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Oil in Propane Traps??


ms60ocb

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I have a Weber 120 grill has a hissing sound that oil becomes trapped in the regulator and burner tube. it can be eliminated by dis-assembly.

Is there a high pressure trap or filter to trap the oil before the regulator?? I use a  20# tank that is filled locally.

Thanks Clay

 

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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I would suspect that your supplier is operating close to the tank bottom.  

I have  never seen a seperator type trap for a grill. Hmmm,  if there is a need there could be an imformercial!!

Seriously I have never encountered or heard of this problem. Good luck. If you find the problem please let us know.

Bill

Bill & Lynn Baxter

MCI102A3 Conversion, Detroit Diesel S50  

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Propane is Liquefied Petroleum gas for transportation and storage. As such it contains a small amount of oil. Have you seen the Pennzoil add stating they obtain their oil from natural gas?

Household LP systems have a sediment/oil trap in the system. I've never seen an RV with this trap.

Bill is right, suppliers draw liquid petroleum from the near bottom of the main storage tank, but they also have a sediment/oil trap, or often called a drip leg.

You can install a drip leg yourself if you wish, to eliminate your problem.

Chapter 12: Fuel Gas Piping, California Plumbing Code 2016 ...

Some believe the oil comes from Ethyl Mercaptain, the odorant in LP gas, not so, read here: http://www.inchem.org/documents/icsc/icsc/eics0470.htm

Edited by Ray,IN

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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9 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

You can install a drip leg yourself if you wish, to eliminate your problem.

I have often wondered why RVs do not have one? Thinking back to the two times in my life when I had a house with a big propane tank, the drip tubes were just before the appliances such as furnace and water heater, but there was none on the tank where the first regulator was located.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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I have had this problem a couple of times when using a 20 pound tank over an extended period of time, through a 5' rubber hose fitting.  My understanding is that high pressure propane (the hose is at tank pressure) causes plasticizers to "leach" from the rubber hose over time, and collect. 

I occasionally remove the hose completely, and hang it vertically (tank fitting down) for a couple of warm days.  I am surprised at the amount of "oil" that drips out of it.  It is pale yellow and has a distinct odor.  Some folks say it could be a mixture of the odor causing agent added to propane along with contaminants and plasticizers. Whatever it is if it reaches the regulator it causes problems. 

Many folks recommend keeping the tank valve turned off when not in use, and relieving the pressure in the hose to prevent the accumulation.  It seems to help some, but doesn't eliminate the problem for me. Others recommend having a regulator on the tank itself to reduce pressure in the hose. I don't know how having a regulator both on the tank and on the grill would work. 

Here is one discussion about the issue:  Oil in Propane Line

 

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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Thanks for the feedback. I have some things to thinks about. Also a practice I have done the past 2 summers hasn't helped keeping the oil from getting to the grill. I store the grill at floor level with the hose connected and pressurized.

Mark enjoyed the link, Oil in Propane Line.

Clay

Quick after thought, I suspect the Aux propane line on the RV would be the Drip Leg so if I used that line, I would be feeding off the Drip Leg?

Edited by ms60ocb
Aux Line

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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I have had problems with the regulators becoming contaminated on my Weber Q grill. I use a hose connected directly to a 20 lb. propane tank.  I think it is Mr Heater that makes a propane filter with the same fitting as the small 1 lb. tanks. I put one on the input to my grill and replace it every year and have not had the problem since I started using the filter. This will only work if the grill has a built in regulator and runs directly from a propane tank. It won't work with a grill or other appliance that uses low pressure propane connection. 

I usually find these at Tractor Supply.

Happy travels,

Pat

2006 Chevy Duramax, DRW, ext cab, Long bed, Reese 18K hitch
2011 Carriage Cameo

Ham radio operator, WA3UOE

 

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39 minutes ago, ms60ocb said:

Quick after thought, I suspect the Aux propane line on the RV would be the Drip Leg so if I used that line, I would be feeding off the Drip Leg?

Yes that could be problematic BUT it could also help you out IF you vent that line before using it.  That way IF, which is likely, that debris and oil would settle there, you could purge it out.  Even under such slight pressure as LP, it will get the crap moving out of the line.

Marcel

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Ray,IN, just yesterday when I read this thread I didn't have time to reply but I knew our rig had a drip plug. It is a 2004 Alfa fiver  and the first time I was under the rig doing something, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I would have bet some bucks that there wouldn't be one. Surprise, surprise.

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Mr. Heater company offers an in line filter. They recommend it when supplying one of their catalytic heaters from a refillable cylinder vs the 1lb 'ers. 

I has a question - how do the oil get off the bottom of the cylinder to contaminate a vapour line to appliances? 

"Are we there yet?" asked no motorcycle rider, ever. 

 

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12 minutes ago, noteven said:

Mr. Heater company offers an in line filter. They recommend it when supplying one of their catalytic heaters from a refillable cylinder vs the 1lb 'ers. 

I has a question - how do the oil get off the bottom of the cylinder to contaminate a vapour line to appliances? 

The oil will atomize and then collect.

Marcel

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6 hours ago, bobsallyh said:

Ray,IN, just yesterday when I read this thread I didn't have time to reply but I knew our rig had a drip plug. It is a 2004 Alfa fiver  and the first time I was under the rig doing something, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I would have bet some bucks that there wouldn't be one. Surprise, surprise.

That's what is called attention to detail, I don't' remember the brand of your RV, however it must be a quality-built product.

To others; Ethyl Mercaptain is NOT an oil, re-read the SDS i linked.

Edited by Ray,IN

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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25 minutes ago, Ray,IN said:

To others; Ethyl Mercaptain is NOT an oil, re-read the SDS i linked.

What accumulates in the rubber hose is an oily substance, but I wouldn't get too hung up on labels.  It is likely a combination of plasticizers from the rubber hose, condensed additives in the propane (including Ethyl Mercaptain) and who knows what else.

Oil is a convenient term for the purposes of this discussion. 

Mark & Teri

2021 Grand Designs Imagine 2500RL, 2019 Ford F-350

Mark & Teri's Travels

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  • 2 weeks later...

Last night was the first I used it since I completely took the total gas system apart to components. I found an abundance of the oily like substance in the regulator. I laid the regulator in difference positions leading to draining the regulator. I repeated this till nothing drained. Before I had trouble getting to 400 degree, now it heats very rapidly like normal.

Clay

Clay & Marcie Too old to play in the snow

Diesel pusher and previously 2 FW and small Class C

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FWIW, the drip legs on the appliances in my house have never been drained since I installed them in 1969. I removed the bottom cap on one last week, only some rust flakes fell out of the iron pipe. There are no rubber, plastic or non-metallic LP lines in my house.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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  • 2 years later...

My Airstream has been winterized for several seasons. Yesterday I opened the LP valves to utilize the heater. In doing so, an oily substance blew out from the stovetop area. It was clear, but had an odd odor. I would say there was about 2 tbsp of oily liquid that was discharged. What is it, and is it dangerous? I closed the LP valves and did not light off the system as it worried me. Does anyone know what caused that oily liquid to blow out?

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I suggest that you may want to start a new thread with this question since this one is more than 2 years old.  It is quite normal for propane to have some residual oil in it but I have never before heard of what you experienced in 40+ years of RVing. If everything is now working properly, I wouldn't expect it to be a problem but would keep a close eye on it.

Because propane is a petroleum product, to have a small amount of oil in it is normal and in home appliances there is usually an oil trap installed just before the propane enters the appliance. If your propane pressure regulator becomes contaminated with oil it will need to be replaced so you may have poor propane pressure now. The oil isn't dangerous and it will burn, but not like gasoline or propane. I would carefully light one burner of your stove top with caution and not fully open. Since you have not used propane in some time there will be air pushed out of the burner for a minute or two before there is enough propane for it to ignite. I always use a barbeque lighter for this so that I can light it and then hold it close to the burner as I open the stove top valve. You should see the flame of the lighter being blown away from the burner, indicating that air is exiting but it will take as much as 2 or 3 minutes for air to vent out and propane to ignite and that is normal. If everything then works you probably just has some residual oil from past propane supplies. 

Edited by Kirk W

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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8 hours ago, Dawncoleman2008 said:

My Airstream has been winterized for several seasons. Yesterday I opened the LP valves to utilize the heater. In doing so, an oily substance blew out from the stovetop area. It was clear, but had an odd odor. I would say there was about 2 tbsp of oily liquid that was discharged. What is it, and is it dangerous? I closed the LP valves and did not light off the system as it worried me. Does anyone know what caused that oily liquid to blow out?

Don't be surprised if  you have to purge your propane lines and regulator.

Once, my Weber Baby Q grill quit lighting.  I found the problem to be that the grill's regulator was full of oil.  I tried shaking all the oil out of the regulator but that didn't work.  The grill was several years old so I figured it was just a long time accumulation and ordered a new regulator.

Installed the new regulator, fired up the grill and used it.  Next time I went to use it, it wouldn't light.  Long story shorter.  The bottle of propane I was using had an excess of oil in it.  I had to replace the regulator again, in addition to the hose from the 20 lb. bottle to the grill.  I also replaced that bottle.  Haven't had a problem since for several years.

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