OT Propane Question

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

Not sure if any of you fine folks can enlighten me but I have a question about propane tanks. I recently unpacked and set up my pizza oven and did the initial firing of the bricks. I know very little with regards to propane and regulators. My question/concern is this. I have a newly filled propane tank and when I went to fire the oven up the other day with the regulator set to any setting but low I would hear a high pitched whistling sound coming from where the hose is hooked up to the ignitor on the oven. When on the lowest setting I wouldn't hear it but if I went any higher it would start again. Could this possibly be a bad hose, ignitor, or tank? Whats the best course of action to take to narrow it down?

craigsotheregg · November 2019

Could you have possibly cross threaded one of the fittings?

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

It’s a possibility but I unhooked the hose on both ends and tried again. It was slightly better but still occurring the 2nd time

craigsotheregg · November 2019

Just a guess, but maybe try Teflon tape on the threads?

Eggdicted_Dawgfan · November 2019

What you are hearing is a vibration. Nothing to worry about. It may go away when the temps warm a bit or the humidity changes. If it bothers you, a new regulator will fix the issue. This is not uncommon. Now, if you are smelling gas that’s a different story.

NPHuskerFL · November 2019

I didn't see where you said it was leaking propane through the fitting or threads so I'm not sure why people are offering tips on how to seal the threads? Are you saying that you have leaks or are you just concerned or distraught over the high pitch sound at a higher volume of gas output? To me it sounds like the volume of gas being expelled causing a Venturi effect which is giving you the sound pitch you are describing. I often hear this sort of sound using a nitrogen regulator especially when I bump it from a relatively low pressure to a high pressure very quickly.

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

My main concern is whether or not the high pitched whistling sound I’m hearing is going to cause the propane tank to blow up. I don’t smell any gas leaking anywhere. It doesn’t make the noise when the regulator is on the lowest setting or the highest but when on medium it makes the noise

alaskanassasin · November 2019

I wouldn’t worry about it.

Ozzie_Isaac · November 2019

TEXASBGE2018 said:

My main concern is whether or not the high pitched whistling sound I’m hearing is going to cause the propane tank to blow up. I don’t smell any gas leaking anywhere. It doesn’t make the noise when the regulator is on the lowest setting or the highest but when on medium it makes the noise

The whistling noise itself will not make the tank blow up. If you do not smell gas or feel it escaping I would not worry to much.

Canugghead · November 2019

It's a long shot, give this a try ... shut off tank, disconnect hose from pizza oven, reconnect, turn tank back on very S-L-O-W-L-Y, light the oven as usual.
Like I said, it's a stab in the dark, it's a remedy for fixing low flame problem especially after connecting a fresh tank, but who knows

lkapigian · November 2019

NPHuskerFL said:

I didn't see where you said it was leaking propane through the fitting or threads so I'm not sure why people are offering tips on how to seal the threads? Are you saying that you have leaks or are you just concerned or distraught over the high pitch sound at a higher volume of gas output? To me it sounds like the volume of gas being expelled causing a Venturi effect which is giving you the sound pitch you are describing. I often hear this sort of sound using a nitrogen regulator especially when I bump it from a relatively low pressure to a high pressure very quickly.

This^^^^...

dmchicago · November 2019

You're good. Says this guy.

RRog17 · November 2019

If you want to insure there are no leaks try this. Mix water with a little dish washing detergent in a spray bottle. Spray the fittings. It will bubble if there is a leak.

alaskanassasin · November 2019

Or hold your lighter around the fittings

smittydog27 · November 2019

=)funny right there

WeberWho · November 2019

alaskanassasin said:

Or hold your lighter around the fittings

This made me laugh

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

alaskanassasin said:

Or hold your lighter around the fittings

I’d prefer to not become a candle

fishlessman · November 2019

wouldnt worry about it if its not leaking and the oven gets to high temps. freeze ups can happen if the propane flow gets to fast and its freezing out, had to change to a bigger regulator on the house and have had that problem on the weber. that noise sometimes happens when they over fill the tank, it may go away once you use it a few times

Tspud1 · November 2019

Do you have a high stage pressure regulator at the tank? The regulators on appliances are usually a low stage regulator. Curious why you have a regulator that is "regulator set to any setting but low"? Most are set to one pressure in inches of water column. Moving the pressure up and down is going to cause burner to have different air mixture which is not good for efficiency.

ColtsFan · November 2019

alaskanassasin said:

Or hold your lighter around the fittings

I had a leak at the shutoff valve on a gas stove once. I about sh!t when the plumber pulled out his lighter and lit it. It sat there burning like a pilot light.

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

I sent a video and spoke with the manufacturer. He said there is a screw inside the regulator housing that needs adjusting. I guess opening or closing that screw adjusts the size of the opening through which the gas enters the ignitor. I will adjust it tonight and all should be well.

SciAggie · November 2019

I have a propane question for any experts here. I don't want to hijack this thread though, so please PM me if you have advice.

I made a propane fire pit for my wife in the back yard. I have a 24" round propane burner with the natural gas>propane adapter. It's plumbed to a piece of 1/2" line that is buried under ground and run about 15' and then stubbed out of the ground. I hooked a small propane bottle with regulator to the gas line.

It works like a charm every time I use it - for about 30-45 minutes then it just goes out like the bottle went empty - except the bottle isn't empty. My assumption is that the propane gas on the top of the bottle runs out faster than the LP turns into gas. I bought one of those bottle heater blankets and it didn't help.

How do I fix this? Bigger bottle? Different regulator? People with large propane tanks have a regulator on the tank plumbed to a gas line that runs to the house - how is what I did any different?

TEXASBGE2018 · November 2019

don't worry about hijacking. Anyone feel free to answer Sci's question.

alaskanassasin · November 2019

ColtsFan said:

alaskanassasin said:

Or hold your lighter around the fittings

I had a leak at the shutoff valve on a gas stove once. I about sh!t when the plumber pulled out his lighter and lit it. It sat there burning like a pilot light.

That is how I roll but probably not safe for the internet... I’ve had the hoses on fire while using cutting torches as well

alaskanassasin · November 2019

I don’t have the answer to your question but I do know if you are going to use serious amounts of propane you need one of these

1911Man · November 2019

Only thing I use propane for is my forge...

I don't recall ever hearing any kind of whistling noise from the setup. Even when I had a gasser, I don't recall that. I do recall having tanks filled in the dead of winter venting when we had a warmer day (I could hear, and smell that) more than a few years back.

As already noted, if you don't smell the propane leaking, I wouldn't really worry about it. They add some nasty smelling sheit to propane so that you'll pretty much smell any leak level you might have. Or use either soapy water, or even Windex, at the connections to check for leaks visually.

nolaegghead · November 2019

using a lighter to look for leaks is fine except in the rare case the tank is at ambient pressure (empty).

You'll smell the mercaptan long before you have dangerous gas buildup and those tanks don't explode unless you throw them in a fire or shoot them.

@[email protected] There's a frit in those cheap regulators that can get clogged up if they get wet. You can usually fix this by heating the regulator disconnected at the lowest setting your oven goes. Or replace the regulator.

Sometimes taking the regulator off and venting any pressure in the hose can fix a "stuck" diaphragm.

SciAggie · November 2019

@nolaegghead Thanks.

dbCooper · November 2019

I currently have a airsource heat pump with natural gas backup for when it goes below 30 or so. Other than home heat, charcoal / wood is my friend.

Simple, plus my carbon emissions feed the trees.

The Cen-Tex Smoker · November 2019

nolaegghead said:

using a lighter to look for leaks is fine except in the rare case the tank is at ambient pressure (empty).

You'll smell the mercaptan long before you have dangerous gas buildup and those tanks don't explode unless you throw them in a fire or shoot them.

@[email protected] There's a frit in those cheap regulators that can get clogged up if they get wet. You can usually fix this by heating the regulator disconnected at the lowest setting your oven goes. Or replace the regulator.

Sometimes taking the regulator off and venting any pressure in the hose can fix a "stuck" diaphragm.

can confirm that when wrapped in tannerite packs, lit on fire, and shot with a .223 they will explode. I believe bourbon also plays a critical role in this process.

NorthPilot06 · November 2019

Certainly not encouraging anyone to light "leaks" on fire, but if anyone's curious as to why it works --

It all has to do with how rich the mixture is. Combustible gasses have what's called a "lower explosive limit" and an "upper explosive limit" - below the LEL and concentrations are insufficient to ignite; above the UEL and there's not enough oxygen to burn.

This is why backdrafts happen, and why many people singe of their eyebrows at one point or another while using their BGEs...

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