Cold Weather Starts with Propane

[ed2hess]

Should these propane units be harder to start in winter compared to summer?And if so what can you do? Keep the tanks in warm area for example?

[djagusch]

Just wondering what do you consider cold in Texas?

[Terry Metro Lawn]

Originally Posted by ed2hess

Should these propane units be harder to start in winter compared to summer?And if so what can you do? Keep the tanks in warm area for example?

Is it a vapor system or a liquid system?

[ed2hess]

Originally Posted by Terry Metro Lawn

Is it a vapor system or a liquid system?

A vapor system. We can't get enough vacumn from the Kohlar provided carb. So we hooked it to the fuel pump but still not enough on cold day.
By cold I mean 25F. Is it possible that I could simply suck on the tube to get it started? I think I will try to put a vac pump on it. Once the unit gets started and runs it is okay for the rest of the day. Let it sit over nite and I have to grind down the battery again.

[Terry Metro Lawn]

Originally Posted by ed2hess

A vapor system. We can't get enough vacumn from the Kohlar provided carb. So we hooked it to the fuel pump but still not enough on cold day.
By cold I mean 25F. Is it possible that I could simply suck on the tube to get it started? I think I will try to put a vac pump on it. Once the unit gets started and runs it is okay for the rest of the day. Let it sit over nite and I have to grind down the battery again.

It doesn't take much vacuum to open the lockoff. You can suck on it.

I'm wondering if the cylinder is mounted correctly OR if you are using a forklift cylinder.

is it freezing-up anywhere?

Also, make sure you open the cylinder valve slowly to not slug the excess-flow valve.

[ed2hess]

Originally Posted by Terry Metro Lawn

It doesn't take much vacuum to open the lockoff. You can suck on it.

I'm wondering if the cylinder is mounted correctly OR if you are using a forklift cylinder.

is it freezing-up anywhere?

Also, make sure you open the cylinder valve slowly to not slug the excess-flow valve.

I have three units running on propane and the other two don't have any
problems with the set of tanks I am using...but is there a way to identify the
forklift tanks? I can post pictures of the tanks. I see no freezing up any where. I do slam the valve open so I will try doing that slowly. I got my brake bleeder pump ready for tomorrow. Right now we are using the fuel pump but what about just hooking directly from the vac line going to the fuel pump to the reg valve?

[newz7151]

Originally Posted by ed2hess

I have three units running on propane and the other two don't have any
problems with the set of tanks I am using...but is there a way to identify the
forklift tanks? I can post pictures of the tanks. I see no freezing up any where. I do slam the valve open so I will try doing that slowly. I got my brake bleeder pump ready for tomorrow. Right now we are using the fuel pump but what about just hooking directly from the vac line going to the fuel pump to the reg valve?

I'm sure McCoys should be more than able to tell you if you are using the right tanks or not.. (assume you got them from there?)

[Arbor32]

We have had some rare problems of the regulator's freezing inside. Not enough to show visable signs, but enough to have issues starting and shutting off. While the unit runs it will actually start to backfire and then turn off. Once that happens it won't run for 20 minutes or so. We had to replace the regulators on these units.

[ed2hess]

Well this morning at 32F it wouldn't start so I took the hose off and sucked on it and the unit started right up. This is simple case of needing a little more vacumn. So where to I manufacture more vacumn? We first tried to use the port on the sepecial propane carb then we hooked to the fuel pump. So if I hook to the vac line going to the fuel pump will I get more vacumn?

By the way after sucking on it to get it started I hooked the hose back
up to the fuel pump and then it continued to run. I don't want to suck on the hose all day.

[Marek]

Originally Posted by Arbor32

We have had some rare problems of the regulator's freezing inside. Not enough to show visable signs, but enough to have issues starting and shutting off. While the unit runs it will actually start to backfire and then turn off. Once that happens it won't run for 20 minutes or so. We had to replace the regulators on these units.

Arbor, I hear you are looking into some propane trucks ? Do you think it will be to your advantage being our propane costs here are so high ? Are you also looking into propane powered mowers ?