Calling Larry......Calling Larry........regulator class is in session


 
The turkey fryer probably takes a high pressure hose....which the 1psi hose is not.
 
Hey Larry......I just have one more thought on the regulator situation. Many of them have very limited info on them. I dont think I have ever seen the 11WC markings even on the correct " Weber " regulator. I think the important part is to order it correctly from whichever site the consumer is using because that is the only time u can view the specs and actually see 11WC. My assumption is that even 11WC regs say " max 1psi " just because the hose itself is rated for max 1 psi. I believe someone mentioned earlier in this thread they just use off the shelf parts.........They grab a 11WC reg.....then the standard 1PSI max hose......then crimp on the connectors and there is where all the confusion comes in.
 
On the Zhen Dhar brand regulator, are there any markings on the opposite side? I see it has a cCSAus safety certification on it. It doesn't look like a knock off. It might just be the wrong regulator for the bbq grill application. Any idea who installed it?
 
I installed it a few months ago. Pretty simple swap, and I used teflon tape at the 1 brass fitting into the manifold. I didn't do a ton of research, assumed all BBQ regulators were the same and found one that wasn't the cheapest, but not most expensive.

The Zhen Dhar could be a legit equivalent and it was just dirty burner tubes or wrong setting on the vent screens (although I did play with them before the swap). I could have just got a bad one. Or there was nothing wrong at all and it was all in my head. Not really sure at this point. All I can say is it is working better now. And by better I mean the rear tube stays lit. Previously it would light / extinguish continuously. I could watch the flames light down the tube, then turn around and go out. It was like an old HS physics class watching water waves propagate back and forth. That and the tank doesn't "sing" as loud anymore. Not sure the proper term for it, but when on high there is a ringing sound the tank makes.

I didn't have any of those symptoms prior to the original regulator failure (which prompted the change).

I'll try to get more pics of the back tonight after work, but I don't recall seeing any other markings on it.

Thanks for all the help.
 
I honestly don't know the answers to some of those questions because I have rarely had to buy a regulator and when I have I never had an issue
 
DrAllan said:
The Zhen Dhar could be a legit equivalent and it was just dirty burner tubes or wrong setting on the vent screens (although I did play with them before the swap). I could have just got a bad one. Or there was nothing wrong at all and it was all in my head. Not really sure at this point. All I can say is it is working better now. And by better I mean the rear tube stays lit. Previously it would light / extinguish continuously. I could watch the flames light down the tube, then turn around and go out. It was like an old HS physics class watching water waves propagate back and forth. That and the tank doesn't "sing" as loud anymore. Not sure the proper term for it, but when on high there is a ringing sound the tank makes.
Click to expand...
The vent settings on the tube DO NOT change themselves. Once set at the factory it's VERY rare for there to be any need to "adjust" them. Especially Weber OEM as they're flow tested and adjusted on the bench perfectly. Also there is a lot of misinformation being thrown around about what they are and do and how they work.
They CANNOT change the "output" of a burner. That is set by the main orifice(s) and the control knob(s). All they do is control the amount of air with the fuel (basically the A/F ratio). So yeah if they're too far opened up a burner can "flame out" especially at lower setting and or not burn "clean" (nice blue flame with orange tips and little to no separation at the base). The other issue is the burners will look and burn differently whether the lid is up or down. When up they'll tend to run a touch "lean" so you really need to judge with the lid down and the grease tray in place.
I see people saying they "adjusted" these to fix problems and it makes me wonder what they think happened. A little vent fairy messed with them? They don't move by themselves! Fix the issues causing the the problem!
 
Larry,

Thanks. I did replace the burner tubes when I got the grill off CL about 10 y ago, so they weren't set from the factory. Don't recall where I got them, but I picked up the grill dirt cheap online and immediately replaced the burner tubes, flavorizer bars, and grates (haven't done anything since besides basic cookbox / grate cleaning). I do remember having to install / adjust the vent screens when I 1st installed the new burner tubes. Everything had worked once installed and tuned for the past 10 years or so until the regulator went (could barely get grill to light). That is what prompted the regulator change. Upon swapping out the regulator I noticed the rear burner issue I had not previously (front 2 seemed fine). At that point I tried messing with the rear vent to see if I could solve the problem without much success. I would either get big orange/yellow flames, or blue flames that would go out, but I couldn't really find an intermediary setting that seemed satisfactory. I tried to adjust on several occasions, and could hear the flame dancing out with the lid closed.

That is when I decided to try a different regulator (and ran across this thread). So it is quite possible the problem was induced by me. Or was a result of something else and the removal and cleaning of everything cleared up the issue. I didn't see anything obvious or large obstructing the burners or valves when I took them out and cleaned them. But its possible something was lodged in there and I just didn't see it fall out during the removal process.

Not trying to start debate. Just sharing my experience in case someone runs across a similar problem.

Again thanks for all the help!
 
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Honestly doc I have not had to touch the vent shutter on any burners. Even recently replaced the burners with some generic imports on my dad's grill. I installed them, clicked the ignitor and they fired off perfectly. For the most part I have looked and 3/16" to 1/4" (or about 3mm) is always perfect. Unless I find one that is not in that range (which I have never seen). It's kinda like people wasting money on their car for "alignment". Here's the deal. If the car is out of alignment than something is bent, broken or worn out. First fix what is bent, broke or worn than deal with "alignment". I have honestly not had an alignment done on a car unless I have had to replace a major part (struts, outer tie rod, etc) and even then if you're careful you can get away with doing it on the ground at home.
All I am getting at is things don't get "out of adjustment" than have been working fine unless something else has malfunctioned or broken/worn out
 
Understood and don't' disagree. In hindsight I should have looked elsewhere 1st instead of messing with the vents. I think I looked there because I've found that on my turkey burner the daisy wheel intake vent often needs tweaking, then again, it doesn't have a set screw to hold it in place. I wasn't sure if the new regulator had a slightly different flow that would require a different air/gas mix. That and it was the easiest thing to do (just loosen the set screw and rotate vs dissembling). Hopefully this thread will help those who run into a similar problem at some point again.

If I had to do it over again (and the patience) I would have taken a more scientific approach and done more troubleshooting vs throwing parts at it. That being said, it had been 10 years since I installed the burners and had never really cleaned them or the valves. I found the valves were getting sticky and didn't' turn as well as I wished (started a thread on that also). I just figured I'd take the small engine "rebuild carburetor" approach and replace / clean as much as I could in 1 shot.

Now that we have been discussing this, I'm trying to think of a way to rig up some sort of pressure gauge to see what each regulator is spitting out. I think the fittings with a schrader valve or T would be pretty easy to put together, but I'm not sure if I have a pressure guage that would have enough precision down in the single digit PSI as I would need. That would allow me to better quantify the difference (if any) between the two regulators.
 
The
DrAllan said:
I installed it a few months ago. Pretty simple swap, and I used teflon tape at the 1 brass fitting into the manifold. I didn't do a ton of research, assumed all BBQ regulators were the same and found one that wasn't the cheapest, but not most expensive.

The Zhen Dhar could be a legit equivalent and it was just dirty burner tubes or wrong setting on the vent screens (although I did play with them before the swap). I could have just got a bad one. Or there was nothing wrong at all and it was all in my head. Not really sure at this point. All I can say is it is working better now. And by better I mean the rear tube stays lit. Previously it would light / extinguish continuously. I could watch the flames light down the tube, then turn around and go out. It was like an old HS physics class watching water waves propagate back and forth. That and the tank doesn't "sing" as loud anymore. Not sure the proper term for it, but when on high there is a ringing sound the tank makes.

I didn't have any of those symptoms prior to the original regulator failure (which prompted the change).

I'll try to get more pics of the back tonight after work, but I don't recall seeing any other markings on it.

Thanks for all the help.
Click to expand...
The high pitch hiss or "singing" sound is the propane passing through the orifice. Sounds like the Zhen Dhar regulator was a higher pressure regulator pushing more propane through the orifices. Anyway, I believe there has to be a making on the regulator that allows you to determine the pressure rating. It could be a model number, and that's why I asked if there were any markings on the opposite side not shown in the photo.
 
DrAllan said:
Understood and don't' disagree. In hindsight I should have looked elsewhere 1st instead of messing with the vents. I think I looked there because I've found that on my turkey burner the daisy wheel intake vent often needs tweaking, then again, it doesn't have a set screw to hold it in place. I wasn't sure if the new regulator had a slightly different flow that would require a different air/gas mix. That and it was the easiest thing to do (just loosen the set screw and rotate vs dissembling). Hopefully this thread will help those who run into a similar problem at some point again.

If I had to do it over again (and the patience) I would have taken a more scientific approach and done more troubleshooting vs throwing parts at it. That being said, it had been 10 years since I installed the burners and had never really cleaned them or the valves. I found the valves were getting sticky and didn't' turn as well as I wished (started a thread on that also). I just figured I'd take the small engine "rebuild carburetor" approach and replace / clean as much as I could in 1 shot.

Now that we have been discussing this, I'm trying to think of a way to rig up some sort of pressure gauge to see what each regulator is spitting out. I think the fittings with a schrader valve or T would be pretty easy to put together, but I'm not sure if I have a pressure guage that would have enough precision down in the single digit PSI as I would need. That would allow me to better quantify the difference (if any) between the two regulators.
Click to expand...

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You will need one of these and a manometer. I dont think you'll find a dial gauge that will read 11"wc properly.
 
A Lee said:
The

The high pitch hiss or "singing" sound is the propane passing through the orifice. Sounds like the Zhen Dhar regulator was a higher pressure regulator pushing more propane through the orifices. Anyway, I believe there has to be a making on the regulator that allows you to determine the pressure rating. It could be a model number, and that's why I asked if there were any markings on the opposite side not shown in the photo.
Click to expand...
I just checked the propane regulators on all 3 of my gas grills. Every one of them had a brand and model number that allowed me to determine the pressure rating of the regulator. Note one of them was a Precimax brand one that had the model number on the back side of the casting.
 
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