Re: Casita update

On Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:52:40 -0500, Elliot Richmond <xmrichmond@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:


I still can't figure out how much propane I have. There is an
indicator on top of the regulator. It is clear plastic. When I open
either valve a red cylinder pops up inside that shows a thin line of
green around the bottom. I'm guessing this means both tanks are nearly
empty. I am going to weigh them today.

By the way, I am posting these questions on the Casita Club and the
Casita Forum, but those nice people are a little too sweet and gushy
for my taste. I miss the sarcasm and vicious insults that fly around
over here.

hey dickhead, you can't tell how much propane's in the cylinder by pressure. Any
idiot should know that. There, feel more at home?

Anyway...

As long as there is any liquid at all in the tank, the pressure will be whatever the
vapor pressure of propane is at the ambient temperature. The only way to tell the
level is by weight or if you're using propane fast enough to cool the liquid, by one
of those liquid crystal thermometer strips that shows where the liquid line is. I
find that just picking up the cylinder and sloshing it as about as accurate as I
need.

A set of bathroom scales will work if you need actual numbers. Just weigh the tank
and then subtract the Tare Weight to get the net propane weight. The Tare Weight is
engraved on the collar as "TW" and then a couple of digits.

All that little indicator shows you is whether the regulator has transferred to the
second tank or not.

I am still fiddling with the Suburban water heater. The pilot will
come on and then the water heater will fire up, but then it won't
cycle. The pilot won't stay lit. I am still fiddling with that.

Make sure the pilot flame is actually heating the thermocouple when the main burner
is on. The draft from the main burner can pull the pilot flame away from the
thermocouple.

If that's not the problem, unscrew the thermocouple from the valve and check it for
corrosion. The current is high but the voltage is low so a little corrosion goes a
long ways. I've had this problem a few times with my 25 year old water heater.

John
--
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
http://www.johndearmond.com <-- best little blog on the net!
Tellico Plains, Occupied TN
Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. -Marie Curie

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