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Old 05-06-2021, 09:01 AM   #1
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Propane distribution

Moving on to propane, when I open up propane valves does it distribute to stove, furnace , fridge. Talk to me like I'm a 3rd grader. Manual seems vague to me.
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Old 05-06-2021, 10:49 AM   #2
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Yes it does but make sure u are opening the valve slowly.

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Old 05-06-2021, 11:23 AM   #3
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Thx David !
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Old 05-06-2021, 11:25 AM   #4
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Nothing to do with regulator ?
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Old 05-06-2021, 11:26 AM   #5
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Yes it does but make sure u are opening the valve slowly.

David
And all the way open. I've had problems both with opening too fast and not opening completely.
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Old 05-06-2021, 11:38 AM   #6
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Moving on to propane, when I open up propane valves does it distribute to stove, furnace , fridge. Talk to me like I'm a 3rd grader. Manual seems vague to me.
Think of it like the water pipes in your house: Once you open the main supply valve allowing water to flow into the house from the street water main or from your well, you can then open the individual faucets at your sinks, shower and bathtub so water will flow out of them.

Most homes have a water pressure regulator (sometimes called a pressure-reducing valve, or PRV), a specialized plumbing valve that reduces the water pressure coming into the home through the main water line. This valve brings down the pressure to a safe level before the water reaches any plumbing fixtures inside the home.

Your propane system works the same way. High-pressure propane from the propane tanks flows first through the regulator which reduces the pressure to the safer lower pressure used by appliances.

Unlike a home water system, there's another safety valve built into the fitting that you hand tighten onto your propane tank's valve. This overflow protection device (OPD) is intended to prevent propane from leaving the tank unless there's an appliance connected. If the OPD senses a large escape of propane when the tank valve is first opened, the OPD will automatically restrict the propane release to a very low flow, not enough to correctly operate even one appliance. Be alert if your trailer has piping to multiple appliances and there's no propane pressure in them when you first turn on the tank valve (perhaps because the last tank you were using lost pressure when being emptied). If you open the full tank's valve too quickly, the large flow of propane to pressurize all your piping system may trigger the OPD. Then you have to turn off the valve and start over. It's always a good idea to open a propane tank's valve very slowly, especially the first time it's opened after being connected to the trailer's propane system.
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Old 05-06-2021, 12:16 PM   #7
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Good explanation Ed!

I would also say, propane lines like water lines may have air in them. So if your refrigerator is in the same vicinity as the stove, after opening the tank valve slowly, turn on a stove burner and hold a flame near it until it ignites and is not sputtering. That should make lighting the other appliances somewhat easier.
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Old 05-06-2021, 12:20 PM   #8
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Stove is working , moving on to furnace , is the breaker/fuse off for furnace, or is thermostat the only power switch ?
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Old 05-06-2021, 12:46 PM   #9
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Nevermind , power switch on thermostat. The lever is in the off position like it should be. With easy pressure I cannot get it to move ? What the heck.
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Old 05-06-2021, 12:55 PM   #10
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Nevermind , power switch on thermostat. The lever is in the off position like it should be. With easy pressure I cannot get it to move ? What the heck.
If you don't think you are going to break it you aren't using enough pressure.
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Old 05-06-2021, 01:45 PM   #11
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Neighbor says take cover off and check for lock ? Shouldn't be that hard to move. It will break if I force it.
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Old 05-06-2021, 03:18 PM   #12
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Neighbor says take cover off and check for lock ? Shouldn't be that hard to move. It will break if I force it.

If it breaks ( I couldn't break mine ), replace it with a digital thermostat.
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Old 05-06-2021, 10:17 PM   #13
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...
Unlike a home water system, there's another safety valve built into the fitting that you hand tighten onto your propane tank's valve. This overflow protection device (OPD) is intended to prevent propane from leaving the tank unless there's an appliance connected. If the OPD senses a large escape of propane when the tank valve is first opened, the OPD will automatically restrict the propane release to a very low flow, not enough to correctly operate even one appliance. Be alert if your trailer has piping to multiple appliances and there's no propane pressure in them when you first turn on the tank valve (perhaps because the last tank you were using lost pressure when being emptied). If you open the full tank's valve too quickly, the large flow of propane to pressurize all your piping system may trigger the OPD. Then you have to turn off the valve and start over. It's always a good idea to open a propane tank's valve very slowly, especially the first time it's opened after being connected to the trailer's propane system.
That's a good description, but it's describing the operation of two separate devices: a safety shutoff and the excess flow valve. Neither one is the OPD (Overfill Prevention Device), and the excess flow valve isn't even located in the tank's valve body with the OPD; it's in the end of the hose which screws into the tank.

You don't really need to turn the hand valve slowly - just open it a bit, pause to let the propane pressure in the hoses and piping come up, then open the hand valve the rest of the way.
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Old 05-07-2021, 06:36 AM   #14
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I got my first trailer in 1972 (Holiday Rambler) and I've had 4 HR's over the years. I was not aware of the 'open slowly' procedure an have never done this.
Never had a problem.

Hadn't had a problem with my Escape either. I have started opening them slowly since I read it here. It wasn't broke but I fixed it anyway!
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Old 05-07-2021, 02:45 PM   #15
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I got my first trailer in 1972 (Holiday Rambler) and I've had 4 HR's over the years. I was not aware of the 'open slowly' procedure an have never done this.
Never had a problem.

Hadn't had a problem with my Escape either. I have started opening them slowly since I read it here. It wasn't broke but I fixed it anyway!
In 1972 excess flow valves were probably not used in RVs. If the plumbing is restrictive enough or the flow rate rating of the excess flow valve is high enough there won't be a problem.

Escape uses pigtail hoses with 200,000 BTU/hr excess flow valves (as indicated by the green hand nut of the QCC Type 1 connection), which is higher than the trailer's appliances require, so the excess flow valves are less likely to trip than they would be with the otherwise adequate and appropriate 100,000 BTU/hr rated (black) version.
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Old 05-07-2021, 03:55 PM   #16
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In 1972 excess flow valves were probably not used in RVs. If the plumbing is restrictive enough or the flow rate rating of the excess flow valve is high enough there won't be a problem.

Escape uses pigtail hoses with 200,000 BTU/hr excess flow valves (as indicated by the green hand nut of the QCC Type 1 connection), which is higher than the trailer's appliances require, so the excess flow valves are less likely to trip than they would be with the otherwise adequate and appropriate 100,000 BTU/hr rated (black) version.
My last HR was a 2002 (still have it). There was some sort of change to the tanks somewhere around there.

I remember I had to replace the tanks on my 02 HR because of new regs.
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Old 05-07-2021, 08:31 PM   #17
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I have not previously had a problem with my little 11 pound cylinder OPD. Used it on Friday evening last week, no problem, Saturday morning repeatedly opened the valve, thumped it in the bottom etc. Couldn’t get my camp stove to heat up. Very small flame and would t run two burners. Saturday night, thumped it on the bottom. It was quiet, opened it very very slowly. I heard the slightest Psssst and saw the hose move ever so slightly when the pressure came up. Opened the valve ever so slowly all the way. Worked . And continued to work perfectly the next 5 days. Lesson learned Easy does it, it’s not a speed thing. Strange. I’ve given this advice to folks over the years and received some nice “you saved our camp out” thank yous. Yet when it happened to me, I couldn’t slow down my tank opening speed on the first few tries. That’s life, that’s what all the people say,
Tank filled in April, no gas in May.
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Old 05-08-2021, 07:04 AM   #18
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Some day I will have to have my propane tanks refilled for the first time........not today!
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