Propane Issues maybe contamination???

shastaron · 02-09-2009, 09:17 AM

I have a 2004 Class A with a horizontal frame mount 15 gal propane tank. On a recent trip I got intermittent low flows of propane and low flame length at the furnace, stove, and hot water heater. It would slow down, but not completely stop. Then back to normal. This went on for a couple of hours.

I pulled the regulator and replaced it. Everything seemed to be fixed and then it happened one more time couple of days later for a few minutes and then went away on it's own.

I had a small amount of rust colored liquid drain out of the low pressure side of the regulator. It was oily in consistency. After 4 years could that be expected??? Or do I have a contaminated tank?

If the tank is contaminated is there a way to flush it?

Any ideas for trouble shooting?

Thanks,
Ron

Ken Roberts · 02-09-2009, 09:45 AM

Ron, Yep you had contaminated propane and the regulator did it's job. If you had not replaced it and if there was enough contamination it woulld have eventually totally shut you down---by design it is a self destructing device. Lower flame with orange color is the result of contamination. All of the appliances you mentioned use the proane as a gas, if you had a propane generator the propane would be converted to a liquid and then the regukator would have really kicked in and you probably would have seen much more brown oily substance.

I would check with a propane dealer that sells propane appliances in addition to propane itself as to whether you only had propane contamination or is the tank involved. I thinkyou will find that it is only the propane itself: BUT, that is purely opinion based on past experience with contaminated propane. Ken.

GaryKD · 02-09-2009, 10:23 AM

Hi Ron,
Try going here and read a thread on the same subject. I had the same problem, got the same liquid out of the regulator. Changed the regulator and so far everything is okay.