When Pressurizing an Empty Propane Tank What Needs to Be Switched Off and on Again

Does your propane tank keep shutting off earlier you even go a take a chance to put information technology to work?  Has your frustration level reached astronomical heights considering yous've been unable to grill?

Are you ready to throw in the towel and become purchase a new gas grill?

Well don't.  Not yet.

Only before getting too much further, this article isn't just about gas grills.  It'due south almost propane, propane tanks, and anything you might employ propane for.

What tin can that include?  Grills, as already noted.  But there's also propane burn pits, stoves, ranges, fireplaces, and even h2o heaters.

The point is, a lot of people employ propane for a broad variety of appliances. This is especially truthful in more rural areas where natural gas may not exist bachelor and a homeowner still prefers to use gas for their appliances.

The bottom line is, regardless of what kind of propane appliances you lot take, if you lot accept a propane tank that keeps shutting off, you lot need to do some troubleshooting and find a quick fix.

Below you'll find some possible reasons why your tank is shutting off and the set up that'south right for yous.

i. Let's Assume Yous accept Propane in the Tank

This isn't meant to exist insulting and please don't take it that way.  Believe it or not, a lot of trouble people have when it comes to propane issues is not realizing the tank is empty or virtually empty.

When it comes to propane use in whatever propane appliance, it's not but about how full the tank is, it's most propane period and pressure.  If you lot don't have enough gas in the tank, you're not going to be able to build up enough pressure level to get skillful ignition.

Best instance, yous may go flame for a little while but more than probable it will sputter for a bit and then shut off.

Again, though, nosotros'll presume the gas tank is full or close to full.  Nevertheless, it never hurts to double bank check.

It seems quite obvious, but in many cases, checking that there is really propane in the tank may exist the solution to your problem.

2. It'southward All About Safety

More than likely, if you have a full tank of gas and you're having issues with the tank shutting off, y'all're probably dealing with a safety feature.

Notice we didn't say prophylactic issue.  Well, if the safety characteristic is working by preventing further gas from flowing, at that place is a prophylactic concern, from a technical bespeak of view, that has activated the safety feature.

Still, you're more than likely dealing with an issue that'south easily corrected. *Knock on wood*

Remember, safety when it comes to propane appliances isn't just about the fire end.  It's about preventing things from going Blast. That means preventing the introduction of combustible gas into the equation if there is a safety event detected anywhere that gas can attain.

So, what rubber issues are yous dealing with if your propane tank is shutting off?

iii. Your Control Valves are Open up

Ah, control valves.

Let's go back to the gas grill to illustrate how this could be a problem.  If y'all claw upward a full propane tank to your grill and open your shutoff valve to your tank without checking to make sure your command valves on the grill are closed, you may be dealing with a Lock Out.

What'south happening is the safe mechanism (usually a cheque valve) in the propane regulator on the tank side is detecting faster than normal gas flow. This could exist due to a leak, a trouble with your regulator, or ane or more of your control valves on your grill are open already.

Then, audit to encounter if your control valves are open up.  If they are, then that's probably the reason your tank is shutting off.

4. You're Opening Your Control Valve Also Fast

If you're opening the control valve too fast or open up it besides wide instead of one plough, you're creating a situation where the gas is flowing too fast at i time.

Ideally, you'd have the control valve closed when you slowly open up the shutoff valve at the tank.  After enough pressure has congenital upwardly in the supply line, yous'd ideally open the control valve enough to hear and smell menstruum before igniting the propane.

If you open don't allow enough pressure to build up or open the control valve too fast or besides wide, your flow charge per unit may be greater than necessary, which trigger the regulator to go into condom mode and lock the tank out.

Recall, the propane regulator's job is to regulate. If gas is moving besides fast, the regulator will irksome it downwards or shut it downward completely (if it'south functioning as designed).

This can besides happen if you open more than than one control valve at a time (as in the case of a gas grill).  Go deadening and open your valves ane at a fourth dimension.

5. You Accept a Leak

Let's talk virtually leaks for a 2d.

A leak will definitely impact your gas menses charge per unit.  If at that place is a leak, your tank should Lock Out.

How volition yous know if yous have a leak?  Well, if you smell gas even if your command valves are closed there'south a adept gamble y'all accept a leak.

Notwithstanding, rust build upward inside a propane tank tin temper the smell of gas.  Some other style to check is to have soapy water and spray it lightly in areas where gas can leak. If you see bubbling where y'all sprayed, there's your leak.

6. Your Regulator is Having Issues

If you've got a trouble with your propane regulator, this can also affect the flow of propane.  It may not atomic number 82 to a Lock Out.  Instead, you may stop up playing with the shutoff valve if y'all detect an issue with how much gas yous're getting.

In other words, if you're opening your propane valve more and more to increase the flow of gas, your regulator may need troubleshooting and replacing. It's not your job to accept the place of the regulator.  If you're throttling that valve, that's substantially what you're doing.

If your regulator isn't Locking Out even as you constantly throttle the shutoff valve, then you've got another indication your regulator needs work or replacement.

The purpose of the regulator is to control the menstruum of gas vapor from the container to the burner tip.

7. Quick Fixes

Now that the possible problems accept been covered, permit's review some quick fixes yous can endeavour to encounter if y'all've corrected your propane tank shutoff problem.

1. Ensure at that place'southward gas in the tank.  Again, it never hurts to double bank check.
2. Check the Control Valves.  Ensure they're shut before opening your propane tank close off valve.
3. Open your Shutoff and Command Valves slowly and one at a time.  Before opening your command valves, ensure your shutoff valve is open up and has been given a few moments to pressurize the supply lines. During this pace, you can also heed for any odd noises like hissing or aroma for gas.
4. Check and confirm leaks.  If you do hear hissing or smell gas, then it's time to bank check for leaks.  Recollect, soapy water sprayed in prime number leak areas is the easiest detection method.  Repair/replace parts that are leaking. Exercise not utilize the appliance until then.
5. Supplant your regulator.  If you're dealing with a faulty regulator and you lot've essentially become the regulator past manually throttling valves, replace it.

8. Steps to Correct a Lock Out

Now let's return to the topic of safety.  Or rather, let'southward accept a look at the steps to take to correct or reset your propane tank if y'all're experiencing a Lock Out.

If your gas tank did indeed enter a Lock Out status and if you don't have whatever leaks and your regulator is fine, there are some piece of cake steps to take to reset your tank from Lock Out.

1. Ensure the control valve(due south) and shutoff valve at the tank are closed.
2. Disconnect the propane tank and allow sit for at least 30 seconds.  While waiting, you may here a click.  That's the internal check valve in the regulator that locked your tank out resetting.
3. Reconnect the propane tank.
4. Slowly open the propane tank shutoff valve (one total rotation should be plenty to start).
5. Slowly open your control valve.
6. Ignite.
7. Open up whatsoever other control valves as necessary.

On a side note, if y'all continue to feel a safety Lock Out, you may be dealing with another situation that isn't related to your propane tank'due south regulator, leaks, or valves being open that shouldn't be.

No, y'all may demand to take into consideration external temperatures. This is true not just if it's hot exterior but also how much directly sunlight your propane tank may be exposed to.

If you're dealing with a hot day or an intense lord's day, your propane tank volition go hot.  That heat tin can crusade the propane in the tank to heat upwards, expand, and a pb to more than pressure than normal in the tank.

When the shutoff valve is opened, even if it'southward opened slowly, that already congenital-up excess pressure will lead to the gas flowing faster than normal as information technology seeks the path of least resistance. Which may cause a Lock Out.

The steps to right this are the aforementioned.  Still, until the pressure in the tank normalizes, it may have repeating the steps higher up several times before the Lock Out is completely reset. At this point, you're basically "burping" the tank to normal pressure.

Conclusion

If y'all've got propane appliances and a propane tank that keeps shutting off you have, essentially, propane appliances that are not currently functional.

That doesn't mean you need to go out and supercede your propane appliances.  Even so, there is some troubleshooting you'll need to practice to hopefully place the event and fix information technology speedily to forbid further suspension to your appliance'south performance.

kunzeounins.blogspot.com

Source: https://applianceanalysts.com/propane-tank-keeps-shutting-off/

Share this post