Water in propane ???

[antlercarver]

RV furnace not staying on. It lites, gives heat for 20-30 seconds shuts off then relites and gives heat again. Checked the thermostat, sail switch, high limit switch, burner, mother board, fuses, power and anything I could think of. Still had intermittent heat. Took propane tanks off and disconnected fuel line from furnace and used air compressor to blow thru the line, reconnected everything and now we have continuous heat. Is it possible to have water in the line from propane. Line was connected at both ends so nothing else could have gotten in.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Is any part of the line rubber (like the pig tails)? They will rot and gum things up.

Water is unlikely. Liquid propane is about -40c so if there was water in the tank it would be frozen at the bottom.

ARG

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

Is any part of the line rubber (like the pig tails)? They will rot and gum things up.

Water is unlikely. Liquid propane is about -40c so if there was water in the tank it would be frozen at the bottom.

ARG

The liquid propane in the tank isn't-40

(Although, mid January it probably was)

[Albertajeff]

It happens. That’s a trick some of the bulk outfits cheat the people. This is common in the US. Times are getting tough and things like this will most likely start happening. Water in fuel/gas is another one.

[overhere]

Oil build up in line , it happens. You blowing out the line is correct to fix it

[Don Andersen]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

RV furnace not staying on. It lites, gives heat for 20-30 seconds shuts off then relites and gives heat again. Checked the thermostat, sail switch, high limit switch, burner, mother board, fuses, power and anything I could think of. Still had intermittent heat. Took propane tanks off and disconnected fuel line from furnace and used air compressor to blow thru the line, reconnected everything and now we have continuous heat. Is it possible to have water in the line from propane. Line was connected at both ends so nothing else could have gotten in.

Hate to. Say it but have you checked the inlet air filter. I got had that way once.

Don

[mac1983]

Clean out your regulator, part of the oilfield camp shack maintenance man's duties.

Probably better to disassemble and wash out than to blow out, but whatever works.

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by mac1983

Clean out your regulator, part of the oilfield camp shack maintenance man's duties.

I don't want to derail but how would you go about cleaning the regulator?

[antlercarver]

Originally Posted by Au revoir, Gopher

Is any part of the line rubber (like the pig tails)? They will rot and gum things up.

Water is unlikely. Liquid propane is about -40c so if there was water in the tank it would be frozen at the bottom.

ARG

30+ years ago before ethanol was added to vehicle gas, ice crystals{water}in -30 gas would freeze off the fuel line. We had to buy small containers of ethanol to add to the gas tank.

[mac1983]

Originally Posted by Dom4

I don't want to derail but how would you go about cleaning the regulator?

Disassemble and rinse out, they get a build up over time.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

30+ years ago before ethanol was added to vehicle gas, ice crystals{water}in -30 gas would freeze off the fuel line. We had to buy small containers of ethanol to add to the gas tank.

That would have been methyl hydrate that we used to use.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by antlercarver

RV furnace not staying on. It lites, gives heat for 20-30 seconds shuts off then relites and gives heat again. Checked the thermostat, sail switch, high limit switch, burner, mother board, fuses, power and anything I could think of. Still had intermittent heat. Took propane tanks off and disconnected fuel line from furnace and used air compressor to blow thru the line, reconnected everything and now we have continuous heat. Is it possible to have water in the line from propane. Line was connected at both ends so nothing else could have gotten in.

More likely glycol that is in the propane.
One of the regular tasks as an operator was draining the glycol off of the bullet that was being produced into a few times each day.

[Dom4]

Originally Posted by mac1983

Disassemble and rinse out, they get a build up over time.

Awesome, That is really good to know I appreciate it.

[Frost Fighter]

There is no water in propane. Oil in the line is possible. Valves on the tank should be shut when not in use. Gas in the lines should be allowed to drain off, thus preventing oil build up. Also if you opened the valves too quickly the excess flow built into the valve could have snapped close reducing your gas flow.

[6.5 shooter]

Originally Posted by Frost Fighter

There is no water in propane. Oil in the line is possible. Valves on the tank should be shut when not in use. Gas in the lines should be allowed to drain off, thus preventing oil build up. Also if you opened the valves too quickly the excess flow built into the valve could have snapped close reducing your gas flow.

I had this happen after getting a tank filled. BBQ shop in town advised me to turn off the gas wait a bit then open the valve very slowly. Did this and used the BBQ to cook a couple steaks, have not had a problem since.

[antlercarver]

Originally Posted by Battle Rat

That would have been methyl hydrate that we used to use.

Yes you are right.

[Reeves1]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

The liquid propane in the tank isn't-40

(Although, mid January it probably was)

I replaced the pins & bushings in an excavator. I put a propane tank upside down in a pail & slowly drained about 4-6" of it & put the bushings in it to shrink them for the install...... it was -40.

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by Reeves1

I replaced the pins & bushings in an excavator. I put a propane tank upside down in a pail & slowly drained about 4-6" of it & put the bushings in it to shrink them for the install...... it was -40.

It also wasn't in the tank any more.

[Battle Rat]

Originally Posted by Reeves1

I replaced the pins & bushings in an excavator. I put a propane tank upside down in a pail & slowly drained about 4-6" of it & put the bushings in it to shrink them for the install...... it was -40.

Lick the tank and let us know if your tongue sticks to it.
What you experienced was the refrigeration process of a rapid gas pressure drop.

[Big Grey Wolf]

Sorry guys, most small bottles of deicer were isopropyl alcohol. Now that we have gas with ethanol no longer required, great stuff.
PS Some suppliers of propane have lots of heavier hydrocarbon that screws up regulators, also collects in bottom of very old bulk propane tanks.

[lannie]

Originally Posted by Reeves1

I replaced the pins & bushings in an excavator. I put a propane tank upside down in a pail & slowly drained about 4-6" of it & put the bushings in it to shrink them for the install...... it was -40.

At -40 it was a gas, not liquid and would be gone. Boiling point of propane is -42C. Heat is pressure. The only reason propane is a liquid in a steel cylinder is because it is under great pressure,100 to 200 psi.

[Reeves1]

Originally Posted by lannie

At -40 it was a gas, not liquid and would be gone. Boiling point of propane is -42C. Heat is pressure. The only reason propane is a liquid in a steel cylinder is because it is under great pressure,100 to 200 psi.

Stayed a liquid for a long time. I had time to shrink all the bushings for the boom, stick & bucket pins.

[calgarychef]

Originally Posted by 6.5 shooter

[/B]

I had this happen after getting a tank filled. BBQ shop in town advised me to turn off the gas wait a bit then open the valve very slowly. Did this and used the BBQ to cook a couple steaks, have not had a problem since.

We had a big commercial bbq that we travelled all over the province with.
If we opened the tanks too fast it would lock up every time.

It is a “thing”

[smith88]

I work at a frac plant where we produce spec propane that gets loaded into rail cars and shipped out. Yes, water in propane is a thing, because of the process needed to remove the sulphur from the propane. We would run a freeze test twice a day to ensure water wasn't in the propane. Water would sit at the very bottom of the cylinder and would have a hard time reaching the valve

But it can also be excess butane with the propane or the propane wasn't flashing off and the liquid propane wasn't flowing well enough through your lines. Or there could have been an obstruction.