I'd suggest taking your cylinders to a propane dealer (not just a filler) and having them purged, if needed. With temperature/elevation changes, you can wind up with overpressurized cylinders, resulting in an altered boiling point for the liquid propane within.
You are from Sothern California. You might have a propane – butane mixture in your tank.
What is really in your tank?
LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) can be propane, butane, or a mixture of the two.
Propane has a freezing point of -310 and a boiling point of about -43 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butane has a freezing point of -144 and a boiling point of about 31 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you purchased your LPG in the north or a cold climate, you can probably safely assume that is propane. If you purchased it in the south and during warm weather, there is a high chance that it could be a blend of propane and butane and possibly just butane.
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LPG (Propane/Butane) is liquefied by pressure. This means that in our normal environment ( our standard air pressure and average temperatures) it would be a gas. However, if it is compressed (put under pressure) it becomes a liquid. It must be kept under pressure to remain a liquid and this explains the difference between the equipment and procedures used to fill your propane tank and to fill your fuel (gasoline/diesel) tank.
When using propane/butane, the tank valve is opened, the regulator allows the pressure to be released at a controlled rate.
When the pressure is released, the liquid propane/butane (boils) changes into a gas at low pressure which flows to the burner. When a liquid changes to a gas, it boils. (This boiling takes energy. Heat energy is taken from the tank’s surroundings and this is why the tank gets colder.)
Propane has a boiling point of about -44 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of us do not use our RV’s at this temperature so above this temperature, the propane will boil off and the gas would flow to our burners.
Butane, on the other hand, has a boiling point of about 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of us do use our RV’s at this and even lower temperatures. If the Tank and contents are below 31 degrees Fahrenheit, the butane will not boil, thus it just stays in the tank as a liquid, even though the valve is open. With out the butane boiling and the gas flowing out of the regulator, no burners will work.
If your burners work when the outside temperatures are above 35 degrees Fahrenheit or so and not below, then this could be your problem.
A FWIW. If you replace the regulator do NOT use Teflon tape on the threads. Use a paste Teflon. Bits of Teflon tape can get into your propane lines and plug things up.
skipnchar wrote: My GUESS would be that you have some ice in the LP line when temps get below freezing and this is at least Partially blocking the gas flow from the regulator. Not all that uncommon and the solution is often simply adding some oil to the gas at the next fill (at least that's what I've been told). Never had the problem myself so that's the reason it's just a guess. If you purchased the LP gas in a warm climate they are not as careful to keep moisture out as is usually the case in colder climates.
Apparently what they add is.. Anhydrous Methyl Alcohol.. about 1 pint per 100 gallons.
Chinook wrote: Where did you get your “Propane” tank filled?
You are from Sothern California. You might have a propane – butane mixture in your tank.
What is really in your tank?
LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) can be propane, butane, or a mixture of the two.
Propane has a freezing point of -310 and a boiling point of about -43 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butane has a freezing point of -144 and a boiling point of about 31 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you purchased your LPG in the north or a cold climate, you can probably safely assume that is propane. If you purchased it in the south and during warm weather, there is a high chance that it could be a blend of propane and butane and possibly just butane.
.
LPG (Propane/Butane) is liquefied by pressure. This means that in our normal environment ( our standard air pressure and average temperatures) it would be a gas. However, if it is compressed (put under pressure) it becomes a liquid. It must be kept under pressure to remain a liquid and this explains the difference between the equipment and procedures used to fill your propane tank and to fill your fuel (gasoline/diesel) tank.
When using propane/butane, the tank valve is opened, the regulator allows the pressure to be released at a controlled rate.
When the pressure is released, the liquid propane/butane (boils) changes into a gas at low pressure which flows to the burner. When a liquid changes to a gas, it boils. (This boiling takes energy. Heat energy is taken from the tank’s surroundings and this is why the tank gets colder.)
Propane has a boiling point of about -44 degrees Fahrenheit. Most of us do not use our RV’s at this temperature so above this temperature, the propane will boil off and the gas would flow to our burners.
Butane, on the other hand, has a boiling point of about 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of us do use our RV’s at this and even lower temperatures. If the Tank and contents are below 31 degrees Fahrenheit, the butane will not boil, thus it just stays in the tank as a liquid, even though the valve is open. With out the butane boiling and the gas flowing out of the regulator, no burners will work.
If your burners work when the outside temperatures are above 35 degrees Fahrenheit or so and not below, then this could be your problem.
Thanks everyone! I've already learned more than I ever figured I would about propane.
I'm not in Southern Ca. I'm in an area where freezing temps are very common during the winter. But yeah, I'll inquire as to the actual contents of the LPG I'm getting. I always fill at the same place and routinely use the trailer in sub freezing temps. That's why I was so baffled. The only change was the elevation and I got stuck on that.
Like I said, it's an '87 and the previous owner says it's the origional system. I'll see how much they want for a general inspection. But I'll probably start with a new regulator and some decent education on LPG. Already got a great start here!
If you replace the regulator, make sure to get one with auto changeover capability, and while you are at it, consider an Extend A Stay system as well. This way, down the road, if you have 30# or 40# propane bottles, and you run out, you can use the exchangable 20 pounders until you choose to visit a propane filler.
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