propane heater not getting any propane?

[Mike]

Hi,

I'm installing propane in my shed. Eventually I will have two appliances, a heater and a two burner stove. Currently I'm working on the heater. I installed the 1/2" copper supply line, fittings, shutoff valves, and finally the heater. The heater didn't work. I can't smell any propane at the heater. I moved the heater to the outside 30# propane tank. I connected a two stage regulator to the tank to a 1/2" steel corrugated line to a brass tee to shutoff valve to a 3/8" steel supply line to the heater.

I hear pressurization when I turn on the tank's valve. I hear pressurization when I turn on the shutoff valve. I don't smell any propane at the heater. I smell propane coming from the tank. I smell propane coming from the shutoff valve.

I tried the heater each time in a vertical position as if the heater were mounted.

I followed the heater's instructions to depress the setting knob in the pilot light/ignition position for 30 seconds. I tried moving the knob to the high setting and did not smell propane.

I removed the tee and one of the shutoff valves from the test configuration, using only a single shutoff valve. I smell propane when the 3/8" line is not connected to the heater. I smell no propane from the heater when the 3/8" line is connected to the heater.

The tank and supply lines seem to be fine. The heater doesn't seem to be working. The first heater I bought is a Pro-Com MD100HBA. When it didn't work I returned it and bought a similar looking heater with a name badge of Williams. Both heaters are rated at

10,000 BTUs.

What's going on and how do I fix this?

Mike

[David L. Martel]

Mike,

Your propane lines are full of air when they are new. It takes a long time to flush the air out and get to the propane. Hold the pilot light knob down for 10 min. Sniff. If you smell nothing then repeat. Eventually you will smell the gas odor. Turn the gas valve knob to off and go away for 30 mins. This should let the spilled gas to dissipate. Ok, get some matches. Turn the gas valve to pilot and push down. Try to light the pilot light. Follw the instructions. It's amazing how long it takes to flush this line but have faith, you're doing the right things. I just did this and it took about 1.5 hrs.

Dave M.

[Stormin Mormon]

If you like adventure, you can turn off the tank valve. Take the tube off the heater, go open the tank valve for a few seconds, then close it. If you go back and smell propane, reconnect the heater. After the propane clears, tank valve on, and relight.

[micky]

Just to remind people, our noses can somehow smell and distinguish thousands of smells, but if one smells/inhales the same smell for a while, he won't smell it anymore. He won't detect it. That's why iiuc dirty sweaty people aren't bothered by their own smell, and why living downwind from a garbage dump is only a problem when the wind WAS blowing the other direction and the smell comes back (or the person left and came back).

So depending on the details, one may not be able to tell when the propane clears just by sniffing, if one hasn't left for a while and come back. How long a while is, I don't know.

[Mike]

Pressed the wrong key and dumped my follow up message. :(

I have heat. :(

This morning I took the rig to my local propane guy. There are two things that are different:

- Maybe I didn't wait long enough for the air to purge from the supply line, though I waited as long as the instructions said. - Others have mentioned this.

- I was treating the bulk cylinder as a SCUBA tank. When I was trained in SCUBA decades ago we were trained to open the tank's valve all the way, then to close the valve 1/4 - 1/2 a turn. I have always thought this was to prevent the valve from sticking open. The propane guy said to open the valve all the way and leave it. Maybe by closing the valve I reduced the pressure enough the heater wouldn't light. - I have since been told that closing the valve is no longer done for SCUBA, and that there have been lots of improvements in the intervening decades. :(

Thanks to all that replied.

Mike

[Ralph Mowery]

I think those SCUBA tanks operate around 2000 psi. Not sure what it is on the propane tanks, but after the regulator it is only about 1 or 2 psi. Takes a long time for that to purge all the air out of the lines at that rate.

[Stormin Mormon]

The quarter turn thing is in case the next guy doesn't know if the valve is open or closed. Since the valve turned 1/4, we know it's not locked up shaft, and we know to turn the knob the other way. I do this, even to this day, and also on propane. My vote is air purge.

[Tekkie®]

micky posted for all of us...

I would differently have an open propane torch in the other hand and then compare odors in each nostril. When satisfied light the torch to confirm there is enough gas to ignite.

[Tekkie®]

Mike posted for all of us...

Since you transfer your knowledge of one modality to another you are certified to to dive with propane in your tanks.