Humming/buzzing from propane tank area

[m.hony]

I just replaced my batteries. While down there changing batteries I noticed a constant humming coming from the propane tanks.
Does the regulator make noise?
Does the gauge make noise?
I didn't really notice it before changing batteries.
The noise seemed to go away after I changed the batteries and turned the power back on.
Freaky/weird...
What's up with that?


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[Siegmann]

Originally Posted by m.hony

I just replaced my batteries. While down there changing batteries I noticed a constant humming coming from the propane tanks.
Does the regulator make noise?
Does the gauge make noise?
I didn't really notice it before changing batteries.
The noise seemed to go away after I changed the batteries and turned the power back on.
Freaky/weird...
What's up with that?


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I had the same thing happen. I thought maybe the regulator was failing. The humming went away. That was over two years ago. Regulator is still working fine.

[CBWELL]

That is just the new batteries humming a "happy tune" that they have a new permanant home!! Seriously, I had the same thing when replacing batteries on mine, couldn't figure out what the heck was making the noise, but it went away, and no problems. Replaced the old Boat Anchor charger with a PD9245 as I thought that was the problem. Chris

[n2916s]

The propane regulator will occasionally hum along happily depending on demand and ambient temperature. It is attention getting but harmless.

Mike

[KJRitchie]

Mine does that depending on flow.

Kelvin

[m.hony]

There may be a new converter/charger in my future.
If the OE Parallax doesn't charge my new AGM's, I'll get a Progressive Dynamics PD9260.


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[CDONA]

Running the fridge on gas, early in the morning I had a water drop on tin sound that would wake me and I couldn't figure out what it was. I finally got up as the noise was in progress an felt around to find the noise. It was the regulator diaphragm with a small pop, I felt it. Warmer temps and more flow (stove top) no noise. I replaced it.

[mojo]

A propane tank will hum when it is getting low on propane. Time to switch over the tanks.

[m.hony]

Both are full.


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[Jammer]

The propane regulator on my trailer hums when there is propane in use but at a very low flow rate. Sometimes the vibration causes the floats in the propane tanks to make noise, too. I think it's a harmless, mild annoyance.

[m.hony]

No propane in use.
In a campground hooked to shore power-
Running water heater on electric-
No need for furnace-


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[BoldAdventure]

Mine hums too. Weirds me out.

[ghaynes755]

Michael time to get a 3 stage charger. The OE Parallax, according to many, is a death sentence for the AGM's.

Regulator do sometimes hum. Normally a happy tune like "Its a small world". After about a 100 choruses or so you won't hear it any more from the heavy drinking to make it go away

[J. Morgan]

If gas is going through the regulator it will "hum", and if it is "humming", gas is going through it.

It is a sound created by the harmonics of the action of the pressure being regulated by the diaphragms. (Rapid oscillation of on and off)

The flow oscillates, as does the pressure within a narrowly defined range, thus the noise.

If nothing is on, and the regulator makes noise, you have a leak.


Superat stultitia.

[Siegmann]

Originally Posted by m.hony

No propane in use.
In a campground hooked to shore power-
Running water heater on electric-
No need for furnace-


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So are you saying that these were the conditions when you heard the humming mentioned in your original post?

[m.hony]

Yes.
Mild day-
Plugged in at a campsite-
No propane being used-
Both tanks full-
Seemed to only do it when batteries removed and stopped when new batteries installed and power switched back on-


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[KJRitchie]

Is it possible to have a propane leak and not smell any propane?

Are all connectors on the propane system accessible? Are their any connectors located under the subfloor?

Kelvin

[m.hony]

The sound is at the tanks, regulator, gauge.
I'm sure if there was a leak I'd smell it.


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[jcanavera]

You say nothing was on, but I'll bet the fridge was on. Based on your model year it probably is a model with the automatic fuel changeover. No power and the unit changes over to gas. Power on, gas goes off and fridge returns to it's electrical mode. I've heard my regulator have a low hum also but it was the fact that we were flowing gas from some gas appliance.

The only thing that doesn't quite add up is you noted "the batteries being removed". Unless something has changed in the newer years, I always thought that some power (from the battery) was required to keep the AES electrical brains of the refrigerator circuit alive even when operating in gas mode. Maybe the control panel now retains just enough power long enough to make that final switch over to gas when it sees the voltage level drop in order to maintain refrigerator cooling? That would make sense to me. Or is there some power feed from the battery that the AES monitors? I'm assuming when you did the battery change out you were still plugged into electrical power and either turn the master disconnect switch into the off position prior to changing out the batteries? I know I have always turned off the disconnect switch prior to a battery change out.

As a matter of fact I've had a hum from my home natural gas regulator. The hum was so loud that my neighbor heard it when walking between my home and he and called me. We ignored it at first but eventually the hum got loud enough to change tones to higher pitch and become fairly loud. Called the gas company and they changed out the regulator and meter. They guy coming out said there probably wasn't any probability failure even though it was quite loud. He replaced anyway it because it was excessively loud when the furnace was drawing gas.

Jack

[m.hony]

I don't think so.
The power was turned off at the disconnect.
The house batteries were removed.
Doesn't the refrigerator require 12 volt power to the circuit board for the thermostat, switches, and digital display?


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