In a recent thread entitled "Fire Safety", the thread drifted to the subject of Propane Safety and then sort of fizzled out. Thinking specifically about the on-board propane supply for your RV:
My questions; has anyone used the GasStop valve on their RV? Any comments or suggestions?
Thanks,
- It is my understanding that the OPD valve (overflow protection valve) on every propane tank not only limits filling of the tank but also protects the tank when there is nothing connected to the valve. With nothing connected, you can open the tank valve and there will be no escape of propane gas. However, once you connect a hose to the valve, the OPD valve is opened.
- Modern connection hoses in use also include an excess flow restriction valve that will limit the flow of gas to about 20% of full open. It is for this reason, the tank valve needs to be opened slowly to allow back pressure to build and prevent the excess flow valve from closing.
- If something accidentally opens your system to the atmosphere (accident, broken line from tire blow out, etc.), it would be quite possible to completely drain the tanks at a rate of about 20% of full flow.
- There is a valve on the market designed to fully close the propane system at the bottle for any event that allows excess flow rates generated by an open system. If propane flow reaches or exceeds normal values (about 57000 BTU or roughly the equivalent of turning everything in your RV on), the "GasStop" propane valves close at the botttle and stop the escape of propane. This might be a very good investment to prevent bulk loss of propane during an accidental event.
My questions; has anyone used the GasStop valve on their RV? Any comments or suggestions?
Thanks,
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