Resetting regulator on the propane tank

ChrisK · September 2018

If this has been posted, please delete. I did do a search but couldn't find an existing topic about this other than it can happen.

I got my propane tank refilled today and tried to start the fridge afterwards. It wouldn't light. The light came on, I got a "woosh" then the light went out and would not come back on. I tried lighting a burner (which lit), turning the bottle on less and more, different positions on the dial, and opening the propane valve slowly. Nothing worked. Last time this happened, I tried again after a while with the tank turned on less but that didn't work this time. I did a little interwebbing and found out how to reset the internal propane regulator on the tank itself. Its pretty simple.

1) Turn off all propane devices.
2) Turn off the valve on the propane tank.
3) Disconnect the hose from the propane tank and leave it disconnected for about a minute.
4) Reconnect the hose.
5) Open the propane valve very slowly.
6) Light a burner.

I did this and the fridge immediately started up on propane. I used the Tabaz method of holding in the red button for about a minute. It stayed lit on the first try. I think the burner lighting as noted above was residual propane in the lines. The flame was much bigger from the burner after I did the reset.

Sharon_is_SAM · September 2018

Thanks @ChrisK. Good info!

rkj__ · September 2018

Good to know. So far for me, closing the bottle valve, and opening again really slowly has always worked. But, if there is a time where it does not, I will disconnect the bottle as you have described.

Happy Camping

jkjenn · September 2018

I had the same thing happen in Yellowstone due to altitude. The reset process worked for me, too.

valkraider · August 25

This is an old thread, but this happened to me on our camper this summer, and was driving me crazy.

One good thing came of it, I bought a set of Galley Wing Walls - as I originally thought it was a side breeze that was causing us issues (I first noticed the problem while camping near the coast which is always breezy up here in the northwest).

But a week ago we were camping and the air was as still as a painted ship on a painted ocean.

The burner still kept flaming out. The left side burner on my 360 CS to be specific, if I had the right side burner too high the left kept getting starved for propane.

Frustrated, I started searching for all kinds of words on the forum and ended up finding this thread.

These instructions solved it for me.

So - maybe a bump here will help someone else.

qhumberd · August 25

Absolutely! Thanks @valkraider

Gomers2 · August 25

Since I recently had some mystery shut-offs of the propane regulator valve I'll add one other thing to check if you are having issues. My setup includes a 6 ft hose that runs high pressure from a Tee on the tank, before the trailer receives gas. This is used to run a high pressure cook stove outside. I was leaving that hose connected for extended periods of time even though the stove was not attached. That is safe but apparently it becomes what is referred to as a dead leg, and can affect the pressure in the rest of the system which can trip the safety valves in both the acme nuts and the trailer regulator (so I'm told). Removing the hose from the T seems to have solved the issue and I am going to install a ball valve there which will do the same. Opening the tank valve slowly is still obviously a great idea because it will reduce those pressure spikes as well.

Resetting regulator on the propane tank

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