Trouble getting propane flowing???

[brewtoomuch]

I built a manifold to hook up 3 turkey burners off of 1 propane tank. Once hooked up I get almost no flow until I disconnect it from the tank a few times. I used the regulator that can with it. Already tried changing it out with same results. I will post a pic when I get a chance.

[Bugeater]

You have a couple things going on there that may be causing the problem. Actually 3 things. You regulator is set up to sense excess flow that might happen if gas line were accidently severed. In such a situation, the regulator would shut the flow down to next to nothing. If you fire up all three burners with the regulator turned up high enough to run them all the way you want, the regulator will think you have a major leak in the gas line and shut down.

You can even get this to happen with a single burner if you open up the regulator valve before you turn the gas on at the tank. The sudden inrush of gas to the regulator will trigger the emergency shutoff. To make your setup work you should have a needle valve in each of the three lines after the regulator. When you go to fire the thing up, make sure the regulator valve and two of the three needle valves are shut before you open the tank valve. Then slowly open the regulator and light the one burner you don't have shut off. Once that one is lit you can then slowly open the next needle valve and light that burner. You will need to adjust the regulator valve to keep the flow high enough to run both burners.

There should seldom be a need to run all three burners at once, as that will create even more problems. If you run all three burners at once, you might not be able to get enough flow. If you do, the rapid depressurization of the propane tank due to the high flow will drop the temperature enough that the tank valve may freeze up and stop the flow, especially this time of year.

If you are careful, you can make this work. If it were me, I would get a second tank and regulator and run no more than 2 burners from it. Maybe other folks have other suggestions.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[OldTree]

There are a couple of safety features on the tank and/or regulator that could possibly be giving you a problem. A pic would definitely help figure it out.

Augie

Edit: See Bugs post above

[yeast_slurry_speech]

One of my burners hade the same problem when I bought it. It was because the connections weren't tightened all of the way and it was leaking propane. You might want to tighten those. It wouldn't hurt anything.

[brewtoomuch]

I do have needle valves on all three burners. I keep all three closed, turn on the propane tank, then open one slowly. Sometimes when i am done brewing the propane tank does hace frost on it. Is that dangerous?

[Bugeater]

Frost is normal. No danger at all. If it gets too bad it may freeze up like I said. If that happens you just move it someplace warm until it thaws out.

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

[yabodie]

Frost is normal. No danger at all. If it gets too bad it may freeze up like I said. If that happens you just move it someplace warm until it thaws out.

Or keep the tank in a tub with hot water, or with an aquarium heater in the water. I will have to do that next time I brew to prevent the propane freezing on me...