I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.


Any idea what is happening and why?

Alpinekid writes:

Any idea what is happening and why?

May be the odorant goo?

Richard J Kinch wrote:

Alpinekid writes:


Any idea what is happening and why?


May be the odorant goo?

He didn't say that it stinks and I would
think that it would...

It seems to me that since propane is a
hydrocarbon separated out of crude oil
stock, one might expect some carryover
of heavier hydrocarbons in the form of
oils.

Of course, I could be completely wrong.

Alpinekid wrote:
I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.


Any idea what is happening and why?

My guess is somebody tipped over your outdoor bottle. If the red oil stinks like
ethyl mercaptan (skunk) that would be a tipoff. If the bottle tipped, then some
of that oil (which seems to be present in all propane, maybe it's a byproduct of
the way propane is refined) might have gotten into the regulator.

GWE

Alpinekid wrote:

I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.


Any idea what is happening and why?
Ambient temperature could be high.
Red lube could be assy. grease.
made liquid

Jim Stewart wrote:
Richard J Kinch wrote:

Alpinekid writes:


Any idea what is happening and why?



May be the odorant goo?


He didn't say that it stinks and I would
think that it would...

It seems to me that since propane is a
hydrocarbon separated out of crude oil
stock, one might expect some carryover
of heavier hydrocarbons in the form of
oils.

Of course, I could be completely wrong.

There was no smell.

I'm thinking that there must be small amount of oil in the gas and when
it goes to low preassure is drops out but i know know how or why.

Do they put drip tubes in the gas lines in the house to give a place for
this stuff to collect?

I'm at 5,500 ft and the gas bottle is filled locally.
It has not tipped over.

This oil seems to be plugging up the ports in cold weather.

Alpinekid wrote in
news
I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.


Any idea what is happening and why?

Whatever it is I don't think I would want it to get into any gauges in the
line.
Never seen it myself in either 20# or 100# cylinders??
granpaw

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 22:06:27 GMT, Alpinekid
wrote:

I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.

Any idea what is happening and why?

I've found the regulator and plumbing to my propane generator clogged
with very soft pink wax. The propane dealer said that some of the
ingredients in the gas mix (commercial "propane" being a
conglomeration of lots of things beyond chemical propane) are wax
based and can separate and collect at obstructions in the gas path.

The Onan dealer insists that the black gunk that collects inside the
cylinders is really burnt wax rather than the ordinary carbon that
collects in a gasoline engine. Other mechanics have disputed that...

Loren

Propane or similar gas junk gas from well heads are also mixed with paraffin with is
cleaned at site to save the pipelines. I suspect a scrubber got dirty... or someone
bought cheap gas.

When living in El Paso, cars filling up over the river - often came back with
paraffin in the gas - clogging up gas jets...

Martin
Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Loren Amelang wrote:
On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 22:06:27 GMT, Alpinekid
wrote:


I have a small propane heater, Mr Buddy, or something like that. I takes
a 1lb propane bottle.

I have made a long hose to connect it to my 5gal tank which is outside.

After only a few months the thing stopped working, pilot would not light.
I disconnected the gas line and then removed the regulator.
When I disconnected the low pressure side of the regulator
a reddish light grade oil came out. Lots of it.

Any idea what is happening and why?


I've found the regulator and plumbing to my propane generator clogged
with very soft pink wax. The propane dealer said that some of the
ingredients in the gas mix (commercial "propane" being a
conglomeration of lots of things beyond chemical propane) are wax
based and can separate and collect at obstructions in the gas path.

The Onan dealer insists that the black gunk that collects inside the
cylinders is really burnt wax rather than the ordinary carbon that
collects in a gasoline engine. Other mechanics have disputed that...

Loren

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Martin H. Eastburn wrote:
Propane or similar gas junk gas from well heads are also mixed with
paraffin with is
cleaned at site to save the pipelines. I suspect a scrubber got
dirty... or someone
bought cheap gas.
Believe me, it gets a lot farther than Texas. I've watched the local
gas co. running scrapers through the gas mains here. basically, the
hook a conical cup sort of thing to a steel cable and drag it back and
forth through the pipes a couple of times.

Jon

I fully know. The pipelines have what they call a "PIG" that goes down a
shut down section and scrapes the insides. This expensive way is done when
the flow is cut back due to the 'hole' getting smaller and smaller.

But then Crude has all sorts of heavy grease along with it. Natural gas has
another problem of breaking down into water and junk. This helps rusts pipes.

Martin

Martin Eastburn
@ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net
NRA LOH, NRA Life
NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder



Jon Elson wrote:
Martin H. Eastburn wrote:

Propane or similar gas junk gas from well heads are also mixed with
paraffin with is
cleaned at site to save the pipelines. I suspect a scrubber got
dirty... or someone
bought cheap gas.

Believe me, it gets a lot farther than Texas. I've watched the local
gas co. running scrapers through the gas mains here. basically, the
hook a conical cup sort of thing to a steel cable and drag it back and
forth through the pipes a couple of times.

Jon


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