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Gas Control Valve Rinnai Infinity and LPG

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robbo

#15
January 13, 2015, 10:42:50 PM
hi guys, just had to replace a Gas Regulator that was leaking. Seems like oil has caused the leak as quite a lot of oil has been recovered from the drain point and the valve is full of it. Customer has talked to `Rock Gas 'the supplier who has been to the site and is investigating, for a start they are supplying another 45kg bottle to replace lost gas but apart from that it`s a wait and see, cheers 
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robbo

#16
January 14, 2015, 09:26:51 PM
hi guys just a follow up, met rep for `Rock Gas 'on site where he stated that the oil had come from the breakdown of the flexible pig tails, (as a matter of interest Hydroflow put out a regulator with stainless pigtails but after gas company would not change cylinders unless they were changed to rubber ones) anyway he went on to say they do not get oil into gas bottles although he did state that approx 20ltrs of oil is removed about every 2 months at the filling station. So i have now been on to Àber` who supply the reg and hoses who say there is no way that the oil is from their hoses and have agreed to test the reg (which is full of oil) and hoses by way of being sent back through the supplier `Mico Wakefield 'resulting report to follow, cheers   
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Jaxcat

#17
January 21, 2015, 02:56:10 PM
And follow up from me too - interesting can of worms has been opened.  Rinnai are now going to collect data about this problem - so if you go to an Infinity and have this experience send the data through to Rinnai (Taf Davies - CSM).  Rheem and Bosch may or may not have a similar problem, but if you fix their gear and experience the same problem send them through some hard data as well.

Rinnai would love the Gas Control Valve, the serial number of the unit and the name and address of the customer. 

I think no one quite knows the extent of the problem as we simply replace the part, bill the customer and get on with it.

Also talking to On Gas - their technical manager is adamant that all gasfitters should be telling clients that BOTH bottles should be turned on together - not one off and the other on.  He feels that this is causing problems and their drivers are instructed not to turn on only one bottle. 

Do you all tell your clients to leave both bottles on?  Of course we can do that, but if the customer goes out after we've gone, or the delivery guy turns only one on then it makes a mockery of what we do.  Still be interested to hear what you tell your clients?
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Have you learned lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you?  Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed the passage with you?  (Walt Whitman 1819-1891)  American Poet

Grant Bourke

#18
January 21, 2015, 03:53:01 PM
Does anyone happen to know if any of the LPG retailers offer monthly rental of the regulator/hosetail installation to customers? While this might take a small part of an installation job away from you as an installer it would leave both you and your customer completely in the clear if any oil turns up as the gas retailer is then the owner of the entire supply chain.
Cheers
Grant
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robbo

#19
January 21, 2015, 05:15:54 PM
Hi guys, never heard of that, can't think why they would be interested as they do not believe that they have a problem, cheers
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foggy

#20
January 21, 2015, 06:40:58 PM
Just had one do the same, gas valve sticking and not opening been in 5 months.
Had Rinnai out and it's been replaced but i'm not sure who is going to foot the bill.
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Jaxcat

#21
January 22, 2015, 08:56:27 PM
Foggy - do you mind sending details through to Rinnai - they would want serial number of unit and they also want the control valve back if it can be sent?  If you talk to the service agent who came they might send the details through - tell them to send them C/- Taf at Rinnai.  Spoke to another gasfitter today who has had three in three weeks.  He has talked to Rinnai today and to On Gas. 

Really interested to see where this all ends up. 

And Grant, they used to rent the autochange over regs  etc but that only lasted about two years or so from my recollection - I don't know any LPG supplier that does that now.
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Jaxcat

#22
January 23, 2015, 11:31:23 AM
More info from LPG company:

"Regarding inverting and draining cylinders I confirm that this is not something we do unless we are sending a cylinder in for testing or maintenance however we do have full electronic cylinder management in place and we can show that cylinders are fully drained during use but I qualify that by stating that it depends on both cylinders having their valves open allowing them to function correctly with the auto change regulators as designed."

All very interesting...
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robbo

#23
February 03, 2015, 11:15:24 PM
hi guys, a follow up on the  Gas Regulator that was leaking situation. Had a report from Àber who say it not their reg that is at fault but would not put anything in writing as to who is to blame, this is his report.
...
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robbo

#24
February 04, 2015, 09:00:07 AM
hi guys, if you use these regulators you can see from the report that it states that they are a cheap throwaway item after a period of x years. So you can now tell your customers that after a x number of years they will be up for a $5/6/7/hundred dollar replacement cost to replace these regs. I called the company who sent the report and said that i would have expected them to say that it was the oil in the gas that was the problem and that it was an unknown as to how long the reg would last if not for the oil problem, they answered that with: we are not prepared to put in writing that one of our big customers is to blame for the reg damage, but will say that it is not our hoses that are at fault, cheers
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Jaxcat

#25
February 24, 2015, 10:43:33 PM
Did everyone see the newsletter put out by Rinnai today about this very topic?  I think a few people on here and out there have been contacting Rinnai about the gas valves - good stuff. 
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bowtieboy

#26
February 25, 2015, 07:32:01 AM
yip sure did, very interesting
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I believe in doing a job once and right. !

robbo

#27
February 25, 2015, 08:50:31 AM
hi guys, no haven't seen it , can you direct me to the newsletter, cheers
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