Plasticisers out of propane hose - this happen to anyone??

[Les]

Lets hope she's not been gooed to her torch overnight.... eeewwwwwww

xxx

[greenbeadenvy]

Right then I don't see that we have a choice! One of us is going to have to go into her shed and rescue her glass ......er I mean rescue Sally. Now all we need is a strong sturdy rope to tie around a waist and a victim....I meen rescuer to go in the shed.

[Ian Pearson]

Hmmm rope, tying sounds like a new meaning to the term" bonding" or should that be "bondage"!!!!!

Anyway info from a USA contact as follows

Here is the "states" we are required to use "type T" hose on all propane due to other hose types sometimes will rot from the inside.
Scroll down on either of these web pages to see examples and descriptions of the hose type I am talking about -

http://www.airgasflame.com/torches.htm
http://www.sundanceglass.com/carlisler.htm

I suspect you have something similar available to you locally. Check with a reputable welding supply house and try to locate some quality hose of this type from them if possible. If you are using this type of hose then I guess something else is going on with the propane cylinder or torch.

Maybe not helpful but better than getting all tied up!

Ian

[Redhotsal]

Right then I don't see that we have a choice! One of us is going to have to go into her shed and rescue her glass ......er I mean rescue Sally.

Um yes, people - thanks so much for your concern about my shed contents safety! 

Anyway - I've read everything on here with much interest and all good points - crikey Sarah, I've brought out the inner Geek in you!

Okay - so here's the update. Today I changed nuthin. Didn't even purge my torch after yesterdays gunking. Today though was cool and rainy and I didn't get a single problem. Not even a warning gurgle.

This is looking like it might be heat/weather affected. My reasoning is that:

1) It is cooincidental with the recent hot spells. And the inside of my shed has been hotter than a Phall-fart with two torches and a kiln on. The propane hose has been in this environment and I am beginning to think that the heat has expanded the gas to a really high pressure which has forced the plasticisers out.

2) It has completely gone away today, which is odd. I'd expected to see some residue or blockage but there was nothing at all. I read somewhere on Tinternet that the plasticisers can actually be reabsorbed under the right conditions - spooky, but it seems to have been the case today.

3) When I did get the problem I turned off the gas at the bottle and burned off the gases in the hose. It took way way longer for the gases to burn off than under "normal" conditions. This would be consistent with lots of high pressure gas in the hoses (and is a bit scary, thinking about it. I hope those hoses are as high pressure as they say they are!)

Some of the things that I have ruled out:

1) The contamination is not coming from the bottles. In total I have tried three different bottles and experienced a problem with each - two from my usual supplier and one from the Texaco garage. Statisically it would seem unlikely that all of them are contaminated, unless this is a problem that is confined to the HInckley area. Seems a bit improbable since no one else has reported a problem similar to this it would appear that it's me and my equipment rather than Calor gas.

2) Don't think it's the odourant. Can't remember the exact argument on that one but Neville from Calor assured me it wasn't.

3) Weird thing is that if there is contamination in the regulator and flashback then it should have been forced out with the usual gas pressure today. The reg and flashback are at the bottle end of the set up rather than the torch end. I have noticed that the contamination is liquid within the hose but will quickly condense into a semi-solid once it's out of the hose. Consequently - while it's in the hose you can definitely "pour it out" of the torch. (That'a lot of fun!)

So, for now.....it's business as normal. 'ray! I'll report back if it comes back again.

What scares me most about this is that Sal is a physicist. If she don't know what this is, then we are all doomed. Doomed I tell ya.

It scares the heck out of me too! You'd think I'd have a better grasp of the situation wouldn't you? Can't even insulate me shed properly - though I'll be giving that some serious thought after this little adventure.

Boom. 

Possibly! Who knows, still I'd rather go that way than old and shrivelled up with arthritus. So, if I am wrong/forget to change my regulator and push the boundaries of my high pressure propane hose beyond their useful limits, I don't want any fighting, you can share the spoils by having a Raffle! (booby prize will be the propane hose, what's left of it!)   

[mindy23]

I remember hearing that the gunk is the oil they use to give the propane an odour too.  I thought bleeding the hoses got rid of it too.  Its odd that it seems to be worse in the sun.  THats really odd.  I hope you mange to get to the bottom of it.  Sorry I'm not much more help.   I am at the mercy of most things slightly technical, I am just greateful when everything comes on each day and runs and I never like to think about too much in case I suggest subliminally to any piece of equipment that its possible that it could do something odd!  This is a really interesting thing though...

Mindyx