Picked up a Tough Buddy heater and want to tap into the RV gas supply. There is a copper line running to the furnace that is easily accessible. What's the best way to tap into this line? Please provide links to items you refer to if you can. Thanks!
EDIT: After reading all the replies about the 'dangers' of buddy heaters and gas lines, I found out that I can simply add a "tee" into the gas line where my oven connection is and run a quick disconnect hose for the heater. Very simple solution. I did take the heater I had back since it was high pressure only and will get one that accepts a low pressure connection.
* This post was
edited 11/14/09 01:43pm by sonicsix *
This is one of those "if you have to ask, you shouldn't do it" questions. What you do, to remain fully onside with your insurance and the legalities of it, is go to school, get certified as a natural gas/propane technician, cut the line with a copper tube cutter, pop on a couple of flare fittings, flare the two cut ends, assemble that onto a tee fitting, attach your new line to the third leg of the tee, and leak test.
What you could do is the above less the first two steps, or just call a furnace installation company and they will send a guy with a truck to do it for you.
cheers, Brian
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You don't. Or shouldn't. Have a professional do it, there's code issues involved, and one mistake can be fatal. It isn't natural gas; it acts different (falls instead of rises).
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Well with anything, it can be done.
You have to get the right fittings and do it, a T, a couple of flared fittings, soap to test it when done, and as an insight, a shut off valve near the valve.
I will not give you anymore to the answer, because if done improperly there could be a fire.
So, with that being said, contact someone that works with propane, and pay them to do it. Much, much, safer.
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sonicsix wrote: Thanks for all the warnings, glad someone is looking out for me. Let me rephrase the question then:
What is the best way to supply propane to the catalytic heater inside the camper?
Install a flare tee as was said earlier then attach the appropriate length premade hose. A propane dealer can make the hose and you will need a flaring tool to make the flares.
sonicsix wrote: Thanks for all the warnings, glad someone is looking out for me. Let me rephrase the question then:
What is the best way to supply propane to the catalytic heater inside the camper?
I would consider using a separate 20lb cylinder and one of the 12' Mr. Buddy flexible hoses designed for these heaters. If you have a fixed location that you will use it you could cut a small access hole and install like one of the power cord covers on it and then run your line from the cylinder to the heater. That would get the bottle probably 6' away from your trailer on the outside.
There are all kinds of regs/codes for RV and are in NFPA 1192.
IIRC when I was rerouting some of my lines under my trailer, the copper tubing needed is not the thin walled refrigeration type but the thicker walled type and that type can be a bear to double flare and route since it is much stiffer than the regular stuff.
I only had to extend my lp lines like 36" to get them routed to where I wanted and I simply installed some 1/2" x 36" black iron pipe and fittings to the flex hose from the regulator and reused all the existing fittings and tubing that was already on my trailer.
As I recall, the Mr. Heater "Buddy" heaters need an unregulated high pressure supply. That means you need to tap into the supply before the coach regulator. "Stay A While" makes an add-on 'T' device that's intended for that purpose, along with having the capability of using an external LP cylinder.
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