Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 05-06-2015, 08:34 PM   #21
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Poughkeepsie, New York
Posts: 122
Re: Propane seems to stop at below freezing

I think it would be really interesting to know where and when the Propane was purchased for those that have had the problems at or near freezing temperatures.

Since Butane is cheaper and has more energy per gallon than Propane, it is a better fuel for places that don't get that cold. The distributors are doing you a favor when they substitute Butane if you don't need real Propane.

__________________
2015 Promaster Sportsmobile
KB2ZE
Old retired IBM Engineer
DCHitt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-06-2015, 09:38 PM   #22
Senior Member
 
Viva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 879
Re: Propane seems to stop at below freezing

Quote:
Originally Posted by haywoodphotomaccom
I have had this issue several times with outdoor heaters on small bottles.

Heard somewhere that the size of the bottle vs the flow rate of the heater device are related.
I think the small bottles are typically butane or a butane blend, aren't they? If so it could be back to the butane vs. propane issue. Propane is happy at very low temps; butane not so much.
Viva is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-09-2016, 07:36 PM   #23
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Encintas, CA
Posts: 15
Hey everyone

Still battling the freezing propane issue. I replaced my batteries this summer with fresh AGM's so voltage to the furnace was not an issue. I recently went on the first cold weather camping mission of the season, and low an behold, my furnace crapped out in the middle of the night once the temps reached the low 20's / high teens. I thought maybe the bottle was empty, but once the temps warmed up into the 30's again the next day, the furnace and 2 burner stove worked fine. The last place I filled up with propane was at Amerigas in San Diego. Maybe they are mixing with Butane? If the tank was properly purged last time, could I empty it and have it purged again? I wonder if I should just have the regulator replaced. Nothing worse than freezing your buns off after a long day of riding....

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[/URL][/IMG]

[/URL]

[/URL]
Brett218 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-11-2016, 06:56 PM   #24
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,102
Hi,

What you are likely experiencing is the contents of the tank cooling down as propane gas is drawn off by the furnace. The liquid in the tank gets cold enough to almost look like jelly. This in turn reduces the gas cloud pressure above the liquid and starves the furnace. The expansion and resulting pressure drop as it turns into a gas provides the cooling effect. It's the same effect that compressor refrigerator systems use. AC as well.

While the boiling point of propane is down around -40 degrees, and you could carry a bucket of the liquid around at that temperature, as it cools down the amount of gas created in the tank is severely limited. You could probably douse a lit match in a bucket of propane.

Proof of this is my garage heater that starts to sputter on cold days. A good shake of the propane tank makes some gas above the liquid and it fires up again. Leaving the tank somewhere warm would help, but I prefer the tank be with me in the garage. I leave it outside when not in use.

I suggest a half full propane tank might work better for you as it has a greater proportion of gas to liquid. Also installing a two stage regulator might help as the pressure drop would occur away from the tank and limit the resultant cooling effect. I'm not sure anyone makes such a setup, but it is essentially what is used in cold climate to keep propane equipment running.

Regards,

Gavin


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2016, 01:04 PM   #25
Senior Member
 
Pntyrmvr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: GTA, Ontario
Posts: 1,102
Hi,

I took the following photo of my 100lb tank running a 125,000 Btu heater. After 4 hours the frost is evident on the side of the tank. The area is well above freezing, but the high demand of the heater is drawing gas out of the tank fast enough to cool the tank exterior to below freezing. The conversion and expansion of liquid propane to gas draws in a lot of energy.

I think there is enough gas volume above the liquid line to keep it running. If not I'll give the tank a good shake and voilą more gas will be available to burn.

For the RV heaters that use much less propane I'm still betting that a half full tank will get a longer burn before "chilling" out for the night.

Regards,

Gavin







"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
__________________
"Talk is cheap. Whiskey costs money."
Pntyrmvr is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-12-2016, 06:09 PM   #26
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Encintas, CA
Posts: 15
Hmmm... This is really interesting information. I don't know much about propane.

Do you think this would still be happening even though the heater cycles on and off only every 30 min or so and only runs for 10? The PSI required for the heater is only about .5 and if it ran continuously for an hr it would consume about .5 lb of propane. To me, this doesn't seem like a huge draw on the tank.

I guess the test now would be to see if it works better the lower the tank gets.

Thanks for the insight.
Brett218 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2016, 05:33 PM   #27
Senior Member
 
calclimber's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Ventura, CA.
Posts: 278
Mine did the same thing. I replaced the regulator and problem solved.
__________________
Quality doesn't come in a twist off

Craig
05 EB 50 V10 4x4 Baja Tan
calclimber is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-13-2016, 10:04 PM   #28
Senior Member
 
rockbender's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Bend, OR
Posts: 800
Looks like a single stage regulator. Replace it with a dual stage and I'll bet you have better luck.
__________________
Josh
2009 Express AWD, CCV Top & 50-ish home build. Daily driver/camper/kid hauler
rockbender is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-14-2016, 05:56 PM   #29
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Encintas, CA
Posts: 15
Thanks for the info! I will look into replacing the regulator with a dual stage one, hopefully that will solve the problem.
Brett218 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-29-2021, 09:57 AM   #30
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2021
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 99
Yikes that picture is terrifying.
Clarkboulder is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sportsmobile SIP or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 07:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.