Start up Appliances

[John W]

I have been gifted a 1977 31' International. It has been sitting for 5 years. I have just replaced the valves and filled the propane tanks. What is the start up procedure for the appliances? Is there a main propane valve?

[TomW]

Welcome to the Forums!

There is no main propane valve other than the ones on the tanks themselves. Each appliance, however, will more than likely have it's own shutoff valve.

The procedure I followed when I was in situation similar to yours was to light the cooktop first, and let it run for a minute or so. This accomplishes two things - It fills a lot of the gas line rather quickly (if it was empty), and it provides fast gratification that your LPG system works.

Everything else might take a little while to light since the amount of gas needed to sustain a pilot light moves rather slowly down the line.

Don't tell anyone, but I cheated when it came time to light the water heater pilot light. The gas lines had been open for other repairs for some time, meaning there was absolutely no gas in the lines, and the water heater is more than 20 feet away from the tanks . I turned the water heater to "ON" instead of "Pilot", and used my propane torch on a low setting to bathe the thermocouple in heat. As soon as it was warm enough, the thermostat opened the main burner, and it lit off of the flame of the propane torch. It sure beat sitting there half the afternoon holding the red button.

I doubt Industrial Safety would have approved

Tom

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by tcwilliams

I turned the water heater to "ON" instead of "Pilot", and used my propane torch on a low setting to bathe the thermocouple in heat. As soon as it was warm enough, the thermostat opened the main burner, and it lit off of the flame of the propane torch. It sure beat sitting there half the afternoon holding the red button.
Tom

This was my standard way of lighting my non-electronic-pilot water heaters for years, pre-Airstream. Only I used a propane match instead of the torch.

It may take a minute or two to get even the stove burners to light. Refrigerator takes a long time. I light that last.

[John W]

Thanks for the information. I tried your way and it works great.

John

Originally Posted by Pahaska

This was my standard way of lighting my non-electronic-pilot water heaters for years, pre-Airstream. Only I used a propane match instead of the torch.

It may take a minute or two to get even the stove burners to light. Refrigerator takes a long time. I light that last.

[John W]

Thanks for the information. So far everything works great. My refer is tomorrows new experience.

John W

[ktannes]

Wait- so it's normal to have to hold that #^$@^%# red button down forever when your starting something that hasn't been used in about five years. I tried like hell to get my furnace to light today and it wouldn't. As soon as I let the little red button go the pilot light would go out. It there something I should be doing?

[WayWard Wind]

Ktannes---it sounds as if your pilot light is burning , but goes out when you release the button. If so, you may want to check your thermocouple connection at the valve. This is the copper colored looks like a wire thing that the pilot heats up to keep the main gas valve open. At the end of the thermocouple, where it enters the valve, there is a "small nut" which sometimes just needs to be slightly snugged up for the pilot to stay on. Then again the thermocouple could be bad & need replacing.
Best,

[RivetED]

Originally Posted by ktannes

Wait- so it's normal to have to hold that #^$@^%# red button down forever when your starting something that hasn't been used in about five years. I tried like hell to get my furnace to light today and it wouldn't. As soon as I let the little red button go the pilot light would go out. It there something I should be doing?

None of our 3 trailers have had a furnace with a pilot (direct ignition). I thought the days of pilot lights were behind me for good with our latest trailer, but when the direct spark ignition acted up on the water heater last trip I would have happily held the red button for a long while rather than take a cold shower!