# Reduced Gas Pressure?



## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

We had a problem overnight with our heating system. We found that the C6002 Truma boiler would not light the gas. Checked 12 volt supply, which is usuallly the problem, that was O.K. Then checked gas cylinder for gas. Half full but swapped it anyway.
Still the same problem. I turned the gas ring on on the cooker and the pressure was low and it went even lower when the boiler tried to light.

I hit the regulator in the gas box with the spanner and we now have gas to the boiler although not the usual pressure to the cooker.
Any experts out there who might know the answer to this? Suspect it is the regulator but can't find an adjustment on it.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

You need a new regulator.

Exactly the same happened to ours, except hitting it with a hammer didn't have any effect!


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## seanoo (Mar 31, 2007)

hi there, just had the same problem in my scout. all the gas rings would light but only just. i think your problem is plasticiser in the regulator, its yellow and has the consistancy of olive oil. i took out the reg and shook out all the muck and it was fine for a couple of weeks then happened again so it looks like a new regulator for me when i get home to uk!! i think the answer is to get braided steel gas hose instead of the usual rubber high pressure hoses and then the gas cant leach the plasticiser from the rubber. if you turn off the gas bottle and loosen the hose a little to let the pressure out you can remove the regulator and check for the muck inside, its normally at the bottom by the on/off valve. open the valve and give it a shake. hope this helps all the best seanoo.


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

pippin said:


> You need a new regulator.
> 
> Exactly the same happened to ours, except hitting it with a hammer didn't have any effect!


Oh dear. What a pain. Back to a dealer, I suppose. Thanks for that!
Seems to be working at the moment.


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

seanoo said:


> hi there, just had the same problem in my scout. all the gas rings would light but only just. i think your problem is plasticiser in the regulator, its yellow and has the consistancy of olive oil. i took out the reg and shook out all the muck and it was fine for a couple of weeks then happened again so it looks like a new regulator for me when i get home to uk!! i think the answer is to get braided steel gas hose instead of the usual rubber high pressure hoses and then the gas cant leach the plasticiser from the rubber. if you turn off the gas bottle and loosen the hose a little to let the pressure out you can remove the regulator and check for the muck inside, its normally at the bottom by the on/off valve. open the valve and give it a shake. hope this helps all the best seanoo.


I think you may be right but ours is one of the new regulators and you can't take it apart at all. Will take off pipe and try.


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## pippin (Nov 15, 2007)

For safety's sake I think dismantling the regulator is not a good idea.

Just replace it.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

Hi John

*Have you got*  >>these<<  *rubber free stainless steel hoses* fitted? If you have it's extremely unlikely to be a plasticiser problem.

If you have rubber hoses, disconnect the hose from the cylinder in use and feel the end with your finger. If there is an oily liquid there, even in very small quantities, you have almost certainly identified the problem.

The bad news is you will need a new regulator and a pair of the stainless steel hoses, neither of which is cheap. :evil:

The far better news is that you will have cured the problem for good. 

If you already have the stainless steel hoses - it will be another problem and I can't offer advice at a distance.

I like your remedy by the way - I did just the same and with the identical result. A good hiding with the spanner cured it for a while, but the problem soon returned permanently.

If you do have to get the new hoses I suggest the ones with the big red knurled knob which you tighten by hand without the need for a spanner. Much more convenient - at midnight - in the pouring rain - and howling wind - etc.. :roll:

Hope this helps


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

pippin said:


> For safety's sake I think dismantling the regulator is not a good idea.
> 
> Just replace it.


I did think that myself which is proably why you can't do it on the new one.
I have now swapped the long black pipe supplied with the van with a shorter orange one I have had since the days of caravanning. 
Hey Presto! All working up to pressure. There was some gunk in the black pipe so think that may have been the problem. We shall see.
Thanks guys for all the help. This site is better than phoning the dealers!!!!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> pippin said:
> 
> 
> > For safety's sake I think dismantling the regulator is not a good idea.
> ...


Hi again John

Sorry to be a pariah, but don't relax yet, and *take the orange pipe off* straight away now and check that it is rated as "high pressure".  

If it isn't you are risking a burst pipe, as the bit between the cylinder and the regulator must be high pressure rated as it carries the gas at cylinder pressure.

As for having cured the problem, I'll be surprised if you have. Your regulator is probably only in remission and you will find it packs up again (for good!) on the first day of a month-long continental holiday. Mr. Sod will take care of the timing!!

Do check the orange pipe though, and soon!!! If it is rated as high pressure you will be safe, if not problem-free. If it's the old fashioed low pressure hose you could be in a lot of bother.

Sorry - but better warned than . . . . . . no need to say it!!!

Regards


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

Hi Dave
Thanks for that info. Yes it is high pessure so no probs there. Everyone is right the repair looks like being temporay as the pressure is reduced again.
Rang dealer for an answer. Awaiting response as we speak. I am now sure that it is the regulator but why? 
It is only less than 18 months old. Fortunately we are not far from an Auto-trail dealers where we are at the moment.

Will report back on progress, if any!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> Hi Dave
> I am now sure that it is the regulator but why?
> It is only less than 18 months old.


Hi once more John

It's not a faulty regulator as such, or any fault in its manufacture. It has simply been clogged up with the plasticiser gunge, which is why I am sure you will need a new one.

There has been a lot of controversy over the issue, but it is now accepted that the the plasticiser used in making the high pressure hoses for the modern systems leaches out after quite a short time, and this contaminates the regulator. The chemistry is a bit complicated, but unimportant really since all we need to know is what happens.

There were all sorts of "beezer wheezes" to overcome the problem, like siting the regulator well above the gas bottle so any plasticiser ran back down and didn't get to the regulator. That was a non starter!! When you switch on the gas at the bottle after a couple of weeks of non-use there is always a sharp hiss as the gas fills up the pipes. This is clearly enough to shoot any small pools of plasticiser the 12 or 18" up into the regulator and the problem starts again.

Some people had two or three new regulators before finally buying the Gaslow Stainless Steel pipes, which have no rubber at all in contact with the gas, so no possibility of plasticiser problems.

It's all there on the web if you Google it, but I shouldn't bother. The details of the problem don't matter if you know the solution. 

Regards


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

Hi Dave
Thanks for all your info. Very useful. Looks like a new regulator is £45.00 and then there is the stainless steel pipe. Don't know how much those are.

Going to the show on Sunday so might challenge Truma over it. Worth a ttry unless we decide to change the MH!!!!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> Hi Dave
> Thanks for all your info. Very useful. Looks like a new regulator is £45.00 and then there is the stainless steel pipe. Don't know how much those are.
> 
> Going to the show on Sunday so might challenge Truma over it. Worth a ttry unless we decide to change the MH!!!!


Worth a try John, but I don't think you will have much joy. Since it has been established that there's nowt wrong with the regulators until they get bunged up with oily gunge, nobody is admitting liability so free replacements are no longer available.

While you are at the show I'd suggest you look closely at the range of Gaslow gauges and changeover regulators available. Some of the auto jobbies cost not much more than the standard ones, and manual changeovers *always *occur at the least convenient times do they not? :evil:

Hope you don't have the same experience as we did. We went to a show to get a couple of chairs and came away having signed for a new M/H. Never did get the blasted chairs either!!! Very pleased with the truck though.


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

are you running on propane or butane?with the low temperatures we have been having butane ceases to vaporise at low temperatures. Just an idea often forgotten.
Dunc.


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## chapter (May 1, 2005)

is the gas bottle red or blue
chapter


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

chapter said:


> is the gas bottle red or blue
> chapter


Definitely red propane. Packed up again this morning and now beyond all coaxing into action.
Down to a fan heater (Actually more efficient!!)


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> chapter said:
> 
> 
> > is the gas bottle red or blue
> ...


Following what mine did to the letter John.

First time a rap across the metaphorical knuckles with the spanner cured it for a day.

Next time it needed a jolly good hiding, and that partially cured it for a few hours.

Third time I gave it a sound thrashing with a hammer - no luck at all.

I don't want to worry you too much in view of a previous comment you made, but three weeks afterwards we took delivery of a new van!! :roll: :roll: :roll: I did inform the dealer of course, but he said he would have changed the regulator anyway to save the hassle of getting the van back when (not if) it went wrong.

Hope you get it fixed soon.  

Cheers

P.S. I didn't ask if you were on propane or butane. We Worcestershire yokels are too canny to make that mistake. :roll: :roll: :roll:


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

Hi Dave
Have just ordered a new regulator from Banbury Trailers for delivery tomorrow. Had a long chat to them and it turns out that the problem lies in the fact that the regulators are now on the bulkhead and if they are lower than the top of the gas bottle the gunge runs into the regulator and not the bottle.
Ours is actually higher but the tag was too long and was wound round over the fitting. He is sending me a new tag.
He also said that the stainless steel ones still did the same as they are rubber inside so don't waste your money.
We await delivery tomorrow. The saga continues.........


You are rignt about us all in Worcs!!
Only problem is we have just bought a house in Hampshire so don't know where that puts us now other than in debt!!!!!!


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> He also said that the stainless steel ones still did the same as they are rubber inside so don't waste your money.


Interesting!!!

Either the chap from Banbury Trailers is wrong, or Gaslow are lying in their teeth - and you would have to assume they are not since it is so easy to check.

Have a closer look at the specs on the Gaslow  >>website<< . It seems plain enough to me - I think you have been given bum advice about the hoses.

Cheers


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## 2kias (Sep 18, 2006)

Think he must have misunderstood me. I didn't mention the Gaslow ones and, as you say, they do look all steel. Will have to send for one when I get home.


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## Zebedee (Oct 3, 2007)

2kias said:


> Think he must have misunderstood me. I didn't mention the Gaslow ones and, as you say, they do look all steel. Will have to send for one when I get home.


Repeat (_in case you didn't notice before - I tend to waffle on a bit, or so the Memsahib tells me!  _ )

I'd go for the one with the big red knurled knob so you don't need a spanner to change cylinders - or to belt the regulator we hope!!!!

Good luck

Dave


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