Gas Grill Repair

ScottG

My personal favorite camping grill (an older Weber Q100) has a very weak flame that has been getting progressively worse. At first I thought I was imagining the problem, but am now convinced it is real.

The problem occurs with both the 1lb cylinders and when running off the T@B tank. I've checked and cleaned the burner the venturi. The only remaining culprit is the regulator.

Anyone else have a similar issue? Has anyone replaced or serviced their Weber Q regulator?

Thanks for any info or insight!

Tampakayaker

ScottG said:

My personal favorite camping grill (an older Weber Q100) has a very weak flame that has been getting progressively worse. At first I thought I was imagining the problem, but am now convinced it is real.

The problem occurs with both the 1lb cylinders and when running off the T@B tank. I've checked and cleaned the burner the venturi. The only remaining culprit is the regulator.

Anyone else have a similar issue? Has anyone replaced or serviced their Weber Q regulator?

Thanks for any info or insight!

I'm sure you know this, but do not have the burners on when you open the valve on the bottles.  That causes the safety valve in the regulator to kick in and greatly reduce or stop the flow of gas thru the regulator causing a weak flame.

Found that out the hard way when my home grill did the same thing and I started trying to adjust the regulator.  After it still didn't get better I Googled the issue and found out about the built in safety.

Usually if you disconnect everything and open the burner valve and release any pent up pressure, it'll reset and be good to go.

ScottG

Thanks, @Tampakayaker. I do have the burners off when I apply the gas so that shouldn't be the issue. I think what I've done so far should have reset the regulator as you describe, but I'll play with it more today in a more controlled setting (i.e., not desperately trying to cook my dinner in camp) and see what I find. The safety valve in the regulator was a new one to me so I definitely want to rule that out before dropping any coin on a new regulator!  

ColoradoJon

Yeah, it is definitely the regulator!  I've had a few of them fail on me over the years.  It really stinks because, well, you don't find out about it until you need to use it

ScottG

Okay, the plot thickens...

There are apparently lots of reasons why a grill may experience a weak flame, not least of which are the pesky flow control devices incorporated into both tanks and regulators for safety purposes. Those did not seem to be the case here.

As I was reading up such things, I noticed a comment to the effect of "If there is oil in the regulator than the regulator must be replaced." I didn't think too much of this until I removed my Q's regulator and--you guessed it--drained a sizeable amount of oil from its innards. Hmmm. I took apart what I could, cleaned the valve up, and reassembled everything. Gas flow was still weak, so back to the books. Here's a summary of what I learned from a smattering of sources...

• LP may include oil that can build up in tanks.
• The oil can find its way into LP regulators. This can clog the regulator and cause permanent damage.
• The problem may be exacerbated by using a long hose between the propane tank and the grill's regulator. Oil can congeal out and build up in the hose (particularly in cooler temps) and ultimately be forced into the regulator.

The last point is particularly interesting, as the problems with my grill began a couple years after I started hooking it to the T@B's 20lb tank with a 12' hose.

Having to replace the regulator is a bummer but no big deal. But the oil contamination in general is a more concerning issue, as it seems it could also cause problems with the T@B regulator and appliances. There are myriad explanations of how the oil gets in the LP, but they are not germane as they are variable and beyond my control. I'll be happy just to keep it out of my stuff. For the time being, I'll consider the relatively few reports of LP-related problems with the T@B a good sign.

Anyone have something to add here, or have any similar experiences?

falcon1970

I bought a Mr Heater buddy heater for spot heating in my shop during cold weather.  They made a point of saying to use a filter if you run the heater from something other than a one pound bottle screwed directly to the heater.  They claimed that oil from propane hoses will clog the burners on the heater.  They also sell a hose for use with the heater that does not need a filter since it apparently is made so that there is no oil to leach from the hose.
I had never heard of this before and now I wonder about all the other propane devices I have that don't mention filters or oil-free hoses.  Although I can't say I have ever had a problem with any of the burners.

ScottG

@falcon1970, I saw some references to the Mr. Heater filter as I did a little more poking around. It's interesting that they were implicating leaching from the hose as a cause of the oil, whereas other references suggested it's from the propane and, by extension, residue that remains in tanks. I'd like to have a more definitive answer, but that seems unlikely. 

I'm also curious as to whether the Mr. Heater filter could benefit other devices. They are pretty cheap so maybe I'll just get one and give it a try coming right off the tank. The Q really gulps propane so I'd rather avoid having to go back to the pricey 1lb disposables if I can.

I did a little more cleanup on my Q100 and it does seem to be working better with a bigger flame. However, I've had it so long I can't remember how it worked new so I'll probably just throw down and replace the regulator anyway.   

falcon1970

@ScottG
I just bought the hose they said you could use without a filter.  The filter has to be replaced every so often but I never could determine just what would indicate a new filter is needed.  As a matter of fact, I found it more convenient to run the heater from a one pound bottle.  It lasts a pretty long time and the heater is easier to move around.  However, I don't use the heater with my trailer.