Propane Dual Control Regulator

[Wanderin]

Boyscout, the instructions my dealer provided were essentially what yours said, except he said the middle setting would allow the system to automatically switch tanks when the first one emptied. He recommended manually switching so I would know when the first tank had emptied. Following his recommendation, propane did stop flowing after emptying the first tank and resumed when I manually toggled the switch. Was he incorrect?

[boyscout]

Boyscout, the instructions my dealer provided were essentially what yours said, except he said the middle setting would allow the system to automatically switch tanks when the first one emptied. He recommended manually switching so I would know when the first tank had emptied. Following his recommendation, propane did stop flowing after emptying the first tank and resumed when I manually toggled the switch. Was he incorrect?

Sorry, I guess I wasn't clear enough with my exclamation marks and use of the rolleyes icon... I was trying to express exasperation and frustration with how ignorant and poorly-trained are some of the people selling (and repairing) these trailers.

Sounds like your dealer is another of the ignorant ones. THERE IS NO MIDDLE POSITION on these regulators. The regulator should be set all the way to the left or to the right, depending on which tank you want to be used first. The indicator on it should indicate GREEN. The regulator will draw from that tank until it's empty and then automatically begin drawing from the other tank.

DO NOT put the lever in the middle... when I followed our dealer's (erroneous) advice to do that I found that neither tank emptied completely but I wasn't getting fuel out either until I pushed it to one side. I'd guess that a number of other unpredictable things could occur instead depending on exactly where the lever was positioned.

So, choose one side or the other and put the lever completely over in that direction. Then make a habit of looking at the regulator from time to time, much more often in heating seasons. When its indicator turns red that means the tank it's pointing towards is empty and it is drawing propane from the tank it's NOT pointing towards. In that case move the lever to point to the tank it is now drawing from, whereupon the indicator will turn green (if you still have propane in the second tank). Then remove the first tank, get it filled, and reinstall it. Done, until the next time the regulator turns red when you'll be reversing the lever and removing the second tank to refill it.

If you agree with your dealer's advice to switch tanks manually - allowing your trailer to completely run out of fuel in one tank as a warning that you have to fill it - then you can turn off the opposite non-active tank at the tank. Then when your regulator switches to that tank after the first one is empty, no gas will flow and everything will die. You can then go out, turn on the tank you turned off, set the regulator to point to it, and remove the empty tank to be filled. However I don't need to have the furnace stop in the middle of the night to tell me my first tank is empty. I'd rather make the effort to monitor the regulator periodically and keep track of refill requirements that way.

Hope this makes it clearer. Here's an instruction sheet for the regulator:

https://www.fairviewfittings.com/Use...2015%20oak.pdf

[DaveMatthewsBand]

I don’t understand the point of turning the regulator one way or the other if both tanks work regardless of which tank it is pointing at.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Bungy]

You’re not really “turning the regulator” just the indicator. If you don’t turn it to the second tank, you’ll have no indication when it empties. The system will then switch to the original tank. Assuming you filled the original, the indicator will be green but when it empties and the indicator changes to red you will have two empty tanks.

I don’t understand the point of turning the regulator one way or the other if both tanks work regardless of which tank it is pointing at.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[SteveTN]

The regulator on our 337 went bad on our last trip and I could only feed from the left side bottle. We were in 30 degree temps sol I had to manually switch the bottles. Got home and put on a new regulator. Also deleted the elbow that GD supplied so the check valve would remain. Old regulator is on the bottom.

[boyscout]

I don’t understand the point of turning the regulator one way or the other if both tanks work regardless of which tank it is pointing at.

The system draws from one tank only. It draws first from the tank it's pointed towards and doesn't draw from the second tank until the first tank is exhausted.

After that automatic switch-over has occurred and been observed by the owner, pointing the regulator to the newly-active second tank permits removal of the first empty tank (to be filled) without interrupting propane flow to the trailer.

When the newly-active second tank is emptied, the regulator will flip back to using the refilled first tank, permitting removal of the second tank for filling.

Some people will deliberately just let both tanks go dry (one, then the other) and then go fill both - I've done it myself. However in colder weather when propane is more critical and re-starting an emptied system can be more difficult the one-two system and a watchful owner probably helps ensure uninterrupted supply.

[Bikeman]

The system draws from one tank only. It draws first from the tank it's pointed towards and doesn't draw from the second tank until the first tank is exhausted.

After that automatic switch-over has occurred and been observed by the owner, pointing the regulator to the newly-active second tank permits removal of the first empty tank (to be filled) without interrupting propane flow to the trailer.

When the newly-active second tank is emptied, the regulator will flip back to using the refilled first tank, permitting removal of the second tank for filling.

Some people will deliberately just let both tanks go dry (one, then the other) and then go fill both - I've done it myself. However in colder weather when propane is more critical and re-starting an emptied system can be more difficult the one-two system and a watchful owner probably helps ensure uninterrupted supply.

Great explanation! Just to further clarify, when the auto switch occurs, the indicator should show red. That's how you know you have one empty! That's what mine wasn't doing.

[Juiceman]

Here is a method that works for me. Close both tank valves. Disconnect the hose from both tanks to bleed off any pressures. Reconnect both hoses (leave tanks closed).

There are a couple of physics things going on here. The lever should point to the one you want to be using first. But, it is important that you set the lever and then go OPEN that tank valve SLOWLY. Inside the switch over part of the regulator, there is a rod that moves from one side to the other depending on the pressure from the tank. The lever tells the green/red visual cue which side pressure to monitor. Your green visual cue should be fully green now (because the pressure pushed the green/red thingy over). The most important key here is to open the tank that has the lever pointed to it first!

Now, open your second tank valve. This then puts same pressure on either side of the pressure sensing rod. It should still show green.

As your tank runs out of propane, it looses pressure. The other tank is full, so that pressure pushes the rod over to the other side. That makes the viewer show RED because the lever is pointed at the empty tank. Now, move the lever slowly from the empty to the full, you will see the viewer go green! Now the viewer is monitoring the other tank.

This wonderful switchover, now allows you to disconnect the empty tank safely without disrupting the flow of Propane to your trailer. Take the empty and fill it. Put it back and open the valve slowly thus putting pressure on both sides of the rod again. It is ready to go back and forth all winter.

Just remember, you have start out correctly. With no gas in the lines. Connect both tanks. Move lever to favorite tank. Open that tank first! Look for green. Then open other tank. Good to go!

We got back from our maiden voyage with our Reflection. 4000 miles in 4 weeks. Running Westlake tires at 70psi, no problems. One water leak on soft hoses from shower, old-school hose clamp replaced the pex crimp ring, all good.

[Juiceman]

oh, thanks boyscout, good attachment. It does give the instructions, but never says why.

Also, this is why you must mount the switchover system correctly, that rod must be level-ish.