LP Gas and Generator Experts - Please Join Me

[bmarshall1]

3 Regulators. 1 at the tank, 1 at the house, and the genny has it's own separate regulator

 

[bmarshall1]

Double Post

 

[My Old Tools]

I think you have a plugged line, maybe from a mud dauber. They can absolutely plug a line that line pressure won't blow out. Also your lines sound small for a Generac. Did you check the manual for recommended size?

http://skipd.artin.org/Pipe sizing for fuel gas.jpg

 

[bmarshall1]

I think you have a plugged line, maybe from a mud dauber. They can absolutely plug a line that line pressure won't blow out. Also your lines sound small for a Generac. Did you check the manual for recommended size?

http://skipd.artin.org/Pipe sizing for fuel gas.jpg

Generac manual only talked about the line from the 2nd regulator to the generator. I have done the math (line length, diameter etc...) and I am getting ample gas to the 2nd (house) regulator and the genny is about 2 feet from that. So that is fine.

UPDATE- so.... I removed the regulator and come to find out there should have been a small jet installed into the 3rd (small) gas line that was never installed; that likely was not my start issue but was told by a Generac rep that it would not run the best w/o that jet. BUT, once I removed the regulator I could see the solenoid was not working, I'm not sure why I was hearing clicks, but there was nothing once energized separate from the genny, perhaps I was back feeding power to a relay?

So in conclusion. It likely ran, although not as good as it should have. I have a new regulator on the way and fingers crossed this will do the trick. Now I will get a professional to review the transfer switches and fuse boxes as I am NOT messing with that. Thanks for all the tips and help.

 

[Lassen Forge]

You have a regulator (#1) off the tank, a regulator (#2) at the generator, and a regulator (#3) at the house. #1 steps down your tank pressure to a supply line pressure, to feed the other 2 lines, which then steps down your pressure to their respective appliences (Generator or House). The Generator has a safety valve - if your pressure is too high or too low feeding it (say, you remove the regulator at the generator and try to feed it from the supply line pressure), it won't allow gas to flow. You're talking the difference between 5-10 PSI and 0.2 to 0.3 PSI (5-10 column inches)...

OR... If you're underpressure (the tank is too low or empty) it will seat this valve, and it may be stuck from years of non-use and an empty tank...

Then you have the control circuitry - the ECU - for the machine. Ours (a 22 KW Generac) will "no-start" under various fault conditions. I know ours had a recall of the control circuit board, they didn't advertise it but a number of them failed... The board controls almost all aspects of the unit...

You can get a PDF of the manual for the unit online (I have both the Operators and Service manual for ours) and I would recommend doing that so you know what the foibles of YOUR generator are...

They're otherwise pretty simple systems. Look up the installation instructions for YOUR unit, make sure it's set up for your generator, then start the troubleshooting process...

 

[bmarshall1]

You have a regulator (#1) off the tank, a regulator (#2) at the generator, and a regulator (#3) at the house. #1 steps down your tank pressure to a supply line pressure, to feed the other 2 lines, which then steps down your pressure to their respective appliences (Generator or House). The Generator has a safety valve - if your pressure is too high or too low feeding it (say, you remove the regulator at the generator and try to feed it from the supply line pressure), it won't allow gas to flow. You're talking the difference between 5-10 PSI and 0.2 to 0.3 PSI (5-10 column inches)...

OR... If you're underpressure (the tank is too low or empty) it will seat this valve, and it may be stuck from years of non-use and an empty tank...

Then you have the control circuitry - the ECU - for the machine. Ours (a 22 KW Generac) will "no-start" under various fault conditions. I know ours had a recall of the control circuit board, they didn't advertise it but a number of them failed... The board controls almost all aspects of the unit...

You can get a PDF of the manual for the unit online (I have both the Operators and Service manual for ours) and I would recommend doing that so you know what the foibles of YOUR generator are...

They're otherwise pretty simple systems. Look up the installation instructions for YOUR unit, make sure it's set up for your generator, then start the troubleshooting process...

Thanks for the tips, I am pretty* confidant the new regulator will do the trick. I have read sometimes a control board is needed, but that is generally when power is not going to the solenoid wire, which mine is. Not to say it might be messed up somewhere else in the board.

I hate throwing parts at things but since the regulator is missing the LP Gas jet and the solenoid isn't working, but everything else seems* to be OK at this point, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The Generac guy said they are pretty sensitive to gas pressure so my next step is to purchase a manometer, but, I was still getting proper gas pressure even when I was 'over regulated'.

 

[Bretny]

If it runs on starting fluid you have a gas or gas flow problem. No valve adjustment or spark plug is going to fix that.