Propane Regulator operation?

[Tbos]

I've always had the selector on my regulator set to the tank I want to use. If that tank becomes empty will it automatically switch to the other tank if I have that tank turned on too? I simply can't remember what the kid said when he explained it during the PDI a year ago. If the selector is in the middle is it off or pulling from both tanks? Thanks in advance.

[Steve S]

Somewhere in the search John, JRT has a great explanation on how it works. I only run 1 tank at a time as then I will always have a good idea as when to get the empty tank refilled.

[Pull Toy]

I only run one tank at a time (30 years plus) that way, I have 30# in reserve prior to mandatory refill. When you're out you know it! So what do you do about it?

The minor inconvenience of running outside in your skivvies at 0200 to turn a valve, beats running out of heat at 0200 at 39 degrees, with no reserve!

I'm just sayin'...

[MotownJG]

My 2009 Keystone Cougar 5th Wheel has a manual valve you turn from one cylinder to the other. Found out the hard way there's a procedure to doing it in order to avoid the automatic shutoff kicking in - made me manually swap tanks one morning in order to eat breakfast.

Like the idea of being able to know when it's empty without it automatically switching and leaving me with two dry bottles...

[JRTJH]

It's apparent that a number of posters are not familiar with the operation and function of an automatic regulator. To "not trust it" or to "not use it" is entirely a matter of personal choice, but honestly, to not understand how it works and to be "afraid to use it" seems out of place in this age when we all are "chastised" if we don't know how to text and if we don't have a tire monitor system, backup camera, torque wrench and know the width of our wheels when installing replacement tires. Propane regulators, in their current version have been around longer than I've been RVing. They aren't new and mysterious, they are "old school technology"..... Heck, even this "old fart" figured it out in 1972 when as a 22 year old, I knew everything and didn't need to read the instructions......

Automatic regulators function without difficulty and automatically change from an empty propane tank to a full one. This keeps the propane supply constant to the trailer. It's an "advancement in propane delivery" that evolved before I started RVing in the early 1970's. To say that it's been around "since I was a pup" is an understatement.

Yet there are people who still either don't trust its function, don't understand how it works, fail to "followup" and check their propane system (the tanks won't fill themselves) and continue to say "it's the system's fault I ran out of propane" or "I don't want to be cold with 2 empty bottles, so I never use both at the same time."

If you think about it, just walking by and tapping each bottle with the butt end of your pocket knife will tell you if you have an empty propane tank. (that's for those who don't yet know how to read the window red/green indicator on the automatic regulator). There's no excuse for running out of propane either with both tanks open and the regulator changing automatically or with one tank open/one closed and manually changing tanks when your DW gets angry about the chicken not frying on the stove. All it takes is thinking about the propane system and checking it just as you do the battery water level, the tire pressure, lug torque and fresh water/holding tank levels. If you start with two full tanks, turn them both on and point the arrow to the right tank, all it takes to know if you have an empty tank is to look at which direction the regulator arrow is pointing and then look at the red/green indicator. If the arrow is pointing right and the indicator is green, you are using the right tank and the left tank is full. If the indicator is red, the right tank is empty (needs to be filled) and the regulator has automatically switched to the left tank. Fill the right tank, turn the indicator to the left tank and it will again be green. When that tank is empty, the regulator will again "automatically" change to the full tank (right) and the indicator will turn red. Continue in that fashion and you'll never have to get up at 2AM in the cold to change propane tanks. Initially, if you start with two full tanks, the system is "failproof". But, if you don't know the status of the "off tank" you may not have propane "when the regulator switches". You can't tell if you have propane in the "not pointed to" tank by looking at the gauge, but if you've been "filling the empty tank every time you switch the red indicator" you'll know your status. Even if you don't remember, a "pocket knife test will confirm the status. What could be simpler? If you don't trust yourself, the pocket knife "clunk/clink" test will confirm the tank's status as full (clunk) or empty (clink)...

Either way, it's really up to each person to determine how they "use" their automatic regulator and propane system, but for me, with two batteries, I'm not about to connect one until it's dead, then in the middle of the night, go out and switch to my good battery so I have lights. None of us would consider turning off the refrigerator (in case it might freeze the milk) because we don't trust the automatic feature, why would I want to do that with my propane system? Seems counterproductive to good use of "camping evolution" that occurred 50 years ago............

To each his own, I suppose

[X-Treme]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

It's apparent that a number of posters are not familiar with the operation and function of an automatic regulator. To "not trust it" or to "not use it" is entirely a matter of personal choice, but honestly, to not understand how it works and to be "afraid to use it" seems out of place in this age when we all are "chastised" if we don't know how to text and if we don't have a tire monitor system, backup camera, torque wrench and know the width of our wheels when installing replacement tires. Propane regulators, in their current version have been around longer than I've been RVing. They aren't new and mysterious, they are "old school technology"..... Heck, even this "old fart" figured it out in 1972 when as a 22 year old, I knew everything and didn't need to read the instructions......

Automatic regulators function without difficulty and automatically change from an empty propane tank to a full one. This keeps the propane supply constant to the trailer. It's an "advancement in propane delivery" that evolved before I started RVing in the early 1970's. To say that it's been around "since I was a pup" is an understatement.

Yet there are people who still either don't trust its function, don't understand how it works, fail to "followup" and check their propane system (the tanks won't fill themselves) and continue to say "it's the system's fault I ran out of propane" or "I don't want to be cold with 2 empty bottles, so I never use both at the same time."

If you think about it, just walking by and tapping each bottle with the butt end of your pocket knife will tell you if you have an empty propane tank. (that's for those who don't yet know how to read the window red/green indicator on the automatic regulator). There's no excuse for running out of propane either with both tanks open and the regulator changing automatically or with one tank open/one closed and manually changing tanks when your DW gets angry about the chicken not frying on the stove. All it takes is thinking about the propane system and checking it just as you do the battery water level, the tire pressure, lug torque and fresh water/holding tank levels. If you start with two full tanks, turn them both on and point the arrow to the right tank, all it takes to know if you have an empty tank is to look at which direction the regulator arrow is pointing and then look at the red/green indicator. If the arrow is pointing right and the indicator is green, you are using the right tank and the left tank is full. If the indicator is red, the right tank is empty (needs to be filled) and the regulator has automatically switched to the left tank. Fill the right tank, turn the indicator to the left tank and it will again be green. When that tank is empty, the regulator will again "automatically" change to the full tank (right) and the indicator will turn red. Continue in that fashion and you'll never have to get up at 2AM in the cold to change propane tanks. Initially, if you start with two full tanks, the system is "failproof". But, if you don't know the status of the "off tank" you may not have propane "when the regulator switches". You can't tell if you have propane in the "not pointed to" tank by looking at the gauge, but if you've been "filling the empty tank every time you switch the red indicator" you'll know your status. Even if you don't remember, a "pocket knife test will confirm the status. What could be simpler? If you don't trust yourself, the pocket knife "clunk/clink" test will confirm the tank's status as full (clunk) or empty (clink)...

Either way, it's really up to each person to determine how they "use" their automatic regulator and propane system, but for me, with two batteries, I'm not about to connect one until it's dead, then in the middle of the night, go out and switch to my good battery so I have lights. None of us would consider turning off the refrigerator (in case it might freeze the milk) because we don't trust the automatic feature, why would I want to do that with my propane system? Seems counterproductive to good use of "camping evolution" that occurred 50 years ago............

To each his own, I suppose

What he said.