I have truma GOk gas regulator, of recent haven’t been able to get any gas through to any of the appliances in the caravan, thought it was the bottle, so exchanged it and got another bottle, still no joy , so removed the regulator and found it had oil in it , surely this isn’t right , would this affect the connecting pipes also ?
Gas regulator
- Thread starter charlesdobson
- Start date
Its a very well known issue, these reportedly are prone to this effect where exposed to "oils" migrating from the gas bottle.
Other designs, again reportedly can better tolerate it.
One can argue the gas should be "clean", but evidence here with certain regulators, and also known with fridge jets, is it is not necessarily clean.
Things are it seems aggravated where the regulator is not positioned above the bottle, though it still has occurred.
There is a gas oil trap available to help mitigate the issue.
Edit: it was discussed back here LINK
Other designs, again reportedly can better tolerate it.
One can argue the gas should be "clean", but evidence here with certain regulators, and also known with fridge jets, is it is not necessarily clean.
Things are it seems aggravated where the regulator is not positioned above the bottle, though it still has occurred.
There is a gas oil trap available to help mitigate the issue.
Edit: it was discussed back here LINK
Last edited:
As previous said , I have removed the GOK style regulator, I have ordered a truma mono regulator which is a bit more modern, I have room to mount it higher in the front locker as I want to replace the cooper pipe from its junction with tee lower in the locker in case of any contamination, I’m hoping this solves the issue
I have read the link , and as in many publications on this topic, all the articles go back a good few years, hopefully truma and calor have sorted the problem by now
The problem is ongoing - high-mounted regulator with no dips in the flexible pipework is the only fix although an oil filter may help..
The problem is that high pressure LPG leaches oil & chemicals out of the flexible pipework - this will drain back into the cylinder if the regulator is higher than the cylinder and then be purged when the cylinder goes back for refilling - otherwise the oil & chemicals collect in the regulator and eventually block it.
- Sep 4, 2011
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I have used Stainless Pigtail hoses with no rubber,for the last 16 years and never suffered the problem
Lots of advice and actual experiences , Here's my two penneth, having seen lots of regulators /pipes with oil contamination. The cause is that the liquid in the bottle boils when gas is used , this produces a fine mist of oil in the headspace of the bottle and some may enter the pipe which will get to the regulator if it is lower than the bottles valve. Even with the regulator higher this can still happen it's a question of degrees if the bottle is a refillable type then overfilling leaves less space in the headspace of the bottle for the oil mist to settle back down and not enter the pipework . Even with a correctly filled bottle and correctly positioned regulator a small amount of oils can still enter the regulator/pipework , normally this does not cause a problem as it gets swept along and is burn't with the gas as the appliance. In longer caravans which are lived in ( high gas usage) the underfloor pipework can slowly fill up with oil and this can cause problems.Many leisure caravans happily go through their life without experiencing these issues , but when people start using refillable bottles (without internal safety float valves) or laying them on their sides to fit in the gas locker or using the big 47kg bottles then problem start arising.
No, neither have I - but then my caravan has the regulator mounted high so that any oil & chemicals drains back into the cylinder - most caravan makers moved the fixed regulator if it was causing an issue.
I have read that the refillable bottles, the gas supplied at the pump is a mixture of butane and propane, and from research the oil mist is more likely from butane? , as for oil in the lines , this is something I’m not going to find out until I fit the new regulator, I’ve also ordered the gas filter along with it , it’s supposed to remove 99 percent of any contamination, never knew this was a problem until it happened and have had caravan for many years, will fit the regulator in a high position and keep my fingers crossed, will replace what copper lines I can see in the locker
- Mar 14, 2005
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I agree with Ian, and I have had similar experiences when I was regularly working on caravan systems.
It must surprise many readers who may not know how gas cylinders work, but yes they do really boil to produce the gas you use, but at much lower temperatures than water. Also counter to popular opinion, when the weather is below 5C and Butane LPG cylinders stops releasing gas, it's not "freezing" but in reality it's simply too cold to boil.
A note for Charlesdobson,
In case you are not aware, your caravans gas systems does fall under the control of various statutory regulations. In particular the system must suitable for its intended purpose, and be tested to ensure it complies with all safety requirements by a competent person. This requires specialised test equipment which is generally beyond the reach of most DIY'ers.
Having been a professional working in the industry, I could tell you of some of the serious mistakes DIY fixers have created, Getting it wrong can have serious consequences for you or you family or others in the vicinity when if it goes wrong.
It must surprise many readers who may not know how gas cylinders work, but yes they do really boil to produce the gas you use, but at much lower temperatures than water. Also counter to popular opinion, when the weather is below 5C and Butane LPG cylinders stops releasing gas, it's not "freezing" but in reality it's simply too cold to boil.
A note for Charlesdobson,
In case you are not aware, your caravans gas systems does fall under the control of various statutory regulations. In particular the system must suitable for its intended purpose, and be tested to ensure it complies with all safety requirements by a competent person. This requires specialised test equipment which is generally beyond the reach of most DIY'ers.
Having been a professional working in the industry, I could tell you of some of the serious mistakes DIY fixers have created, Getting it wrong can have serious consequences for you or you family or others in the vicinity when if it goes wrong.
I’m very aware of the regulations, having worked in the maintenance trade along with many trades including gas engineers for many years, I’m no diy hack by any means, I’m very capable of changing gas lines and have the various thread seals and know how to test for leaks , and having done some work of recent in the caravan heating system couldn’t believe the shoddy work of the manufacturer, found gas lines loose at both the water heater and the regulator, would strongly advise that people get these checked
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