Gas pressure/flow problem

[Tim O]

Hi all

Recently....last few days...i noticed the flame on my Spinflo Nelson cooker seemed very feeble compared to how it should be. This is on both the rings and the overn - the oven is not really heating up to full temperature even when turned up to maximum.

I swapped to a brand new 4.5kg gas container thinking the old one was run out, however the problem persists. Its a pretty new regulator put on a few months ago and has been fine up until recently.

There don't seem to be any obvious leaks of gas anywhere that i can find by smelling!

Seems like something is restricting the flow

Any suggestions as to where to start looking?

 

[Aeolus]

This can happen with butane in cold weather. Don't know if this applies in your your case.

 

[Tim O]

Yes i did wonder if it was the weather, but its not as cold as it was a few weeks ago and it seems worse than it was then....?

 

[Boathook]

Regulators do pack up, even new ones. Are you able to put the old regulator back on and see what the flame is like ?

 

[coopec]

Maybe you can find something here as it seems to be a common problem.

https://www.google.com.au/search?so...5i39k1j0i131k1j33i160k1j33i21k1.0.Vyzy4ehcpW0

 

[VicS]

Hi all

Recently....last few days...i noticed the flame on my Spinflo Nelson cooker seemed very feeble compared to how it should be. This is on both the rings and the overn - the oven is not really heating up to full temperature even when turned up to maximum.

I swapped to a brand new 4.5kg gas container thinking the old one was run out, however the problem persists. Its a pretty new regulator put on a few months ago and has been fine up until recently.

There don't seem to be any obvious leaks of gas anywhere that i can find by smelling!

Seems like something is restricting the flow

Any suggestions as to where to start looking?

If you can improvise a water manometer and have a test point on the system to which you can connect it the idea way forward would be to measure the gas pressure both with nothing burning and with at 1, 2 and all three burners on.

( 30 mb = 12" water gauge)

 

[colind3782]

Pick up a cheap regulator and see if it does the trick. If yes, you can then splash out on an expensive "marine" one.

 

[Momac]

Pick up a cheap regulator and see if it does the trick. If yes, you can then splash out on an expensive "marine" one.

For freshwater boating use is anything better than a standard regulator necessary ?

 

[VicS]

For freshwater boating use is anything better than a standard regulator necessary ?

Apart from the fact that "marine" regulators are equipped with a integral 75mb pressure relief valve and vent as part of the design, probably not

 

[colind3782]

For freshwater boating use is anything better than a standard regulator necessary ?

I doubt it. I use a standard cheap one and replace as necessary. Does the job OK. My comment about going out and buying an "expensive marine" unit was a bit tongue in cheek.

 

[VicMallows]

I had the same problem once on a Plastimo Atlantic cooker. It turned out there was a small felt filter in the inlet fitting, and this had become clogged with some greasy residue. Where the gunge came from I have no idea.

 

[Boathook]

I had the same problem once on a Plastimo Atlantic cooker. It turned out there was a small felt filter in the inlet fitting, and this had become clogged with some greasy residue. Where the gunge came from I have no idea.

I seem to remember something about a greasy substance causing problems years ago. Came from a particular type of hose that degraded due to the gas chemicals ?

 

[alahol2]

I've had this a couple of times. In my case I ended up 'rodding' the copper pipe with monel wire. It came out black and oily. Not sure what it was, condensate of some sort, degrading rubber? Anyway once I'd 'rodded' a few times, cleaning the muck off the wire, the pressure at the cooker was back to normal.

 

[vyv_cox]

I seem to remember something about a greasy substance causing problems years ago. Came from a particular type of hose that degraded due to the gas chemicals ?

This has been a problem with caravans and motorhomes with HP gas supplied to a bulkhead regulator. Liquid gas (I know) gathers in loops of hose and attacks the rubber, releasing waxy stuff that can get into the regulator. I have an all-stainless steel hose that avoids the problem.

 

[Tim O]

Regulators do pack up, even new ones. Are you able to put the old regulator back on and see what the flame is like ?

Im going to try this as simplest first option, the only reason i replaced the regulator was that the black rubber washer was looking a bit perished...i can swap the washer off the new one and see if it solves the issue before getting into cleaning out gunky pipework!

 

[CCJ]

Im going to try this as simplest first option, the only reason i replaced the regulator was that the black rubber washer was looking a bit perished...i can swap the washer off the new one and see if it solves the issue before getting into cleaning out gunky pipework!

each exchange bottle come with a new washer in the dust cover / cap

 

[Tim O]

ok...well that has certainly made things a LOT better...i wonder if the "new" regulator was just not very good?...or the incorrect one?

For info...here are pictures of the old regulator now back in place...


and the new one, now removed


one thing i did notice is that the new regulator had a metal mesh insert pictured below, whereas the old one did not....whether it should have i have no idea!!! Anyone else?

 

[VicS]

each exchange bottle come with a new washer in the dust cover / cap

No sorry that is not so.

You will find that the Calor website tells you to avoid using red washer in the cap as a replacement for the black neoprene washer in the regulator/ pig tail fitting

https://www.calor.co.uk/using-butane-gas