# Propane Gas Problems



## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Just got back from Christmas at the CC site at Cirencester. Weather was really good and we had a great time. (Point of interest – although it was shown as fully booked there must have been at least ten empty hardstands).

Our only problem was that we didn’t get our Christmas dinner! Although two new propane gas bottles were fitted before the trip we were getting an intermittent gas pressure problem. With only one gas rings going we were getting no more than a minute flame, although sometimes they seemed to work ok for a little while. Frozen chips in the oven last night took an hour instead of 15 minutes, and still weren’t browning!

The system was pressure tested a week ago by Marquis so I assume no leaks. The question is, could I have a faulty regulator and is there any way in which I can check it? The alternative question is – has anyone any other ideas?

Thanks in advance.

Peter and Irene


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## 93795 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Peter and Irene, I know this is a really silly question, but what colour are your gas bottles :?:


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Pretty calor red so assume they have been filled with propane if I follow your drift. IS IT POSSIBLE that they have the other stuff in them - has that ever happened to anyone?


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## 93795 (May 1, 2005)

Never heard of it being swapped over. Using the 'wrong' gas was the first thing that occurred to me. Sorry I can't help although dodgy regulator must now be prime suspect.


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## MosquitoRick (May 16, 2005)

Hi Peter and Irene,

I assume you weren't given empty(ish) gas bottles by mistake! 
Have you tried the bottles on any other appliance or looked for blockages?

If it was pressure tested OK by Marquis I would suppose the first thing to do would be to go back to them (assuming they supplied and fitted the bottles). Just make sure there's no obvious problem first like a kink in the pipe work somewhere!! :roll: (pipe squashed by bottle in the locker?!!)

Rick


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

*Faulty Reg*

Hi Pete,

I bought a brand new Autocruise Stargazer last March which was fitted with the new type of gas regulator. Last month I experienced the same problem as you and called in to West Country Motorhomes, Burnham on Sea, who diagnosed a faulty regulator. The fitter showed me a cardboard box containing about 20 faulty regulators - all of the new type. He told me that it was a common problem. I wish you luck.


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## MosquitoRick (May 16, 2005)

Oooo! There you go then.
I was thinking of getting a new regulator with gauge - any particular make to avoid?


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Looks like the problem is going to be the regulator then. Aaronsdad, one question. Was the fault intermittent with you also?

The van is due for its habitation check in January so I will get them to look at it. The info about there being lots of faulty regulators out there will be very useful when I talk to Marquis.

That knowledge alone is probably worth the years subscription to MHF!

Peter


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Mosquitorick

Looking through the papers with the van the regulator seems to be a GDK Type EN 61-DS, if that helps!

Peter


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Sorry, for GDK read GOK.


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi Pete,

Yes, the fault was intermittent for a couple of days and then the gas stopped flowing altogether. The man at West Country Motorhomes says that some of the faulty regulators behaved like mine whereas some just started leaking. He reckons there was a faulty batch from the manufacturer delivered to Autocruise. For your info my Autocruise was purchased from Marquis at Southampton. Unfortunately the regulator is pop riveted to the wall of the gas locker so it's not really a symple DIY job. :roll: :roll: 

Aaron's Dad


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## MosquitoRick (May 16, 2005)

:thumbleft:


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Spoke to Autocruise Aftersales today. They are sending me a replacement regulator so that I can have it fitted when the habitation check is done. This will save me two trips to Marquis. A1 to Autocruise for service!

When I took the van for an oil change today I had another look at the regulator. Although it is manufactured by GOK it is badged Truma!

Peter


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi Peter,

When you spoke to Autocruise was anything said about the batch of faulty regulators?

Aaron's dad


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Hi Aaron's Dad

Well, sort of. I told them that I had heard about a faulty batch of regulators and Loiuse didn't sound surprised. She just said that they, Autocruise, where retuning "them all" to Truma.

Thanks again for your original response, knowing of your experience really helped to resolve this.

Peter


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## 96691 (Nov 11, 2005)

On a completely different line of thought, I had a lot of probs to do with pressure last week. Think this was due to the cold. 

I know next to nothing about gas however gather bottled stuff is normally formed of two types of gas which don't mix properly when cold, hense high altitude mountaineers don't use gas (use petrol stoves instead). Consequently when my stove was playing up the other day in the lakes when it was minus 5 I gave the bottle a good shake. Seemed to do the trick. 

Does anyone know if my low pressure and shaking of the bottle to fix the prob was likely to do with the cold, or was it caused by some other issue?

Richard


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

Hi Scumbag

You don't say what gas you are using - if butane then you will have problems as it won't evaporate into a gas at low temperatures. Propane should be OK until well below freezing. If using a canister containing a gas mixture, the propane element will evaporate off leaving the butane as an unuseable liquid in the canister until the temperature rises, thus as the level drops in the canister the problems worsten. Shaking the bottle/canister does seem to encourage the liquid to evaporate but will not sustain the effect for very long.


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## 96560 (Oct 22, 2005)

Pete

The Maquis pressure test may be significant. They may have perhaps isolated a valve on route to the cooker, worth checking the pipe route as may have a valve where it branches off to cooker. Also, if your heating is gas, is that working? If it's not working, Marquis could have isolated more than one valve for the pressure test.

Regards

John


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## 96560 (Oct 22, 2005)

Pete

One further thought before I get to bed (just noticed, it's 2:30 am): If it was pressure tested withe the regulator still fitted (unlikely), regulator may have been damaged.

Regards

John


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

John

There are isolators on the cooker, fridge and water heater. They are all open and none of the appliances work. I don't know how a pressure test is done but you're right, it could have caused the problem.

I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that when they replace the regulator everything works ok. From what Aaronsdad says it seems the regulator is the likeliest problem.

Peter


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

A bit of an update on the regulator.

When I was at the dealer the Service Manager, mentioned in passing that Truma and Calor are in dispute on who is to blame for the failing regulators. Apparently there is an "oil" additive in the gas which is fouling up the filter in the regulator - according to Truma; but Calor dispute this. The worrying bit is that he thinks that Truma are about to stop replacing the regulators under warranty.

I did some investigating but could find nothing on the net whatsoever, so I emailed Calor to try and get some more info - wasn't very hopeful but thought it worth a try.

Surprise, I got a phone call today from a guy in the technical department at Calor wanting to discuss the problem.

He has acknowledged that there is a problem with Truma regulators but that it is happening with other gas suppliers also, Flogas, BP, etc. Calor have done extensive tests but been unable to replicate the problem and Truma are being "unhelpful" in supplying them with failed regulators. The really interesting bit is that my case is the first he has heard of where the problem has occurred with Propane, I have used Propane from day one!

He asked whether the regulator was set up horizontally or vertically as most failures seem to happen in the horizontal plane, mine is vertical!

He has gone away to chat with a colleague and will get back to me later in the week.

I wil keep you informed.

All very interesting, eh. And why nothing on the net, corrected now, another first for MHF!

Peter and Irene


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi Pete,

Glad you got it sorted - interesting about the comments from the Calor man. For your info most of the faulty regulators in the box were propane and mine was in the vertical plane as well.

Aarons dad


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## peterandirene (May 9, 2005)

Spoke to Calor again today, no satisfactory conclusion. Calor can't get Truma to speak to them about the problem, so us customers are sort of stuck in the middle. He did say that there have not been any problems with regulators made by CLESSE though.

I would really like to hear from anyone with the same problem to use as evidence if the regulator fails again. The only other incident so far is Aarons Dad.

Correct me if I am wrong Aarons Dad but aren't Butane and Propane regulators the same, just with different pigtails?

Peter


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi Pete,

You are correct. The new type wall mounted 30mb regulators can accommodate propane or butane gas - its just the pigtails that differ.

Arron's dad


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## 88919 (May 10, 2005)

does anybody know if this has been resolved. our regulator failed today (9 months old)we have had it changed but it has been replaced wth the same sort.

just wondered whether this is still going on with calor and truma.

andy & amanda


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## 95897 (Jul 30, 2005)

Hi Andy and Amanda - It sounds like the same batch of regulators because mine failed at 9 months old too. Mine was replaced in November with the same sort and so far is OK. I have not heard whether or not calor and Truma have come to an agreement yet - :roll:

Aaronsdad


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