Propane Grill Regulator Problem??

Users who are viewing this thread

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
Dont know if this belongs in this forum but will try:

Have an older Sunbeam propane grill with a dual main burner and one side burner.
So three controls where:
1- is the side burner,
2- is the left side of the main burner and
3- is the right side of the main burner

If I have either 1, 2 or 3 lit, I get a full flame.

But as soon as I have any combination of them lit, the flame diminishes big time on all.

I checked all venturis and there are no spider webs or obstructions. I even removed the valves from the burners therefore elimintating any clogs and reattached to propane tank. You can hear the decrease in the "hissing" sound when 2 of the valves are on.

Propane tank is newly filled and propane tank operates fine on other grill.

Has anyone had any problems with a regulator going bad?
 

Attachments

  • DSCN0132.jpg
    DSCN0132.jpg
    53.9 KB · Views: 1,429
  • DSCN0124.jpg
    DSCN0124.jpg
    51.7 KB · Views: 1,139
  • DSCN0129.jpg
    DSCN0129.jpg
    38.3 KB · Views: 1,152
  • DSCN0131.jpg
    DSCN0131.jpg
    46.4 KB · Views: 1,561

Chad Schloss

Member
Messages
327
Reaction score
0
Points
16
Location
USA
I had one get water in it and freeze over the winter. It would light but not stay lit. replaced regulator and was repaired.
 

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
Buy a webber

Yeah right...I already have a junk grill.

Over the winter I was able to obtain a Broilmaster natural gas P3BLW with the bowtie burner. Going to debut it as soon as winter is done.The Sunbeam is just a backup.

Go big or don't go at all
 

Attachments

  • Copy of 100_9158.jpg
    Copy of 100_9158.jpg
    74.7 KB · Views: 1,094
  • Copy of 100_9156.jpg
    Copy of 100_9156.jpg
    54.8 KB · Views: 1,189
  • Copy of 100_9157.jpg
    Copy of 100_9157.jpg
    89.7 KB · Views: 1,099

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
Get a TEC http://tecinfrared.com/. Up to temp to cook in 5-minutes, even temp over the entire surface, almost entirely IR so things do not dry out - cooks fast - works just fine in the winter at really low temps as the IR doesn't care.

I looked at the infrared ones also. Was not impressed or swayed to go that route. Looked like a lot of cleanup.
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,770
Reaction score
1,190
Points
113
Location
New England
After finishing, turn it up to high, let it sit for maybe 10-minutes, everything turns to ash...wipe it off. Cleanup couldn't be easier. Now, this company's original burner, now off patent protection, is being used by lots of companies because it is better than a conventional burner (it's about 35% IR, charcoal is about 25% and one reason it cooks better than a regular gas grill). But, a regular grill is nearly 100% convection hot air cooking. TEC's newest burner is 100% infrared...it has a glass plate underneath the grate and on top of the burner so there's no convection cooking at all - it's all IR.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,040
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
Since EVERY burner works properly by itself the problem is NOT in the controls or orifices. You just don't have enough gas flow, and that could be due to a bad regulator or a cylinder valve that limits the flow in case of a bad leak.
 

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
Since EVERY burner works properly by itself the problem is NOT in the controls or orifices. You just don't have enough gas flow, and that could be due to a bad regulator or a cylinder valve that limits the flow in case of a bad leak.

Turned out to be the regulator. Picked one up from local gas grill house along with an oetiker clamp and a barbed connector. Burner works fine now.

Only thing is the new regulator only has a single output so I can't use the side burner and the cylinder needs to be rotated 90 degrees an d now I need a bungee to secure it.
 

Attachments

  • DSC_0002.jpg
    DSC_0002.jpg
    43.4 KB · Views: 1,029
  • DSC_0003.jpg
    DSC_0003.jpg
    58.5 KB · Views: 1,073
  • DSC_0004.jpg
    DSC_0004.jpg
    49.3 KB · Views: 1,042
  • 0312131525.jpg
    0312131525.jpg
    49.6 KB · Views: 1,004
  • 0312131529.jpg
    0312131529.jpg
    32.5 KB · Views: 1,045
Last edited:

Jm66208

Member
Messages
170
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Location
Kansas City
My grill has a wierd habbit of if I turn the bottle on too fast, I barely get a flame...even on high. What I have to do is: turn the bottle off, unhook the hose from the low pressure side of the regulator to "bleed it", reconnect the hose, open the bottle slowly, light the grill, and then I get a decent flame. Cheap Chinese junk... I've talked to other people that have the same problem...
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,770
Reaction score
1,190
Points
113
Location
New England
FWIW, this is a TEC burner...that's the same type of glass as used on a smooth stovetop and you can place a pan on it directly, or on the grates. Temp range from around 200-900 degrees.
 

Attachments

  • flare-resistant.jpg
    flare-resistant.jpg
    19 KB · Views: 1,010

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
FWIW, this is a TEC burner...that's the same type of glass as used on a smooth stovetop and you can place a pan on it directly, or on the grates. Temp range from around 200-900 degrees.

That thing looks like it should be at the Space Station
 

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
My grill has a wierd habbit of if I turn the bottle on too fast, I barely get a flame...even on high. What I have to do is: turn the bottle off, unhook the hose from the low pressure side of the regulator to "bleed it", reconnect the hose, open the bottle slowly, light the grill, and then I get a decent flame. Cheap Chinese junk... I've talked to other people that have the same problem...

There is a safety mechanism in the regulator in case of a leak. You can inadvertently activate the safety device without having a gas leak. This typically occurs when you turn on your control knobs before you turn on the LP tank valve, opening the propane cylinder too fast or shutting the cylinder off while the burners are still on.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,602
Reaction score
1,040
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
quote: What I have to do is: turn the bottle off, unhook the hose from the low pressure side of the regulator to "bleed it", reconnect the hose, open the bottle slowly,

The tank has a "valve" in it that detects sudden flow and closes the outlet since it assumes something has broken. It stays closed until you stop the flow and allow it to "drop back" into its open position.
 

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
The tank has a "valve" in it that detects sudden flow and closes the outlet since it assumes something has broken. It stays closed until you stop the flow and allow it to "drop back" into its open position.

Thats it in a nutshell
 

DonL

Jack of all trades Master of one
Messages
5,205
Reaction score
72
Points
48
Location
Houston, TX
Turned out to be the regulator. Picked one up from local gas grill house along with an oetiker clamp and a barbed connector. Burner works fine now.

Only thing is the new regulator only has a single output so I can't use the side burner and the cylinder needs to be rotated 90 degrees an d now I need a bungee to secure it.


Was the vent hole on the old regulator open ?

Did you try the bang method to UN-stick the regulator ?

Side burners are handy, but not really necessary.

Nice that you have it working.
 

Hammerlane

Member
Messages
275
Reaction score
13
Points
16
Location
Ohio
Was the vent hole on the old regulator open ?

Did you try the bang method to UN-stick the regulator ?

Side burners are handy, but not really necessary.

Nice that you have it working.

Old reg did have a vent hole and I did try the bang method a few times.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks