. Their kids need shoes too.
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Old 07-18-2019, 06:23 PM   #7
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Nope. No confusion. The regulator is a Marshal Excelsior. I am going by that the brass connection measures 1/2 inch wide, regardless of threads, and everything fits smoothly.

I think you're right, TD. Just noticed that.

Ditto with my local supplier, Dave. He laughed at my Amazon story.
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Old 07-18-2019, 06:50 PM   #8
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Made me go look at my propane pigtails - Yep, their cracking!

Ordered two "Made in USA" SS braided pigtails from etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/Propane/MB-...100833-12.html
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Old 07-18-2019, 06:58 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyronL View Post
Nope. No confusion. The regulator is a Marshal Excelsior. I am going by that the brass connection measures 1/2 inch wide, regardless of threads, and everything fits smoothly.

I think you're right, TD. Just noticed that.

Ditto with my local supplier, Dave. He laughed at my Amazon story.
NPT sizes are easy to determine - just measure the outside diameter of the male threads and determine the size based on the following chart.

NPT outside diameter
1/4" - 0.540 in.
3/8" - 0.675 in.
1/2" - 0.840 in.

[https://www.plumbingsupply.com/pipethreadsizing.html

I would use the original 1/4" inverted flare to 3/8" NPT fitting with your new hose.

Does your regulator look like the one in the pic below? If it does, the fitting on the regulator is a 1/4'' inverted flare x 3/8'' FPT.

https://www.marshallexcelsior.com/2-...4-inv-x-38-fpt
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:25 PM   #10
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Nope. No confusion. The regulator is a Marshal Excelsior. I am going by that the brass connection measures 1/2 inch wide, regardless of threads, and everything fits smoothly.
So there is confusion. A threaded end which measures 1/2" across the outside is not a 1/2" thread; you'll never get what you expect if you don't understand that. The sizes in piping and pipe connections are nominal values, and in most cases not the actual outer diameter. A 1/4" NPT male thread is 0.540" (that is, just over 1/2") in outside diameter. (And I realized after initially posting that it was already explained).

You apparently have 1/4" NPT ports, used 1/4" NPT adapters in them so they work, and you're calling them 1/2".
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:29 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by tdf-texas View Post
...
Ordered two "Made in USA" SS braided pigtails from etrailer.

https://www.etrailer.com/Propane/MB-...100833-12.html
Those are clearly identified as having 1/4" inverted flare ends, which is very common and entirely suitable, and the photo appears to show that same end. Just make sure that the adapter into the regulator is the same type, not just a pipe thread reducer.
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:33 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Those are clearly identified as having 1/4" inverted flare ends, which is very common and entirely suitable, and the photo appears to show that same end. Just make sure that the adapter into the regulator is the same type, not just a pipe thread reducer.
I'm using the inv flare to npt adapter that came with the regulator.

So far I've learned two gotcha's to keep in mind:
Connecting an inverted flare hose to the regulator using a pipe thread reducer will guarantee a propane leak.
Also, don't use teflon tape on an inverted flare connection.
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:35 PM   #13
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...
I would use the original 1/4" inverted flare to 3/8" NPT fitting with your new hose.

Does your regulator look like the one in the pic below? If it does, the fitting on the regulator is a 1/4'' inverted flare x 3/8'' FPT.

https://www.marshallexcelsior.com/2-...4-inv-x-38-fpt
The inlet fittings have 1/4" inverted flare ends for the pigtails; the 3/8" FPT reference is for the low-pressure output port, nothing to do with the inlets. They don't list the size of the pipe thread ports in the aluminum housing at the inlets, because they expect that the adapters will be permanently left in the regulator.
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:40 PM   #14
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Connecting an inverted flare hose to the regulator using a pipe thread reducer will guarantee a propane leak.
I agree, which is why I found it alarming that Myron referred to using a "reducer" (which would be pipe thread at both ends) instead of an adapter (which would be pipe thread on one end and inverted flare on the other). These terms have specific meanings, so if the terms are used incorrectly then anyone who follows an example as it was described, rather than it was actually done, can get in trouble quickly.
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:41 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
The inlet fittings have 1/4" inverted flare ends for the pigtails; the 3/8" FPT reference is for the low-pressure output port, nothing to do with the inlets. They don't list the size of the pipe thread ports in the aluminum housing at the inlets, because they expect that the adapters will be permanently left in the regulator.
Well, for Myron - that ship has sailed! I guess they should have used red loctite on them.

Myron has the right hose and by using the inv flare to NPT adapter off his old hose - he is good to go. Correct?

ps. Myron, thanks for putting up with us as we hashed through this. We really are trying to help.
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Old 07-18-2019, 07:50 PM   #16
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.......... as we hashed through this. We really are trying to help.
All comments were indeed helpful, except for Iowa Dave's. 'Cause now I'm hungry for tenderloin (instead of the ground turkey burger in the frig.).
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Old 07-18-2019, 08:54 PM   #17
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And the Union Pacific mainline runs about three miles north of there. I’m about 4 miles north. Last night down at the fire ring with a little south wind I could hear those Wyoming bound coal trains running 78 miles an hour and blowing the horn at every crossing. We had experienced a .60 rainfall in the afternoon so In between the trains I could hear the corn snapping and popping as it grew.
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:02 PM   #18
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In all seriousness (is that a word?), how long should one expect the propane hoses to last? I know it depends on climate, etc., but, like tires, wonder if there's a "best by" date.
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:09 PM   #19
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Four years, don’t forget the long one coming off the regulator to the copper under the trailer. Buy a bottle of the regular gas leak detecting soap with dauber. Works well and lasts forever. Check regulator pressure with a manometer and all tank bolts for tightness or to make sure they haven’t snapped off. None of mine ever have but I still check them. That’s my North Central USA experience.
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Old 07-18-2019, 09:12 PM   #20
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Thanks Dave!!
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