Pilot light question

[Richard]

We've got a ventless fireplace. I use a 100 lb tank outside. In the spring, I move the tank away from the house (eyesore for the wife) and put it in the woods with some other stored things.

I have to wrap up the connections that screw into the tank or the bugs will build a home inside the tubes.

Come along fall, I reconnect everything BUT.... over the prior 6 months, virtually all the propane that has been in the line has disappated.

What happens is I connect the tank back to the line, open it up. The line is full of air and then gets put under pressure when the propane line opens.

I go inside and have to purge a lot of this air before I can get my pilot light lit. It can take 10/20 minutes of fiddling before I can get it lit. Once I get it lit I never have this problem for the rest of the season. I might add that we do not leave the pilot light on, we kill it 100% and have to relight it every time we use fireplace. We do this by choice to simply not burn up gas with the pilot light. The fireplace gas supply is turned 'off' during this down time.

Here's my question: When I'm trying to purge the air from the line is the air slowly purging if I simply push & hold the pilot button in or do I need to push/release/push/release the button?

If I can simply hold it in.... it seems I'd have to hold it for 10/15 minutes.

Is there a different way to purge the air out of the gas line leading from outdoors to the fireplace?

I might add.... this is currently a moot point since I went through this last night but it drove me nuts having to fiddle with it that I finally decided I'd ask.

 

[MossRoad]

I think you have to hold the button in to bypass the thermocouple. That closes when it is cold... I.E. your pilot light goes out, and shuts off the gas supply. My guess would be you have to hold it in until the air bleeds out, you can light the pilot, and then heat the thermocouple. But that is just a guess.

 

[swiftboot]

Not sure if your fireplace would be the same but,,,,I use a propane fryolator (for french firies etc) and it does the same thing when i first turn on the gas. I have found if you turn the gas on and wait 20 mins or so and then light normally it takes away alot of the hassle. I do not have to hold the valve down during this time. It does make sense that gas wouldnt flow thru the line if the valve wasnt depressed as in lighting the pilot light, but apparently just enough does to fill the line enough to lite the pilot light after the 20 min wait. Try it anyway and see what happens. chuck

 

[Bird]

I agree with both of the other posts. You have to hold the button in to purge the air out of the line, however, if you turn the gas on and don't try to purge the air, after awhile the gas and the air in the line will mix enough that you can light the pilot without waiting to bleed off the air. At least that's been my experience with propane appliances.

 

[dave1949]

I don't remember if propane is heavier or lighter than air, its one or the other and will probably affect the mixing Bird mentioned. With different arrangements of tank, piping and height of appliance compared to the tank, I would expect different results.

I vote for holding in the button for a while if it won't light after being connected for 20-30 mins. - while you enjoy a cold beverage of your choice.

Dave.

 

[Western]

Not much to add here, but I would try to find a way to leave the tank in place. Camouflage, paint,rock, something..

 

[Mgrove]

Propane is heavier than air. It tends to run into floor drains and causing problems later. If you can get to the pilot assy, you could heat the thermocouple with a blow torch, then release the button and turn the valve to on. BE SURE TO KEEP THE TORCH ON THE THERMOCOUPLE WHILE DOING THIS. iT'S NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT SOUNDS, JUST KEEP THE TORCH ON THE THERMOCOUPLE until the burner lights. Boy am I going to get it for posting this.
Max

 

[Bird]

Yep, natural gas is lighter than air, and LPG is heavier than air.

 

[tommu56]

Put a valve on the house end and close it before closing the tank valve then disconnect and move tank.
Look for a horizontal 100 and put some shrubs in front of it and leave it hooked up.

tom

 

[MossRoad]

Propane is heavier than air. It tends to run into floor drains and causing problems later. If you can get to the pilot assy, you could heat the thermocouple with a blow torch, then release the button and turn the valve to on. BE SURE TO KEEP THE TORCH ON THE THERMOCOUPLE WHILE DOING THIS. iT'S NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT SOUNDS, JUST KEEP THE TORCH ON THE THERMOCOUPLE until the burner lights. Boy am I going to get it for posting this.
Max

I thought about that, too, but didn't want to say it.