oil in propane regulator

I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light. I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator. When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.

Any idea what is happening and why?

Reply to
Alpinekid
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May be the odorant goo?

Reply to
Richard J Kinch

He didn't say that it stinks and I would think that it would...

It seems to me that since propane is a hydrocarbon separated out of crude oil stock, one might expect some carryover of heavier hydrocarbons in the form of oils.

Of course, I could be completely wrong.

Reply to
Jim Stewart

My guess is somebody tipped over your outdoor bottle. If the red oil stinks like ethyl mercaptan (skunk) that would be a tipoff. If the bottle tipped, then some of that oil (which seems to be present in all propane, maybe it's a byproduct of the way propane is refined) might have gotten into the regulator.

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Ambient temperature could be high. Red lube could be assy. grease. made liquid

Reply to
wws

There was no smell.

I'm thinking that there must be small amount of oil in the gas and when it goes to low preassure is drops out but i know know how or why.

Do they put drip tubes in the gas lines in the house to give a place for this stuff to collect?

I'm at 5,500 ft and the gas bottle is filled locally. It has not tipped over.

This oil seems to be plugging up the ports in cold weather.

Reply to
Alpinekid

Alpinekid wrote in news:Dhx8f.1340$ snipped-for-privacy@typhoon.sonic.net:

Whatever it is I don't think I would want it to get into any gauges in the line. Never seen it myself in either 20# or 100# cylinders?? granpaw

Reply to
granpaw

I've found the regulator and plumbing to my propane generator clogged with very soft pink wax. The propane dealer said that some of the ingredients in the gas mix (commercial "propane" being a conglomeration of lots of things beyond chemical propane) are wax based and can separate and collect at obstructions in the gas path.

The Onan dealer insists that the black gunk that collects inside the cylinders is really burnt wax rather than the ordinary carbon that collects in a gasoline engine. Other mechanics have disputed that...

Loren

Reply to
Loren Amelang

Propane or similar gas junk gas from well heads are also mixed with paraffin with is cleaned at site to save the pipelines. I suspect a scrubber got dirty... or someone bought cheap gas.

When living in El Paso, cars filling up over the river - often came back with paraffin in the gas - clogging up gas jets...

Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

Loren Amelang wrote:

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

Believe me, it gets a lot farther than Texas. I've watched the local gas co. running scrapers through the gas mains here. basically, the hook a conical cup sort of thing to a steel cable and drag it back and forth through the pipes a couple of times.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

I fully know. The pipelines have what they call a "PIG" that goes down a shut down section and scrapes the insides. This expensive way is done when the flow is cut back due to the 'hole' getting smaller and smaller.

But then Crude has all sorts of heavy grease along with it. Natural gas has another problem of breaking down into water and junk. This helps rusts pipes.

Martin

Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder

J>

Reply to
Martin H. Eastburn

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