[swnoel]

Originally Posted by MAXUM

You really should have somebody who knows this stuff to take a look at your setup. There are a few things I do know only because I did a ton of research into this stuff when I re-did the propane service to my camp.

First thing you need to do is find out what the draw is off your system based on the consumption of all of your appliances. The next thing to do is to ensure you have things plumbed appropriately so that you can move sufficient volume based on the total maximum consumption of all your appliances. This includes ensuring that the diameter of the feed lines is correct.


That should have been done when the gas lines and equipment were installed or added to. There are solutions to smaller lines that need to supply more btu's that the current system can handle.

Next is to look at your regulator which should be a two stage. Regulators also need to be capable of handing the flow demand. If you are icing up that indicates to me you either have a possible leak or your demand is exceeding the flow capacity. Flow and or draw of each appliance is measured in inches of water column per PSI of flow. Regulators are sized for the amount of flow they can handle. Furthermore there is a bleed off on the regulator if the pressure in the system builds up to high and it will actually "vent" mechanically if it needs to.


Icing on the exterior is something that happens when it gets cold , it can indicate a "possible" problem, but not always. Hopefully they installed methanol in the tank during the purging process otherwise you may have freezing up of the regulator. Regulators are twins, single stage , and second stage. I'm assuming you're using a twin which is not the best solution with multiple appliances unless they are low btu. I actually prefer 2 pound systems with maxitrols, but first and second stage systems are fine if the supply lines are not under sized.

With a tank as large as you have, that should provide ample surface area for boil off to create the gas needed to feed the house, however, the colder it gets the more difficult it is for the liquid to boil off and produce gas and less pressure. It is actually possible to freeze up a tank under the right conditions. Keep in mind like any fuel there is humidity and condensation that can occur in the take so that when present can restrict or all out block flow should it get cold enough. Temps below zero is where this can really become a problem.

It's an underground tank , so its vaporization rate is unaffected by temperature like above ground tanks and methanol should have been injected during the tank purging process.

That's about the extent of my understanding so the bottom line is if you are building ice on your regulator and supply line that could indicate a problem, one that is probably best diagnosed and handled by somebody that knows what they are doing.

Hopefully they did a gas check form and tested for leaks before they filled the tank.

I can tell you that when I did my system over, I chose to plumb the house with 1/2 feed lines, one to my heater and a separate one to my range in the kitchen, they are fed off a manifold coming out of the regulator. The regulator I chose was a dual stage that was capable of handling a flow approximately 3 times my actual draw (at the moment) thinking if I add any other appliances I have some capacity to accommodate that need. I am somewhat restricted in the fact I draw off of two 100 pound bottles at the same time so the surface area for boil off is limited. That said I have operated both the heater and range in temps well below zero and never had any sign of ice build up.


[B]1/2 inch copper or pipe? The difference is astronomical. I'm assuming this is a camp with low btu output. What people don't realize is a setup like yours has about 38 gallons of liquid propane total and as it gets colder you don't have enough tank to vaporize the propane inside, resulting with propane in the tank that you can't use.[B]

Take this for what it's worth, I am by no means a professional and did after installing everything have it checked by a licensed gas guy who not only gave the system a second leak test (I did the first) but also confirmed that my install and choice of materials used was well suited for my needs.

Your gas supplier should have performed a gas check before they put a tank on or filled the system.

In my many years in the fuel and installation business I was never surprised with the things I saw in the field.