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Old 09-03-2016, 05:38 PM   #1
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No propane through quick connect

We have a 2016 Escape 21, purchased July 2015. It has the quick connect but we have never used it. Now, we just purchased a Weber Q1200 and have converted it for the quick connect.(yes, we took the regulator off the Weber).

We have verified that the Weber works, with small propane tanks. We also verified that it works when attached to the 20lb propane tanks. But, when hubby connected it to the quick connect on the Escape, no propane going to it. (yes, propane tanks turned on, has plenty of propane in it; we checked that the fridge worked with the propane). He also turned the valve on the quick connect.

We leave on an extended trip on Tuesday and would love to figure this out. Any suggestions? Something obvious we missed?
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Old 09-03-2016, 05:59 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by txruby77 View Post
We have a 2016 Escape 21, purchased July 2015. It has the quick connect but we have never used it. Now, we just purchased a Weber Q1200 and have converted it for the quick connect.(yes, we took the regulator off the Weber).

We have verified that the Weber works, with small propane tanks. We also verified that it works when attached to the 20lb propane tanks. But, when hubby connected it to the quick connect on the Escape, no propane going to it. (yes, propane tanks turned on, has plenty of propane in it; we checked that the fridge worked with the propane). He also turned the valve on the quick connect.

We leave on an extended trip on Tuesday and would love to figure this out. Any suggestions? Something obvious we missed?
Where did you get the male fitting that you are connecting to the trailer's QD? Is it the ETI supplied hose or did you purchase the msle fitting locally? Could be a high pressure male fitting. It vould be a high pressure fitting. They look the same but are NOT interchangeable.
Another possibility, after connecting, did you flip the lever on the QD to the flow position? I know you said he did but I would check to make sure it was turned all the way.
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Old 09-03-2016, 06:14 PM   #3
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Could it be that opening the valve quickly, with propane quickly filling the empty hose and flowing out through the grill, caused the excess flow safety valve at the tank to shut off?
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Old 09-03-2016, 09:41 PM   #4
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Based on what you've already said, that the valve is on, and that propane is flowing to the fridge, it can't be the safety check valve from the tanks. There is either an obstruction in the QC line after the split from the main, or the QC line isn't connected at all. I'd start there. Check the junction under the trailer. You can also blow out the QC portion of the line if you have an air compressor. Just be sure to shut off the propane supply before disconnecting any fittings. There is also a slight (very slight) possibility that the valve isn't turning when you open it - just the handle. I've seen that only once though - the nut was loose on the valve and the handle turned but not the valve.
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Old 09-04-2016, 02:19 AM   #5
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I found out with my Weber, I have to turn on the trailer low propane valve very slowly (versus just flipping it on)
Worked great after I tried that.
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Old 09-04-2016, 08:20 AM   #6
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We're going to try these options later today.
Thank ya'll for giving us something to look at.
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Old 09-04-2016, 08:53 AM   #7
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I found out with my Weber, I have to turn on the trailer low propane valve very slowly (versus just flipping it on)
Worked great after I tried that.
That would mean some sort of check valve on the Weber then? (Since the fridge works on propane afterwards it can't be at the tanks).

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Old 09-04-2016, 09:59 AM   #8
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This is odd as we have a a WeberQ1000 that we run off the low pressure quick connect port all the time. Just plug in, flip the valve (done fairly fast) and we're good to go.
Cheers
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Old 09-04-2016, 11:32 AM   #9
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The quick connect hose and fittings are from ETI.
Here is what we did. We turned off the propane tanks to the trailer, then very slowly turned them back on. I also moved that yellow plug on the quick connect forward a little to make sure the valve on the line was getting turned fully open. (not sure if hubby had it fully opened). Bottom line, its working now!
Thank you all for taking the time to help me troubleshoot the issue.

Just curious, we leave the propane tanks on all the time, for the fridge when we are driving( we turn off when gassing up) and as a back up if AC power goes out while we are sightseeing. Is that what ya'll do also?
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Old 09-04-2016, 11:45 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by PGDriver View Post
This is odd as we have a a WeberQ1000 that we run off the low pressure quick connect port all the time. Just plug in, flip the valve (done fairly fast) and we're good to go.
Cheers
Doug
Yeah, that's what threw me off.

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Originally Posted by txruby77 View Post
The quick connect hose and fittings are from ETI.
Here is what we did. We turned off the propane tanks to the trailer, then very slowly turned them back on. I also moved that yellow plug on the quick connect forward a little to make sure the valve on the line was getting turned fully open. (not sure if hubby had it fully opened). Bottom line, its working now!
Thank you all for taking the time to help me troubleshoot the issue.

Just curious, we leave the propane tanks on all the time, for the fridge when we are driving( we turn off when gassing up) and as a back up if AC power goes out while we are sightseeing. Is that what ya'll do also?
Glad to hear it was straightened out. Probably just the valve wasn't fully open.
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Old 09-04-2016, 12:39 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by PGDriver View Post
This is odd as we have a a WeberQ1000 that we run off the low pressure quick connect port all the time. Just plug in, flip the valve (done fairly fast) and we're good to go.
Cheers
Doug
Seems strange to me as I do the same as Doug with my Q100 (previous model). Unless the control valve in the grill is open, a "surge" large enough to activate the tank OPD safety features would seem to be next to impossible, as the propane hose is not a void, it is full if air which is pushed toward the grill and out by pressurized propane. If the control valve is in the off position, neither air nor propane is going to flow. And the grill will not ignite until all the air in the hose(s) has been displaced by propane.
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Old 09-04-2016, 02:22 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by rbryan4 View Post
That would mean some sort of check valve on the Weber then? (Since the fridge works on propane afterwards it can't be at the tanks).
Open the LP tank valve slowly and the keep the gas grill or appliance valve off when opening the valve on the LP tank.
Slowly. The trick here is to turn the hand wheel slowly. When the propane gas tank is new or newly-filled, the gas is full and the OPD is pushing slightly on the top filled area and the gas will want to burst through the valve. Slow it down by turning the valve on slowly and the check valve will reset itself. However, most gas grill users do not realize a device called a check valve is also installed in propane cylinder tanks as an additional safety measure.
lp tank propane safety features

The check valve is installed to detect hazardous leaks in your propane tank. When the tank hand wheel is turned to open, the liquid propane travels through the check valve and the barbeque grill regulator to fill the hose attaching to the grill manifold. Providing the barbecue grill valves are in the “off” position the propane stops before filling the gas grill burners and the pressure checks back to the valve. If there is a leak in any of the fittings that connect your propane tank to your gas grill, the drop in pressure is noted and the tank goes “into check” which restricts or stops gas flow.
http://www.grill-repair.com/blog/200...ne-safety-opd/
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Old 09-04-2016, 03:26 PM   #13
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It looks like this problem had nothing to do with the tank or any valve around it, but just for clarification...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jubal View Post
However, most gas grill users do not realize a device called a check valve is also installed in propane cylinder tanks as an additional safety measure.
lp tank propane safety features

The check valve is installed to detect hazardous leaks in your propane tank.
It looks like this is a description of the excess flow valve, which is not a check valve. The excess flow valve is the device which nearly shuts off flow if it surges (flow at a greater rate than the valve's designed shutoff threshold), but it is located in the QCC hand nut at the end of the hose, not in the tank itself (which is why it doesn't appear in the tank drawing). Regardless of the location, the fix is to close the tank valve to completely stop flow and allow the excess flow valve to reset (open).

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...Providing the barbecue grill valves are in the “off” position the propane stops before filling the gas grill burners and the pressure checks back to the valve. If there is a leak in any of the fittings that connect your propane tank to your gas grill, the drop in pressure is noted and the tank goes “into check” which restricts or stops gas flow.
A check valve doesn't respond to a drop in pressure, and the excess flow valve responds to flow, not pressure. A major leak - such as hose rupture - allows excessively high flow rate, and that's what the excess flow valve detects and chokes off. The surge of propane into a hoses which started with no pressure - especially with a burner control valve open - is the condition which accidentally trips the excess flow valve sometimes if the propane tank valve is fully opened too quickly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jubal View Post
When the tank hand wheel is turned to open, the liquid propane travels through the check valve...
The propane in the tank is mostly liquid, but propane vapour (not liquid) should ever leave the tank.
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Old 09-04-2016, 03:29 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
Seems strange to me as I do the same as Doug with my Q100 (previous model). Unless the control valve in the grill is open, a "surge" large enough to activate the tank OPD safety features would seem to be next to impossible, as the propane hose is not a void, it is full if air which is pushed toward the grill and out by pressurized propane. If the control valve is in the off position, neither air nor propane is going to flow.
There is flow if the hoses are not pressurized. Even with the end of the hose is blocked off (attached to an appliance with a closed control valve), opening a valve to hoses which have not yet been brought up to even the low regulated pressure will still result in a brief surge.

I agree that this should not be a big surge, and was not the problem in this case at all.
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Old 09-04-2016, 03:41 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by txruby77 View Post
I also moved that yellow plug on the quick connect forward a little to make sure the valve on the line was getting turned fully open. (not sure if hubby had it fully opened). Bottom line, its working now!
The description "yellow plug" seems a little strange, but the collar which is pushed back to allow the hose to be inserted or removed is what locks the connection together. The shutoff valve on low-pressure quick-connect outlets is normally designed so that you cannot turn the handle of the valve on unless the collar is fully forward. This is a safety feature to ensure that the user closes the valve before removing the hose.

It certainly sounds like the problem was simply that the hose was not fully engaged in the quick-connect outlet, so the outlet's valve was not fully open.

The only thing which is yellow in the Escape low-pressure propane outlet is the plug to keep dirt out of the outlet when no hose is connected. With the hose in place, the plug must not be in the outlet.


Quote:
Originally Posted by txruby77 View Post
Just curious, we leave the propane tanks on all the time, for the fridge when we are driving( we turn off when gassing up) and as a back up if AC power goes out while we are sightseeing. Is that what ya'll do also?
Yes.
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Old 09-04-2016, 05:22 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
There is flow if the hoses are not pressurized. Even with the end of the hose is blocked off (attached to an appliance with a closed control valve), opening a valve to hoses which have not yet been brought up to even the low regulated pressure will still result in a brief surge.

I agree that this should not be a big surge, and was not the problem in this case at all.
I'm not sure I would use the word "surge" to describe this situation. The volume of propane (regulated to low pressure) that will flow into a 10-foot air filled hose would be better described as a trickle rather than a surge. I have never opened an OPD valve slowly when changing a tank on my grill at home. I crank them open like I would a faucet and have never had the OPD safety mechanism activate, restricting flow. When the first OPD valves came on the market, I did put an older type fitting (left hand threads, no hose) in one and cranked it open to see what would happen and the balve did cut flow, but that is the ONLY time I have personally had an OPD valve restrict flow.
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Old 09-04-2016, 05:35 PM   #17
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
The description "yellow plug" seems a little strange, but the collar which is pushed back to allow the hose to be inserted or removed is what locks the connection together. The shutoff valve on low-pressure quick-connect outlets is normally designed so that you cannot turn the handle of the valve on unless the collar is fully forward. This is a safety feature to ensure that the user closes the valve before removing the hose.

It certainly sounds like the problem was simply that the hose was not fully engaged in the quick-connect outlet, so the outlet's valve was not fully open.

The only thing which is yellow in the Escape low-pressure propane outlet is the plug to keep dirt out of the outlet when no hose is connected. With the hose in place, the plug must not be in the outlet.

Brian. I can see how the yellow plug contraption might have been an issue. It can get jammed thus impeding the valve.
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Old 09-04-2016, 09:18 PM   #18
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Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
I'm not sure I would use the word "surge" to describe this situation. The volume of propane (regulated to low pressure) that will flow into a 10-foot air filled hose would be better described as a trickle rather than a surge.
So we agree that there would be flow, but only a pretty small surge, and that's why I can believe that the entire problem in this case was not having the outlet valve fully open - nothing to do with excess flow valve at all.

Quote:
Originally Posted by C&G in FL View Post
I crank them open like I would a faucet and have never had the OPD safety mechanism activate, restricting flow. When the first OPD valves came on the market...
The OPD mechanism (Overfill Prevention Device) is not what restricts flow when it surges - the OPD is the float-activated valve that shuts off to avoid over-filling. I realize that many people call modern propane tank valve assemblies "OPD" valves, even when talking about other valves in the system. The valve which restricts flow in the event of a surge is the excess flow valve; these have been around much longer than OPDs or QCC connectors. There are lots of valves in propane systems now: four in the brass assembly screwed into the top of the tank (service, OPD, purge or bleed, and whatever you call the one opened by insertion of the hose end), plus one in the end of the hose attached to it (excess flow).

The sensitivity of the excess flow valve depends on threshold flow for which it is designed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
... the QCC connectors come in three colours:
  • black: 50 SCFM or 100,000 BTU/hr
  • green: 100 SCFM or 200,000 BTU/hr
  • red: 200 SCFM or 400,000 BTU/hr
Escape uses green.
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Old 09-04-2016, 11:09 PM   #19
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So we agree that there would be flow....
No, we are not in agreement. Slight movement perhaps, but not flow which is generally defined (see dictionary) as continuous, so I would still say that in the scenario in question there is no "flow."
Yes, I, like many people, refer to the structure on the top of a propane cylinder as the OPD valve, as do many in the propane industry. And it is probably not a good practice because the structure is much more complicated than just a valve that prevents the overfilling of the tank. Then again, I would suspect that most members of this forum could care less about the complexity of the mechanism or have the need to understand how every component part functions. They just want their propane appliances to work properly when needed.
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Old 09-05-2016, 01:25 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
The only thing which is yellow in the Escape low-pressure propane outlet is the plug to keep dirt out of the outlet when no hose is connected. With the hose in place, the plug must not be in the outlet.
The tether for the plug is also yellow. I learned that you must position it properly to be able to open the valve as the valve overlaps with the tether and you must position the tether in the space provided for it on the valve handle.
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