Replacing propane tank regulators every dozen years? Where? (2023 Update)

[Alex Gunderson]

To those of you who *own* your home heating propane tanks how often do YOU replace your first & second stage regulators?

My red R522H regulator (5.5-10.5 psi) is dated from 11-02, and my gray R532 regulator (9.5-13 IN. WC) is dated 11-99.

I'm scoping out replacing them all. Having never done this, I have noob-style basic questions.

Is that the begin date (or the end date?). The other two brown and gray regulators are not dated, so, does that mean that they're not normally replaced?

How often do you replace your first and second stage regulators? Where do you buy parts if you own your own tank?

Note: I called Fisher Controls International at the number on their manual below 800-588-5853, but, sadly, it turned out to be "America's hottest hotline" and the other number isn't in service 469-293-4201.

[Alex Gunderson]

More details.

The number on the red regulator is R522H-JGJ, which, according to this PDF is a 2,600,000 BTUH regulator 1st stage regulator. http://66.18.210.80/manuals/Fisher/R522a.pdf

The number on the gray regulator is R532-JFF, which, according to this PDF is a 1,100,000 BTUH two-stage regulator.

A new one sold on Ebay for $30 but the gas company won't sell one to me (they'll only install it for about $300).

Do you have experience with buying & replacing these?

[DerbyDad03]

Call them at 800-5 five 8-5853, as shown at their website.

Tell them the number in the manual is wrong.

[Alex Gunderson]

Ah, what a big difference by the transposed number 5! I called, and left a message, as these guys are in Texas.

Will try to ask Emerson / Fisher tomorrow: a. What is the replacement period? b. Where can they be purchased? c. Where can I find DIY instructions?

Their sales-office locator shows the closest office in Fresno:

So I'll try them, even though they're very far away: 559-485-0979

I'll let you know what I find out.

[nestork]

I don't know about propane regulators, but there are people that repair the pressure regulators used on Acetylene and Oxygen tanks here in Winnipeg that work out of their basements or garages. If you go to any of the welding supply places in your area, you should be able to find some business cards on the counter or advertisements on a bulletin board.

If you can't get new regulators at a reasonable price, I'd give the places that repair pressure regulators for the welding companies in your area a call, and I wouldn't be surprised if they can repair your existing propane regulators.

[Alex Gunderson]

I called but it was too early for them (they're in California). So I will call back in a few hours and ask for Brett Bailey to ask the questions.

[Alex Gunderson]

Actually, there's nothing wrong with my regulator other than a date stamp!

I don't know the laws, but, Amerigas' web site says they replace THEIR propane regulators every 12 years (whether they need it or not). One of mine is past that date and one bumping up against it, and two don't have a date stamp.

But, all four are working fine.

I just want to stay compliant on my tank, and, I have no qualms about replacing the four regulators myself, as long as I know what the legal lengths are for replacement.

So that's why I ask: a. What is the replacement period? b. Where can they be purchased? c. Where can I find DIY instructions?

[DerbyDad03]

There was no transposition. You can't transpose a single digit, since a transposition is a reversal of 2 or more items.

The "588" in the manual vs. the "558" at the website is nothing more than a typo or (not likely) a number that has since changed.

[Alex Gunderson]

Turns out this phone number is NOT Fisher or Reco; it's meter.com (Meter Equipment Company) in Fresno California.

I spoke with Brett Baily at 559-485-0979 who said they'd be glad to sell me a regulator.

It would be $71.58 for the red single-stage R522H-JGJ (replacement part number is R622H-JGJ).

And it would be $111.86 for the gray two-stage R532-JFF (replacement part number is R632A-JFF).

He said my second-stage regulators would be about the same price.

More importantly, he knew of no laws defining a mandatory replacement period, and, he said they last 20 to 25 years.

He also said they don't sell replacement parts for the regulators themselves, and that anytime air is introduced into the system, a bleeding and safety check has to be done.

Does anyone know what the bleeding procedure is?

[Alex Gunderson]

Ooops. I then went to the Fisher web site and ended up at

Which showed my representative to be: Caltrol, Inc. at [phone] But, when I called Caltrol, they said the official distributor is Meeder Equipment (not meter!) 559-485-2223 ? 800-448-6817 Which explains why the Fisher PDFs had the Meeder (wrong) number on them.

There's even a picture of Brett Bailey on their web page!

These Caltrol guys said the regulators last 30 years, and that they can be rebuilt.

So, end result:

- I can find no law that says they need to be replaced every X years

- I can easily buy a regulator for less than $100

- When I shut off the gas & replace it - I need to bleed the system somehow

Anyone know how to bleed a propane system? (Is it just like anything else?)

[nestork]

Since propane is heavier than air, it seems to me that all you need to do to bleed the air off is release some propane from the tank. The air should come out first.

If the air mixes with the propane, then you can't remove the air without also removing the propane. However, I doubt if there'd be any concern about a little bit of air getting into the propane tank. That's because there are both lower and upper explosion limits. At a propane content below the lower explosion limit, there isn;t enough propane to keep combustion going. At a propane content above the upper explosion limit, there isn't enough air to keep combustion going. It's only when the propane concentration is between the lower and upper explosion limits that there's the possibility of the propane in the tank burning if it catches fire somehow.

[Danny D.]

I should have mentioned that the tank is a few feet lower than the residence.

It seems to me that bleeding would be a minor event, simply because once reconnected, the pressure of the propane, which has to rise twenty feet to get to the kitchen, would *push* out any air in the lines.

So, it seems to me, that the lines are *self bleeding*. But, I'm sure many people in the past thought many simple things about much and that's how they win the Darwin award.

With the propane tank under pressure, and with it being lower than the house by a few feet, I think we're not worried about air in the tank - but about air in the lines to the house.

But, again, it seems to me, with the tank under pressure, once reconnected, there doesn't appear to be any danger from air in the lines once reconnected.

But, again, not wishing to win a Darwin Award, that's why I ask.

[Alex Gunderson]

Methinks the bleeding of the lines is the same as when you replace your hot water heater .

Googling for bleeding propane lines, I find this article Bleeding a propane line

which pretty much says there's no need to bleed.

[saman]

I don't think you need to bleed the lines.

If the flame on your kitchen burner is orange, the propane has air mixed in with it, but that should go away in a few minutes on its own.

[Eddie Powalski]

Couldn't the lines blow up if you had air mixed with propane in them?

[krw]

No.

[Eddie Powalski]

Why not? Isn't that the big danger of unbled lines in the first place?

[krw]

First, to get an explosion, the air-fuel mixture has to be in a very narrow range. That isn't likely. Second, there is no ignition source inside the line. Third, even if it were ignited, there wouldn't be enough pressure to make it out of the pipe. If this stuff were that dangerous, none of us would be around.

[chaniarts]

the reason to bleed lines is because the slug of air in the line may put out pilot lights, and some homeowners don't know to check, or how to relight.

[Eddie Powalski]

OK. I am not the expert here.

So why bother to bleed the lines then if it's not a safety issue?