Smoke Vault gas smoker makeover

[Nefarious]

Well, i'm taking a break, the US is playing Canada in a world cup qualifier.

The problem is the flare fitting coming off the burner takes up about 2 inches and it isn't a general flare, it is welded on the the burner framing. There just isn't enough room.

From geometry I know the diagonal from middle of front to middle of the side is longer. If I did this the valve would have to be on the side.

I'm working on a different plan to wrap around the corner with a 90 degree fitting on both the solenoid side and the bypass side. Then the needle valve will be on the front.

 

[OldSmoke]

Is this what you are referring to?

 

[Nefarious]

This is what it looks like on this end.

 

[OldSmoke]

Get a new piece of propane hose with the fitting like you have now. About $8 from Amazon. Cut it to length and use that to connect to your solenoid valve using a barbed fitting. Would this work?

 

[Nefarious]

Thats what i'm doing. But it has to go into a tee, there has to be a route that does not go through the solenoid that has the needle valve. It is used for the minimal flow of gas to keep the light on and if I want to cook without the solenoid.

The flare and hose with a barb fitting take up an additional 2'. Add that to the black piece thats connected to the burner. Currently the flare -> barb-> tee -> solenoid on one side, valve on the other fit. There is about 2 inches left. I will add 90° fittings on these so they turn the corner and then connect them each to another tee and then add another flare for the service. The two ends use a barb and tubing to connect.to the tee.

Kinda like: the paths run on top of each other with about 3.5" seperation. I'll take a pic of it later and explain it if it would be easier to understand.

Lower 90° -> tee -> flare

Upper 90° -> barb -> tube connects flare in middle of above tee.

 

[Nefarious]

US lost to Canada in the world cup qualifier. We have some problems to solve.

 

[Nefarious]

OldSmoke what size adapter did you use to connect the brass to the tubing? I have 1/4 and 3/8 Id, 1/4 seems too small and 3/8 seems to big?

 

[OldSmoke]

You mean the brass pipe to the fitting with the flare?

 

[Nefarious]

At the bottom of the loop you have two fittings that have the black hose that connect them to close the bottom run, it shows below the bottom of your smoker. The hose is held in place by barbs on each side then clamped with a hose clamp. what size are the barbs you used?

 

[OldSmoke]

1/4” perhaps? I took the hose to the hdw store and grabbed what fit. At that point, I was in a bit of a hurry.

 

[Nefarious]

you didn't use the same hose that you used to connect the solenoid to the smoker? I just cut a piece of the hose that I bought to connect to the flare you mentioned earlier. I can't get either of them to fit.

 

[OldSmoke]

Yes, same hose.

It is 1/4”, I have a spare that I checked.

 

[Nefarious]

1/4 slides in and doesn't even touch the sides. The 3/8 I can't get in the opening. I am thinking I bought the wrong hose from amazon. It doesn't tell the inside diameter.

Pressure regulator

 

[OldSmoke]

I bought the same one. It is a little loose, just add a little oomph to the clamp. It sealed and I leak checked it.

 

[Nefarious]

I bought the same one. It is a little loose, just add a little oomph to the clamp. It sealed and I leak checked it.

I'll try that, thanks.

I think I need better clamps. I could get it tight enough that it would just hardly turn, it wouldn't pull out so under pressure might still work. The hose clamp was so narrow that it would rock in place and might eventually wear through to a leak. I'm thinking of using two clamps so the binding is over more the one barb. I'm hoping the new clamp will provide a bigger tightening screw.

 

[Nefarious]

So, I was not comfortable with the 1/4th barb fitting. And as mentioned above the 3/8th was too big. That's because the hose is 5/16th. I was so focused on what I could buy on homedepot, they didn't carry a 5/16th barb that I forgot to think. Last night I searched amazon and found what I needed, 1/4th MIP x 5/16th barb. And just for the heck of it I went to a homedepot competitor and found them. Drove an hour this morning and the solenoid is now complete. Not pretty and I haven't leak checked it yet, later this afternoon when my hands warm up and before the US play Honduras in a world cup qualifier in sub zero conditions in Minnesota.



I haven't figured out how to mount it solidly yet, not much room and I have to make a cut in the front panel for the valve to be lowered a small amount.

I am leaving town on Sunday to go skiing in Montana, The bolts that hold the mailbox onto the smoker will be in when I return, so I can't do a smoke test until I return. I hope to do the leak test this afternoon and figure out how to hold the brass contraption in place today.

 

[OldSmoke]

If you have the option, those valves prefer to be mounted vertically with the solenoid up.

Making great progress!

 

[Nefarious]

If you have the option, those valves prefer to be mounted vertically with the solenoid up.

Making great progress!

How much do they prefer? I have to build it all over if it doesn't work. I'll noodle as a new orientation. I have an idea the issue is the valve for the gas is way below the sheet metal front, way means 2" to 3".

 

[Nefarious]

If you have the option, those valves prefer to be mounted vertically with the solenoid up.

Making great progress!

I think I have it figured out, all I have to do is measure the length to see if it fits across the front. Another option is to run two hoses across the front and just put the valve on the front. then the solenoid can go on the side. Now that I have the hose and fittings figured out I can consider that.

 

[Nefarious]

I really don't understand how having the solenoid only in the vertical with the nut on top would make any difference. The solenoid is held closed by a very strong spring. They don't tell you the current needed to open the valve, it just seems that the manufacturer would make the spring strong enough that gravity would have zero effect on the operation of the solenoid. Or, why else would it have to be nut side up?

Anyway, I spend time to work out another solution that I like better and does have the solenoid in the preferred orientation.


I even get to take some parts back to the store. Less parts are always better.

I did some work to figure out what thread tape to use. First, white thread tape will deteriorate with propane gas and will leak in a coupe of years. So, it's either yellow or something else.

Yellow tape was thicker and when threaded the wrap around the tip of the male piece would get cut off and end up in the pipe. I kept having to fish it out so I sought some advice, and found that using a high quality thread dope was a better solution. I used RectorSeal and it all went together very easily. We will see how it stands up to time.