Winter Use Of Lp Gas - Winnebago Sunflyer Manual

WARNING
Never use an open flame to test for
gas leaks. When testing for gas lines
leaks with a soapy water solution, DO
NOT use a detergent containing
ammonia or chlorine. These sub-
stances may generate a chemical
reaction causing corrosion to gas
lines, resulting in dangerous leak con-
ditions.

WINTER USE OF LP GAS

Due to vaporization characteristics of LP gas,
it is important that the winter camper knows how
to most efficiently use the LP system. The vapor-
ization rate of LP gas decreases in a direct rela-
tionship to a decrease in temperature. Propane
will convert to a usable gas temperatures down to
-44°F. For this reason, propane is a popular heat-
ing fuel in cold climates. However, even propane
vaporizes at a slower rate as it becomes colders.
The greater the amount of liquid gas in the
tank (up to 80% level) the greater the amount of
LP gas vapor generated. The following is an ex-
ample of the number of BTU's available from an
84-pound tank at 0° F at three levels. As you can
see, the number of BTU's decreases as the tank is
emptied. Nearly twice as many BTU's are avail-
able from a full tank than one that is one-fourth
full.
BTU's Available at 0° F.
Tank Level
80%
50%
20%
The following LP Gas Vaporization and Tem-
perature Relationship chart typifies the LP gas
loss with a decrease in temperature. The percent-
age figures are the increase or decrease of vapor
that would be available at 0°F. These figures ap-
ply to any size LP gas tanks.
BTU's
64,000
50,400
33,000
SECTION 5
LP GAS SYSTEM
Percentage of BTU's
Temperature Available at 0° F.
20° F.
10° F.
0° F.
-5° F.
-10° F.
-15° F.
-20° F.
-44° F.
200%
150%
100%
75%
50%
25%
12 1/2%
Propane will
not vaporize
5-5