Low Pressure Burner With High Pressure Regulator

[monkeybusiness]

I've got me a simple cast iron burner on loan from another brewer that I've been using to do single batches (there is another thread currently running on similar lines but I thought I'd start a new one as this isn't specifically for 2 ring burners). It doesn't really cut the mustard so I've been looking at the interim purchase of an adjustable medium pressure reg to up the juice on what I have (prior to getting a better burner at some time in the future).

However, when I asked a supplier about buying one they quizzed what I was using it for and noted that medium pressure regulators shouldn't be used on low pressure burners for fear of things that go kaboom! This would apply to using such a reg on 3 or 4 ring burners also. I was told the rated pressure for a low pressure burner is 2.75kPa but the medium pressure reg will put out 100kPa.

There are plenty of threads of people doing this and no-one seems to be dead, so am I being paranoid? Is there some mega safety factor in low pressure burners that allows this to be OK? Any gas fitters out there reckon this type of set up is safe or is it just a matter of time before a weakness in a low pressure burner operating at high pressure showers one of us with cast iron shrapnel?

Or have I just got it all wrong....

-monkeybusiness: sitting in a corner with the curtains drawn and an aluminium foil cap to stop government satellites from reading my thoughts...

 

[Doogiechap]

Bloke I think the official line is that the regulator has the capacity to overwhelm the burner with more fuel than what can be balanced with oxygen delivery and can cause a flame out and potentially hazardous situation therefore it's a dangerous combination......

The unofficial line for me and many others is that the adjustable medium pressure regs (mine is supposedly an adjustable high pressure on a 4 ring burner) have the ability to adjust the fuel delivery from next to nothing to something better than LP regs giving us a better output from our burners, :super: . There is a limit to the stability as you turn the output up so the onus is on you to be sensible in how much you turn it up in order to maintain a sensible/ stable burn.
In case you didn't see the link in the other thread, Domonsura went to great efforts to give us some solid info on matching burners with regs with happy snaps to boot
I hope this clears things up a bit for you and that you can take the ally foil cap off as you look pretty silly .
Cheers
Doug

 

[monkeybusiness]

Thanks for the reply doogie.

The flameout thing was something I hadn't considered. So I get the issue about using the reg sensibly and the ability to adjust the rate of delivery, but is there not a problem about the higher pressure inside a device that may not be designed to hold that sort of pressure?

 

[Doogiechap]

Bloke I'm not a gasfitter and can't offer the industry specific answers you are chasing but a good place to seek more info would be:
GAMECO CORPORATE SERVICES PTY LTD
A.B.N. 65 010 069 566
161 Parramatta Road
AUBURN NSW 2144
Australia

T: +61 2 9648 5856
F: +61 2 9647 2784

My understanding is that we are using the HP regs at the lower end of the output pressure scale. I'm assuming that there is very little pressure in the burner body itself as the idea is that air is sucked into the burner assembly with the gas and mixes at a ratio that supports combustion and then exits and feeds the flame. So whilst there is certainly pressure at the outlet of the regulator this is quickly dispersed as it enters the body of the burner. Hopefully Gameco can elaborate further.
Cheers
Doug

 

[monkeybusiness]

Thanks doogie. I'll look those guys up and do a bit more investigating.