How to troubleshoot my new propane and stove setup

[Mickey]

Hey everyone,

I'm new to the forum these last few weeks. Getting ready to go full-time in my SUV in September. I just bought a new Coleman 1 burner, 5lb propane tank, hose and adapter. I get gas going in the hose but not coming out the burner. Can anyone tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I should try? Thank you for any help.

P.S Sorry about the AC noise in the background. It's going up to 40c (104f) today in Ottawa



Mickey

 

[tx2sturgis]

You need to wait a bit for the actual propane gas to reach the burner. You see the hose move but that is just pressurizing the air in the hose, until you open the burner valve and allow the line to be filled with propane, pushing the air out.

With a 10 ft hose you just need to give it a half a minute or so with the valve open, and keep trying. Don't give up after three clicks of the lighter.

Keep trying for a bit longer.

Also, you need to use a spray bottle and some liquid soap (or cleaner) and spritz the connections to make sure there are no leaks, which will show up as bubbles that form in the soap solution.

 

[Sofisintown]

Mickey, I left you a comment on YouTube, in case other people have the same issue too.

 

[Mickey]

Thank you! No joy though. I followed your suggestions and retried the process a few times waiting longer. I don't know if something is up at the regulator.

 

[Mickey]

@Sofisintown, thank you for the detailed comment. It's an unlisted video right now. I'm still having the issue of not getting it going initially.

 

[B and C]

As a side note, on propane tanks, you want to always turn the valve all the way on. If you only turn it partially on, the stem seal must do all the work of sealing the valve and is the weakest seal.

Do you hear hissing from the burner on the stove? Couldn't tell from the video.

 

[bullfrog]

Blow through the hose with it disconnected to insure it is not plugged. Take it and the tank outside away from any ignition source attach the hose to tank open the valve to the tank and verify gas comes out. If you don't have one already buy a small green tank and try the burner to see if it works with another source of gas. If the burner works the 10' hose is the problem, and most likely the adapter is the problem. If the burner doesn't work with the small bottle most likely the regulator or valve is the problem so return it. There are two types of 10' extension hoses. The expensive ones have a teflon liner and don't usually deteriorate but the cheap ones do and require you use a filter to keep small rubber particles from stopping things up. I would recommend an expensive hose and filter just to make sure I didn't have problems.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

My guess is the little green tanks have an end that when screwed in activates a valve in the regulator which the propane hose doesn’t have.

 

[XERTYX]

Yes definitely try it with a green bottle (1lb) tank. In the states it would be just a couple of dollars at walmart or pretty much any sporting goods store. Attach the green bottle directly to the regulator on the stove and give it a try.

As stated above the green bottle has a pin valve in it and the regulator is designed to depress that pin. Maybe this model of stove needs to depress that pin as a safety in the regulator.

I tried once to connect a propane torch nozzle to a 10' hose like you have and it was designed in such a way as to not thread onto hoses completely.

Definitely do your safety check with soapy water as stated and be sure to have a CO detector in a vehicle if using in your SUV.

Also as a side note when using it it's good practice to keep the hose straight and dont allow the hose to droop in the middle at any point as propane tanks have oil inside the canister to lubricate everything. A loop after the tank can create a pocket where oil collects and once its filled that pocket the pressure pushes a lot of oil thru the system ruining a stove. (I've had it happen)

 

[Mickey]

My guess is the little green tanks have an end that when screwed in activates a valve in the regulator which the propane hose doesn’t have.

I believe this is the case! I see the nipple in the hose but it’s not as protruding as the one on the green bottle. I’ve tried pressing the hose down into it before tightening but still no hissing coming through once all connected and on.
I’m Wondering what search term to use for an adapter that mimics the green bottle that fits the hose? If that is even the solution. Or a different hose. This is a good quality $40 hose but might need to exchange.

 

[XERTYX]

Hey bro. I saw you posted in the roadpro cooking thread by mistake and I replied there. The pin not depressing I believe is exactly where the problem lies. I'm not aware of an adapter that will fix the issue.

It might be that you need a different hose. I wonder also perhaps if that stove has a different pin in its regulator than the US version to prevent exactly this. Maybe Canadian safety standards?

 

[bullfrog]

It might be that using a filter will work to adapt the hose to the stove. Take a look at the filter fittings to make sure.

 

[Mickey]

Quick update: Working now with a Coleman 5ft hose from Amazon. My stove model No. 5453a with the stock regulator.
The hose bit that screws into the regulator is slightly shorter on this hose compared to the one on the Masterchef 10ft hose from Canadian Tire, so the pin in the regulator is able to depress it. So, cooking and heating are sorted

Also received my Alpicool 20qrt fridge yesterday and it seems awesome so far.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and helping me solve this!

 

[Treknik]

I'm camping in Eastern Washington. I had stopped at Walmart to get a couple of off market green 1lb propane bottles. Made in Bolivia or somewhere. The next morning I bust out my screw on single Colman burner that I've had for a decade or two. These simmer quite well for making eggs. Go to light it and nothing. So, the burner has like one moving part - it's hard to screw up. I suspect my new propane bottles don't engage with the Colman burner correctly.

Don't do this (which is what I did).

I decide to MacGyver it. Searching around I find a plastic bread bag closer and fashion it into a tiny disk which I drop into the propane bottle valve. I screw on the burner expecting to get just a bit of gas seep out as I finish screwing the burner on. Sure enough I get a bit of gas but go to light the burner. Nothing. So now I know it is the burner. The valve after years of use has finally failed.

So I unscrew the burner and am standing there holding a full propane bottle that is spewing gas into the air. Should I throw it? I don't. Quickly there is a 25 foot tall plume of gas. I start thinking that all the other campers are going to come running over so I move the bottle to the right and quickly have another 25 foot plume of gas. Without looking I swing it to the right pointing to the ground while watching the huge gas plumes. Eventually I look to where I am pointing and it's into the fricking fire pit. I freak swinging the bottle behind be while praying the big gas plume around the fire pit doesn't explode and take my arm with it. I realize I didn't make a fire the night before.

Eventually I look behind me a see that I am pointing the bottle into the front grill of the truck. Gas is coming out the wheel wells and those vents below the windshield. I freak (again) pointing the bottle behind me again thinking the warm engine is going to ignite the gas... No, it's morning the engine is cold. By this point the bottle is slowly trickling to empty.

Longest 50 seconds of my life. I decide to have a cold breakfast.

 

[Cammalu]

Oh hell!