regulators

[sportsdad60]

So, my neighbor has a 2019 382 something Solitude. His gas regulator is as such;
Once one tank is used up, and regulator switch is turned toward other full tank, the now "empty" side still pushes gas out once empty tank is disconnected. New tank shows half red/half green on the guage, never a solid green?

My 2021 310gk shows either solid red or solid green, depending on tank status. I can take the empty one offline as long as the regulator switch is toward the full tanks, with no propane "seepage" or smell.
Does he have a bad regulator?

[TucsonJim]

If the propane indicator is pointed to the full tank that is in use, and it's not "green", then it sounds defective. Caveat. You must let some propane flow through the system before it will change color.

Jim

[Cate&Rob]

From your description, your neighbour has a faulty regulator . . . or more specifically, a faulty or missing check valve. There should be check valves on each side of the selector valve to prevent propane from flowing out a disconnected line, no matter which way the valve is pointed.

Rob

[Jeff Barta]

I have the same issue. If I pull the pass side tank out to fill it, with the drivers side on, it will leak out of the pass side. it does not leak when I have the pass side on and disconnect the driver's side tank.

To add to this post, I had a line go bad, (drivers side). I wanted to change both at same time. The drivers side hose is 20" long with a 1/4 inverted flare fitting. When I unscrewed it from the regulator / switch, there was pressure (line disconnected from the tank) I know some propane lines have a schrader valve inline so the gas wont back feed.

Now on to the pass side. The pass side is 20" long with 1/4 npt fitting. When I unscrewed this line, there was no pressure (again, tank disconnected). The only line I could find after shopping at 4 camper stores and two hardware store was the line with 1/4 inverted flare.

My thought is to insert a 1/4 npt to 1/4 inverted flare. Then I started thinking about the weird regulator looking thing that is attached below. Is this a back flow valve, if so, can I just remove it and run a line that has a schrader valve installed?

I just want to make it the same both sides so I don't have to carry two different hoses.

[TedS]

The red device is a regulator that keeps the propane in the crossover hose at a higher pressure(above final appliance pressure) so the gas in that line does not condense, as I understand it. It is not an anti-backflow device.

[Jeff Barta]

so why is the line going to the red regulator have a different hose?

[Jlawles2]

The red regulator has a much higher output pressure and I think is primarily used to prevent liquid from entering the line between the 2 sides of the rv potentially creating a liquid block that during temperature changes could expand and create an overpressure situation that could cause failure.

From what little reading and knowledge I have on the red regulators, they output 30 PSIG (this is much higher than the 11 inches of water).

So to answer the question, most likely the 1/2" NPT input is to keep the regulator from getting installed incorrectly and potentially having someone use the wrong pressure hose between the tank and the regulator.