Gas doesn't flow

[Ted]

This past weekend I took my first camping trip of the year, last time the 2002 Yuma was out was last July.  Everything worked fine then.  This past weekend for some reason the gas would not flow.  I replaced the cylinder thinking that may be faulty, but that didn't help.  Somewhere along the gas line a stoppage has developed.  Anyone have any ideas?

[SpeakEasy]

You have to do a bit of trouble-shooting. The first step would be to take the cylinder off and attach it to a different appliance. If it works on your gas grill, for example, then you can rule out the cylinder as the problem. Alternatively, you could take a cylinder that you know for sure to be working and put it on your popup to see what happens.

If you can rule out the cylinder, then you have to find out if the problem affects every gas outlet you have. Test each and every appliance separately: inside stove, outside stove, furnace, water heater, refrigerator. If you can verify that there is no gas to any appliance, then the regulator seems to be bad. If some appliances work but others don't, then you need to trace the gas line of the non-working appliances. Look for a kink in the line.

Some of the things I've encountered or heard about: outside stove flexible rubber line deteriorates. Two-stage regulator fails (either stage one, or stage two).

If none of this reveals the problem, take two aspirins and call me in the morning.

[mlslocks]

I would suggests opening the line everywhere the gas line has a fitting. Starting at the regulator. If you get gas flow after the regulator it is fine. Move onto the next fitting till you get no flow. The problem will be between the flow and no flow points. Hope this makes sense.

Lee

[Ted]

I am fairly certain that the cylinder is not the problem, as I spent $20 for an exchange cylinder that weighed about the same as the one I turned in (I am sure the guy thought I was off my rocker for doing that!) but I was already at  campsite and we had food we bought to cook.  I was desperate!  Ended up at Wal Mart and a Coleman 2-burner.  It is probably a good idea to have a back up anyway.

I suspected the regulator, but didn't know the likelihood of something like that failing.
 
Thanks for taking the time to respond, this has been helpful. I still might end up taking aspirin!

[Ted]

Thanks, Lee, for a helpful way to proceed.  I should be able to find out quickly if it is the regulator, which I suspect it is.  If that turns out to be the case, I will be surprised that the regular failed.  I figured those were made to last a long time.

[SpeakEasy]

The regulator on my Cheyenne failed on our first major trip. (I'm the original owner, so this means it was new when it failed.) Before agreeing to replace it, the dealer wanted to assure that it had failed rather than merely frozen up. He gave it some raps with a hammer to try to free it up. It was only after that didn't work that he agreed to replace it. If you have no flow beyond the regulator you might want to try that.

[Ted]

Speak, thank you.  Looks more and more like the regulator is the culprit.  I am going to go through the series of checks that were suggested earlier.  I will let this room know the results.

[Ted]

Heck, I have a hammer, i can try to rap it, that's not expensive, thanks!

[DarkRubiTJ]

Most regulators have an overflow protection device built into them. If you turn the gas on too quick the regulator thinks there is a leak in the system and shuts down. You must turn the gas on very very slowly. Also since you had stored your camper for a while check and make sure that some critter didn't decide that the line was a good place to set up residence, spiders love to build their nests in propane lines.

[wavery]

Most regulators have an overflow protection device built into them. If you turn the gas on too quick the regulator thinks there is a leak in the system and shuts down. You must turn the gas on very very slowly. Also since you had stored your camper for a while check and make sure that some critter didn't decide that the line was a good place to set up residence, spiders love to build their nests in propane lines.

Welcome to PUT DarkRubiTJ

Maybe you have a special regulator on your PU that has a leak protection device. I've never seen one (which doesn't mean much). I know that my 2002 Coleman PU doesn't have one.

I had 2 electric shut-off solenoids on my yacht for 14 years (1 on each tank). We turned that solenoid on and off every time that we used the stove or hot water heater (several times a day, every day for 14 years). The electric solenoid screws directly into the tank (before the regulator). When you switch it on, it opens instantaneously. I never had a problem with regulators

[dthurk]

Is the leak detector built into the regulator or the tank valve?  I know the new tanks have an overfill protector.  I suspect the leak detection is also in the tank valve, not the regulator.  I remember reading about it somewhere, but can't think of it or locate it now.  Only the new tank valves are capable of being filled now, so we all must use new tanks.  Actually, I'd be about 70% sure the leak detector is in the tank valve.  Wavery, if that's the case, you could experience the same problems as the rest of us.    
 
I know if you have a propane appliance on slightly when you turn on the tank, the leak detector will kick in and severly limit the amount of gas that is put out from the tank.  The solution is to turn off the tank valve, wait a minute or 2 and turn it back on.

[Ted]

Thanks, Dark.  I didn't know that about needing to turn the gas on slowly.  Perhaps this weekend I will open up the camper and try that first, then I'll try the hammer, and then try seeing where the gas flow is interrupted if the other things don't work.
 
I had thought about the possibility of flow stoppage because of a critter, but ruled that out, perhaps prematurely, because I couldn't see how a critter could get into the line if the line is supposed to sealed enough to prevent leaks.

[tlhdoc]

The new valves have the leak detector built in and they do work, although I don't open the valve slow and haven't had a problem with it.

[dthurk]

Was reading my manual last night (as if I had nothing better to do) and found the leak detector is in the pigtail that connects the tank to the regulator and is specific to the RV industry.  We use a "Type 1 Excess Flow Pigtail".  Maybe that bit of trivia will come in handy some day.

The following is from the manual:
To remedy a low flow or restricted flow condition:
1. Extinguish all flames and smoking materials.
2. Important: be sure all gas appliances, including their pilot lights, are off and gas is not flowing in the system.
3. Open the LP gas cylinder valve slowly.  Do not snap open.
4. Be sure all connections have been tested with a soapy solution (non-ammonia dish washing liquid) or leak detector solution to assure the system is leak free.
5.Wait at least 15 seconds before lighting appliances.
6. If difficulties continue, have the system checked by a qualified RV service technician.

This is NOT from the manual:
Buy a gas grill pigtail and you may be able to bypass it.  But would you want to?

[tlhdoc]

On the spare tank on my trailer, someone opened the valve and it was open all winter.  I was sure I had an empty tank, but much to my surprise the tank was still full.