2022 Furnace Question

[Paul & Deb]

I confused the water heater with the furnace -- the DSI light is associated with the water heater, not the furnace. (Oops) The furnace does goes into a "lockout" if it tries three times without lighting, so it could very well have been associated with the propane container. Cycling the thermostat off and on should have had the same effect as pulling the fuse.

Haha, I thought that was a tad mixed up, but I understood where you were going.

Thinking back, I missed a valuable troubleshooting step because I never did try cycling the thermostat off and on, I only tried increasing the temp setting because the thermostat readout was still on.

Thanks all and I think it's all good.

[Scott'n'Wendy]

In an ASME tank...that could be true. (ASME tanks are typically in motorhomes.) For DOT cylinders (what we use in our trailers) the safety valve (the valve I *think* you're referencing) is in the pigtail not the cylinder itself. For those that don't know that term, the "pigtail" is the large knob and hose connection between the cylinder and two-stage regulator.

Arrow below points to the valve I'm referencing that's in the pigtail. (Before I went to the school I had no idea it was in the pigtail!)

I had not heard of a valve in the pigtail? I thought the valve was part of the tank manual valve and the pigtail merely had to depress the corresponding valve part attached to the tank. The nipple you have an arrow pointing out being the part that interacts with the tank valve. That way without the pigtail attached, no gas would flow. Am I mixed up on how it works?

[howson]

I had not heard of a valve in the pigtail? I thought the valve was part of the tank manual valve and the pigtail merely had to depress the corresponding valve part attached to the tank. The nipple you have an arrow pointing out being the part that interacts with the tank valve. That way without the pigtail attached, no gas would flow. Am I mixed up on how it works?

Only in the ASME tank is the "excess flow check valve" in the tank. The reason is the tank stays with the vehicle it's mounted in.

DOT cylinders can move from place to place, so the valve is in the pigtail (which stays with the vehicle). At least that's how it was explained to me.

The drawing below is a rough sketch from presentations I saved from school. Note the "excess flow check ball" (what we're calling a "safety valve") is in the pigtail. The guide probe pushes on the back-check seal in the cylinder which allows propane vapor to flow.

Howard

[Jlawles2]

I think there are a couple of different things that happen in the portable cylinder valves. There is a standard no hook up check, an OFPD (over fill protection device), and a flow check. If for some reason the flow exceeds a set value (they highest for all types of pigtails) the flow check will close shutting off the flow.

Interesting that they put a flow check in the pigtail. I can see this being to prevent excess flow for the system (remember there are 3 - 4 different colored pigtails).

[Cate&Rob]

The valve on the cylinder (tank) is used for both filling and delivering the LPG. Thus, it has to be able to open sufficiently for a high flow rate (filling the cylinder) when connected using the internal left hand thread that depresses and opens the check valve internal to the cylinder. The external right hand thread (a relatively recent invention) clamps an excess flow mechanism in the "pigtail hose" to the cylinder valve, depressing and opening the check valve internal to the cylinder. The excess flow valve has to be sized for and part of the RV/grill/heater/whatever . . . not part of the interchangeable cylinder(s).

Rob

[Scott'n'Wendy]

an excess flow mechanism in the "pigtail hose" to the cylinder valve, depressing and opening the check valve internal to the cylinder. The excess flow valve has to be sized for and part of the RV/grill/heater/whatever . . . not part of the interchangeable cylinder(s).
Rob

Learned something new again thanks to Dr Howson and Peng Rob. While I have never had to replace a trailer lp pigtail, but from what you say they come in different flow rates? So if I do have to replace one there must be a rating printed on it somewhere? Or is this what Joe referred to with the different colours? I thought different colours were just different brands.....


So much to know and learn just to live in a box on wheels...

[TedS]

There are differences that the colors reference for the Type 1 Propane connectors based on the spring tension and flow rate. The light green connectors are rated for Rated for 200,000 Btu per hour. The black are rated for 70,000-100,000 Btu per hour. The dark green are rated for 450,000-500,000 Btu per hour. The Red connector is the strongest spring and is often used for high pressure adapters and T-fittings.

[Guest]

Curious what month the propane bottles were filled? And if there have been large temp changes outside recently.

Jim

[Paul & Deb]

Curious what month the propane bottles were filled? And if there have been large temp changes outside recently.

Jim

Jim I'm not exactly sure if you're asking me but the tanks were filled by the dealer when we picked the trailer up in Salt Lake City in mid-October. Temps here in San Diego don't fluctuate radically but we at the coolest time of the year starting a few weeks ago. I believe my entire problem here was that the tank was empty, I did not have the second tan valve turned on (I never do) and I just failed to recognize it as I was troubleshooting why the furnace wouldn't run.

I'll test it out again when we go beach camping later this month.

[Guest]

Jim I'm not exactly sure if you're asking me but the tanks were filled by the dealer when we picked the trailer up in Salt Lake City in mid-October. Temps here in San Diego don't fluctuate radically but we at the coolest time of the year starting a few weeks ago. I believe my entire problem here was that the tank was empty, I did not have the second tan valve turned on (I never do) and I just failed to recognize it as I was troubleshooting why the furnace wouldn't run.

I'll test it out again when we go beach camping later this month.

Nice that you got it worked out. My understanding is that propane is blended differently from summer to winter.

Jim