Mr Heater Buddy hose and adapter catalogue link

[Tedd]

Over the passed couple weeks, I've been doing a bit of hair pulling trying to come up with a fitting that would let me connect the Mr Heater to the black pipe of my propane system. Nothing at the local shops ...

Then it hit me ... these guys must have some sort of support for this stuff. In the time of a google search, open a .pdf file and turn to page 11 ... there it was right in the middle of the page.

And a whole lot of other gas plumbing stuff as well.

Just figure I'd pass this one on:

http://www.mrheater.com/downloads/dl...guide_2015.pdf

[JA Savage]

Thanks a lot for the link. I looked at all of the big box stores and every where else I could think of and I did not find anything that would work.

[family wagon]

There's a lot of good stuff in that catalog.

Always remember to pause and ask "am I connecting things with compatible line pressures?" The P.O.L, Acme nut, and throw-away cylinder fittings are usually found in places that run at tank pressure. Some Mr. Buddy heaters (that is, the 18k BTU unit I own) can be fed at tank pressure via the throw-away cylinder connector, or at low pressure via the quick-connect fitting. Tank pressure inadvertently plumbed to the quick-connect would lead to "Bad Results."

Most appliances are designed for low pressure, or else like the Mr. Buddy there's a regulator clearly visible inside and it'll take tank pressure at that place. Feeding low pressure to the input of a regulator is also not good; it can result in even lower pressure on the output of the second regulator.

[Robin97396]

I like to use a setup that allows the incoming hose to be low pressure. You can get regulators that screw into the tank.

[Rusty]

To recap, the Large Mr Buddy heater has 2 fuel inputs- low and hi pressure.

I don't think there is a need to have high pressure propane inside the vehicle cabin. It would be much safer to regulate the pressure outside the cabin and use the low pressure lines inside.

Good article on regulators

[Tedd]

Originally Posted by Rusty

Good article on regulators

Hey ... thanks for the article. I've done a couple dual fuel (gasoline/propane) conversions on small engines and really appreaciate any information I can find on the subject.

BTW ... the article mentions that the regulators need to be kept covered. I've never heard of this before. Does anybody know why propane regulators need to be covered?

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

Thanks for the share Rusty.
In my world as a commercial installer there are a first stage(tank pressure down to 10,psi) and second stage down to 2-psi which then gets measured into water columns? (Of course it could all be measured in the same).
They do make interior vented regulators that have to have an open air vent to the outside (register/louvre)or piped away from any ignition source byX amount and they also make ventless regulators for use inside which usually in the end require a dampening device which is nothing more than a penny with an 1/8" hole drilled in the center and the edges slightly filed to drop in.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Tedd

Does anybody know why propane regulators need to be covered?

I would guess the regulator diaphragm is sensitive. Big disc and a spring, usually. Can't be manufactured as a sealed unit and probably bad to get wet/freeze.

[Robin97396]

I can attest to regulators freezing, and when they freeze they can stop regulating correctly which gets scary.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I can attest to regulators freezing, and when they freeze they can stop regulating correctly which gets scary.

So, was it covered or not? What symptoms/cause/effect ?

[Robin97396]

No, it wasn't covered. When it stopped regulating it seemed I was getting nearly full pressure from the tank. It was a tense seen for a couple moments.

To top it off my water lines were frozen solid. If I'd had a fire it would have simply burned.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

No, it wasn't covered. When it stopped regulating it seemed I was getting nearly full pressure from the tank. It was a tense seen for a couple moments.

I have had a dozen BBQ grills over the years, most regulators were left outdoors without precautions.

[Robin97396]

The particular regulator I was using was a real klunky looking antique. I deserve a beating just for using it, but somehow it got used because it worked. Probably was the only one I could find at the time. That's a "when the power goes off" type of problem during the worst weather conditions.

It never fails, someone that thinks driving on ice is easy wipes out a power pole putting dozens of households in the dark and cold. There's a price for living in the mountains.

[Peach Camp]

I just use the hose and adapter I use for my coleman cookstove to run my Heater. I have to change it out to cook or heat. I plan on getting some other system to not need to change them out. the propane hose and adapters etc. are pretty common in the sporting good and camping sections of lots of stores. I will check out other resources, I still am not set up for winter camping.

[Robin97396]

About December, many of us don't feel like we're set up for winter camping.

[CaptSquid]

I can attest to the inefficiency of the Mr. Buddy heater during winter months. I've had much better experience with the Wave 6 and Wave 8 heaters. Mr. Buddy simply doesn't have the oomph to handle Montana Winters.