Regulator line repair HELP

[bakerman]

Hello fellow smokers,

I have a recurring issue with my Smoke Mountain gasser, for the last year or so I have been having problems getting the flame to stay lit. I have done all of the suggestions of bleeding the line, turning the knob slowly, tapping on the regulator etc. etc. Many of these fixes have helped for a time, but I have finally decided I have had enough fighting.
I am going to replace the regulator on my line and I have some questions as to the best way to do this. Since my line from the tank to the smoker is one piece with crimped connections I have no choice but to cut the line and replace the crimped connects with a brass male / female connection. I have never worked with a gas line before and I wanted to hear from any one here who has done this repair. Can this be done with common brass connectors? I was looking around the web and it appears that my alternatives are fairly limited.
I am also seeking advice on a well made regulator, the one that came with the smoker is crap. Plus since it is one piece I cannot just add a regulator in line, I must cut the old one off to repair this. Any comments or suggestions will be gratefully accepted. I did try Smoke Hollow's help line..................not very helpful when no one answers.

Any way my plan is to cut the line just after the regulator put in a brass female fitting to match the new regulator. So if any one has done this or something similar I would love to hear how it was done and any links to the components would be appreciated. If it was anything other than gas I would just forge ahead, but I want to be careful not to do something unsafe. Suggestions for a well made regulator would be helpful too. Home Depot has one for sale but it looks identical to the one I am replacing.

Thank you for taking the time. Again any help is greatly appreciated.

Bakerman

 

[crazzycajun]

Propane Regulator with 5 Ft. Hose

Amazing deals on this Propane Regulator With 5Ft Hose at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

maybe I’m not following but for less than $20 why not replace all of it? If your set on repair use a barbed fitting and hose clamps would be best.

 

[radioguy]

Have you checked for leaks? cleaned all hose, air inlets? You can use standard brass fittings with propane, pay close attention to mating with existing fittings. Some require a compression type connection. Borrow a lp tank from a neighbor and try that. I had one that just stopped flowing mid tank.

RG

 

[flatbroke]

I have 1 5 gallon that stops about half way too and that’s using a weed burner with it.

 

[bakerman]

Propane Regulator with 5 Ft. Hose

Amazing deals on this Propane Regulator With 5Ft Hose at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

maybe I’m not following but for less than $20 why not replace all of it? If your set on repair use a barbed fitting and hose clamps would be best.

Thanks for the response. I cannot simply replace it I have to cut the line to the control panel because it is a crimped fitting. The tank is not the issue, it is the regulator. So maybe a barbed fitting will do it.
I just want to make sure of the connection.

 

[bakerman]

Have you checked for leaks? cleaned all hose, air inlets? You can use standard brass fittings with propane, pay close attention to mating with existing fittings. Some require a compression type connection. Borrow a lp tank from a neighbor and try that. I had one that just stopped flowing mid tank.

RG

Thanks for the reply. No it's not the tank, this has been happening with full tanks, mostly empty tanks and all the various in-betweens. I am trying to find out if there is something specific to gas line connectors that I am not familiar with. Mostly asking if anyone has done this type of change before.

 

[K9BIGDOG]

I had installed a needle valve inline on my GOSM with clamp-on fittings. Maybe 2 years later the regulator died on me and I simply replaced it with a similar low pressure regulator I bought on Amazon. I just removed the section from the regulator to the needle valve, and attached the new section of hose with the new regulator back to the needle vale and problem solved. Regulators are cheap and if you haven't added a needle valve yet, it's something you should consider doing.

 

[bakerman]

BigDog,
Thanks for the reply. Sound to me like you made the same repair I want to make. Yes a needle valve might be in the mix as well. If you can post a picture of you set up that would be great.
The connectors are the thing I am most concerned about. I have to cut the hose just after the regulator in order to replace it, and I need a safe connection for the hose. The way it is currently cannot accept a new regulator. Smoke Hollow made the line one piece.
Under normal condition I would go to Home Depot and buy what I need, but with the virus it is different. All I really need to replace is the regulator and I have one in mind, as far as the needle vale I am clueless as to which one to get.

 

[K9BIGDOG]

Take a look at the current hose. You need to determine the inside AND outside diameter of teh hiose, the inside being the most important. You will need the following parts:
The needle valve:
The correct barb-to-thread fittings for your needle valve: For me it was one each of 5/16" barb to 1/4" male NPT and 5/16 barn to female pipe fittings:



Make sure the threads on the fitting match the threads on your valve.

You need two hose clamps and a roll of the YELLOW tape for sealing the threads on gas lines. DON'T use plain old white teflon tape, it's not made for gas.
I cut the line maybe 8-10" downstream from the regulator. Cut the line from the new regulator assembly in the same general area and splice in the new regulator and section of hose. You'll be leaving the original section of hose that's attached to the smoker in place. Try to make as straight a cut as you can

Unfortunately I don't have the pics from my mods anymore and I recently gave my gasser to my son-in-law, but do a search on needle valve and you find plenty of help.

 

[bakerman]

Outstanding help. The pictures didn't come through but the advice is spot on. I'm gonna dismantle my smoker this weekend and take the whole assembly into Home Depot. Get a barbed fitting and see what happens. Thanks again.