Propane tanks have multiple uses such as warming up an ice house in the winter and keeping a camper toasty. In order to stay warm, it is important to have proper maintenance for propane regulators throughout the year. If a regulator leaks or is exposed to the elements, it will be more likely to malfunction or freeze, and cause you to put a pin on your plans. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to avoid any mishaps in the winter season.
Let's talk about propane regulators and how to ensure they're ready to go in the cold:
- What is a regulator?
- How does a propane regulator freeze?
- How do you warm a propane regulator?
- No more freeze with a propane tank warmer
What is a regulator?
A regulator is the most vital component to a propane gas system because it controls the flow of propane from the tank to the application it is going to (like a camper or ice house). Due to a regulator controlling the flow of propane, it is extremely important to ensure the tank isn't damaged and intact before firing it up and attaching it to an application. This prevents the possibility of an explosion or uncontrollable blaze of fire.
How does a propane regulator freeze?
When a propane tank is sitting outside, the regulator has no defense against ambient conditions. When unprotected, the regulator can freeze up quickly - and can take a long time to thaw. This can interrupt any plans of using the propane tank.
Regulators can also freeze if your tank is overfilled and the liquid propane gets into the regulator. When liquid propane seeps into a regulator, the pressure change causes propane to freeze inside of it. The only way to get the propane tank up and burning again is by thawing the regulator.
How do you warm a propane regulator?
There are a few different methods used to keep a propane regulator warm. From worst to best, here are a few ways to keep it to temperature in the winter:
3. Heating pouches
A popular way to warm a regulator is by taping heating pouches around the regulator. The issue with this method is they only last for a few hours, and aren't efficient at retaining heat on their own.
2. Heated blanket
Another way to get a regulator working again is by wrapping a heating blanket around it. This method also takes a few hours to warm up the regulator enough so the tanks are safe to run.
1. Propane Tank Warmer
The propane tank warmer features insulation and heating elements to warm the regulator, and keep the heat trapped inside. As long as the cover is plugged into an outlet, the regulator and tanks are always ready to run.
No More freeze with a Propane Tank Warmer
With three different designs, our propane tank warmers are built to withstand freezing temps, while keeping your regulators warm and ready to run. Snowfall, sleet, rain, and strong winter gusts cannot penetrate this cover. These warmers feature a heating element that wraps around the entire cover, and a flip cover designed to insulate the tanks. That means the heat stays in, and keeps the cold out.
With the insulation all throughout the propane tank warmer, you can be confident your regulator is warmed up and ready to go.
