Date: Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:01:34 -0700
Reply-To: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Mike \"Rocket J Squirrel\" Elliott" <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: LP regulator tester. PIC + Question
In-Reply-To: <46AFBA54.3090207@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Hi Mark -- I see what you're saying, my bad. The valve is opened, the
pressure goes up, the water starts shooting up the line, the pressure
stabilizes at 11 wci, the water slows, halts, and falls back,
compressing the LPG. Regulator can only source gas, can't gulp it back.
Manometer correctly displays higher pressure in line. If a fellow opened
up the valve really really really slowly so the water never overshoots
the mark then a bleeder would not be necessary. Easier to bleed it, I
betcha.
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
On 7/31/2007 3:40 PM Mark Drillock wrote:
> You are not thinking about the dynamic case we have here, but rather a
> static case. When you open the gas valve the water starts moving. The
> water has mass. Once in motion it wants to stay in motion. This can
> cause the water to overshoot and read higher than the pressure really
> is, depending on how abruptly the gas starts flowing and how large the
> diameter of the clear tubing is. The other thing is, these campers have
> a stove. It is important that the Westy regulator be able to supply
> enough flow for everything that can be on at the same time. The stove
> uses far more propane than the fridge. For testing the fridge this may
> not matter but for a test of the Westy propane delivery system you need
> to factor in the stove burners.
>
> I am just a home driveway hack but I have tested and repaired quite a
> few Westy propane systems as well as other RV propane systems.
>
> Mark
>
>
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott wrote:
>
>> On 7/31/2007 2:09 PM Mark Drillock wrote:
>>
>>> You need an open bleed hole between the reg and the water while
>>> measuring the levels.
>>
>>
>> Am I correct to assume that one should not check to see if the bleed is
>> working properly by holding a lighted match near it to catch a draft?
>>
>> But about that bleed thing: presumably the regulator is designed to work
>> even when only the Dometic refrigerator is turned on. The orifice is
>> effectively the "bleed" under those conditions, and that orifice is
>> really really small. So the regulator must be able to regulate even with
>> such tiny gas flow. If a fellow could put such a small bleed hole in his
>> manometer I wager a bottle of good beer that the measured pressure would
>> be the same whether that bleed was open or shut. Neil - you have a
>> manometer rigged right now, wanna test my hypothesis? Put a pinhole in
>> the input tubing for your bleed. To plug it, use a wad of gum or some
>> old Bandaid.
>>
>> --
>>
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> KG6RCR
>>
>
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