Smoke Hollow - gas flame problems

[sky monkey]

 I'm pretty new to smoking, only about 2 years and this small cabinet smoker is the only one I've ever owned.  Don't have the budget to upgrade to a different smoker yet (hopefully Christmas) so I need to keep this one working for me a bit longer.

  It's a propane Smoke Hollow, don't know the model number but it's 16" wide by 14" deep, 3 racks with a tube shaped burner.

  The problem I'm having is when I turn the gas/temp adjustment up past the lowest setting the burner doesn't burn smoothly.  The flames start a kind of wave effect back and forth along the tube and it goes out more often.

  I have a hard time getting past 200°F and most things I like to smoke at 225°F, sometimes it's worse than others and it won't rise past 180°F.  It seems to be at it's worst whenever I'm cooking for a group (specially if I move it to another location besides my back porch)

   I've run a pipe cleaner into the gas hose opening at the tank because I heard spiders get in there sometimes.  I haven't pulled the burner off yet.

  Any ideas?

 

[demosthenes9]

Do you have a propane grill by chance and a wrench ?

 

[sky monkey]

Definitely have a wrench and am fairly handy but no propane grill, just charcoal for the grill.  I could run over to a neighbor's with my tank.  I have two tanks, I believe I've had this problem with both tanks but am not 100% sure of that.

 

[demosthenes9]

Hmmm, I was hoping that you could easily test to see if it was the regulator.  if your neighbor is willing, grab your wrench and disconnect the propane hose from your Smoke Hollow. Take the tank, hose/regulator over to your neighbor's house.  Disconnect his hose where it connects to the burner manifold.  Hook your hose up and see how it does.   Also, take his hose and regulator back to your house and connect to your Smoke Hollow.  See if it works correctly.

If so, the problem is either in the hose or the regulator, and it would most likely be the regulator.

 

[sky monkey]

 Well for that kind of favor I better take the tank and regulator over to my father-in-law's house, lol.  Thank you, I'll give it a shot and start deducing the problem in the gas feed.