Vic Harder said:
i heard that the gunk/oil in the lines issue is another good reason to replace the regulator and rubber lines my question would be: how often? mine are brand new, as is my 20# horizontal tank . i also heard that when getting a refill, the propane agent is supposed to flush the tank with nitrogen? first before refilling
I've wondered about that 'when to replace' question for the regulator too. I believe
this RV web page reflects the typical advice given to RVers.... replace the regulator (as preventive maintenance) every 10 to 15 years. This
Propane 101 education website says the industry standard for regulator life is 15 years and some manufacturers claim theirs can go 25. And
this Propane Education and Research Council study determined there's very little difference in failure rates between 15-year-old and 25-year-old regulators.
Beyond that, however, is this idea of oil/gunk in the regulator and lines.
I believe I'd only replace the regulator if I saw what I considered a significant volume of oil. If it malfunctioned, of course, there's no question. I'm just saying I'd probably replace a working one if I saw oil come out of the line. And I'd want to keep checking for oil for a while as that oil wasn't manufactured by the old regulator-- it was trapped there. There could be more in the tank to be trapped in the new regulator.
If the oil causes problems with the new regulator, then I'm not sure what the best approach would be. Perhaps call up a trusted propane tech and see if it makes sense to have the tank serviced (drained). I don't remember reading of anyone going that far.... I'm just trying to think what to do if you keep finding oil. If that new regulator's still functioning and you're just worried because you found some oil, maybe all you do is drain the oil out and put it back in service and check again later, assuming it will eventually stop showing oil.
The nitrogen question is also an interesting one. A search for 'nitrogen' in the Good Practices document I posted in post #12 tell us nitrogen is used to flush out large containers (ships and barges, rail-cars, and transport trucks) during shipment of liquid LPG.
I've not been able to find anything recommending nitrogen be used to flush a portable tank before refilling it. A new, never-filled tank must be flushed with propane vapors or evacuated with a vacuum pump as described
here. That flushing procedure would also apply to any tank which has been drained and left open (exposed to air). But as far as I can tell, there's nothing about flushing a tank for a normal refill.
Also--
this RV Forum thread discusses how nitrogen is used to 'inert' a used propane tank for shipping.
Also- the rubber line-- I think I'd only replace an existing one is if it appears in any way questionable, i.e., cracked, worn, dried-out, etc. I'd also look for that hose vender like the one ntsqd mentions in his post above.
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