Question On Running Propane Line.

[PNW_Steve]

Originally Posted by Defjr333

I have seen many people do it with just the rubber hoses. I admit, my ambulance conversion I used rubber hoses for lil buddy heater and stovetop. On that conversion it was all trial and error and cheap as possible. This one will be for full timing and house EVERYTHING I OWN. There is the difference to me. Just try to prevent the ability of LP pooling in low areas and common sense goes a long way! BTW....I NEVER had any problems in my ambulance LP system. Just trying to do the best job I can.
Doug

I used the rubber propane hoses in a mobile install once. I was VERY careful to avoid any opportunity for chafing & other damage. It worked fine....

It was not until I disassembled the system some years later that I realized that there were a handful of spots that were hidden from view that had significant wear.

I will be using black iron pipe for all of the propane in my new bus.

Just my $0.02

[Drop out]

Safety is great but in practice propane is pretty hard to ignite unintentionally and liquid pooling in the lines takes some pretty severe conditions.

I'm trying to plan a conversion and one of the things that will determine the floorplan is the plumbing layout. Propane lines should be as simple as possible with few joints and with some rubber so road vibration will only shake the hard lines, not bend it.

Black iron pipe is used because galvenizing can flake off, clogging burners and regulators.

I would use as little as possible unregulated gas line and run a pretty low pressure on the regulated side, that will reduce the amount of propane loss if you do get a leak. Reduce it enough and the propane to air concentration will get so low that it won't ignite even with an ignition source (unless the ignition source is right on the leak).

I'll probably run a direct line from my propane tank/regulator to my refrigerator so it can run on the road but if my stove or water heater lines have to run under a frame rail, I'll put in a shut off valve for traveling.

I wouldn't necessarily rule out plumbing with an armored flexible hose but I like a nice pipe thread and Teflon tape joint better than a flare fitting. Some pipe dopes leak a lot so I don't think of it as a Teflon alternative.

If you can plumb fresh water piping, you can plumb propane pipe, you just have to be smart about the layout to avoid leaks due to rubbing, bending or vibration and add shut off valves where appropriate.

Back to the topic of liquid propane in the vapor lines, that only happens when there is a low spot in the line and it is cold enough that you are in the liquid portion of the propane phase diagram. The higher your line pressure, the higher the boiling point is so a lower line pressure means propane won't condense unless it is really really cold. Also, when it's that cold, propane in the tank won't vaporize so there will be no pressure pushing liquid or vapor propane in to the lines.

The usual outcome if you do get liquid propane condensation in the lines is your line begins to act like a small unregulated propane tank and once you begin to use it the liquid will vaporize until the liquid has been vaporized and burned off.

[mmoore6856]

Originally Posted by PNW_Steve

I used the rubber propane hoses in a mobile install once. I was VERY careful to avoid any opportunity for chafing & other damage. It worked fine....

It was not until I disassembled the system some years later that I realized that there were a handful of spots that were hidden from view that had significant wear.

I will be using black iron pipe for all of the propane in my new bus.

Just my $0.02

Sounds like its worth more than that i also seen hidden wear where there should not have been any while working on them. Ill go black pipe

[golfersmurf57]

I agree black. Iron gas pipe and bundle loops with vinyl coating that are sized to grip the pipe tightly. Bolt or weld a bracket at each end then use a bulkhead with cloth covered non stressed length hoses to make connections. Mount the filter to the coach if you can and point the overpressure pop off so it vents away from the coach. Also with the lock- off for the genny. Weight of these and a bumpy road could crack your pipe.

Sent from my LGL64VL using Tapatalk