Blichmann regulator hose on fire

[camelcarlson]

On only my 4th or 5th time using a new Blichmann burner, the stainless lined hose suddenly burst into flames (the rubber hose had melted and was spewing out propane which caught on fire)! Has anyone had any issues such as this? I've tried contacting Blichmann about this, with no response. Any ideas?

 

[day_trippr]

Yikes! That looks like some potentially scary **** right there.
How the heck did the hose get hot enough to melt?

 

[kellanv]

All I can think is the propane is igniting and exiting out of the intake manifold. A little scary!

 

[user 4295]

It's possible there was a leak at the crimp on that line and the escaping gas flashed back to the source and continued to burn? That certainly doesn't inspire confidence to buy that burner!

 

[BigBadMikey]

I have the same burner. Occasionally, wind will blow the flame back into the gas intake area. For this reason, I do not walk away from the burner when it is on.

 

[day_trippr]

I have two of those burners, one with the leg extensions (though not in the stock fashion as pictured) and I've never had flame shooting below the wind screen or even sneaking out the gap around the venturi. Ever. Never mind allowing that to persist long enough to actually melt through the gas line. That's just crazy...

Cheers!

 

[mikescooling]

Hi, you may try opening up your air intake. IMHO. I've got 15 years in HVAC.
Mike

 

[OneHoppyGuy]

Hi Mike! Welcome to HBT! You can offer a LOT to this forum with your experience. I look forward to learning from you.

 

[tv187u]

I have two of those burners, one with the leg extensions (though not in the stock fashion as pictured) and I've never had flame shooting below the wind screen or even sneaking out the gap around the venturi. Ever. Never mind allowing that to persist long enough to actually melt through the gas line. That's just crazy...

Cheers!

I second this. I've procured two of them about a year ago and have not had any such problem. I had a close call with an old turkey fryer burner that constantly had flames suck back. This is crazy.

 

[JasonO]

My Blichmann burner with leg extensions has been perfect as well.

I'd be interested to see how your flames look when your using the burner. For 4 or 5 uses that housing looks like it got very very hot. Mine is only slightly discolored and I have 8 or 9 batches through it.

Any response from Blichmann yet? Last time I e-mailed them with a question I got a response very quickly.

 

[Mojoe4]

I have the same burner. Occasionally, wind will blow the flame back into the gas intake area. For this reason, I do not walk away from the burner when it is on.

+1

This has happened to me when I had the legs on my burner. I haven't had it happen in a long time. But i now brew in my garage out of the wind, and I don't walk away from the burner. As I remember when this happens it makes a howling noise, scared the $%^&* out of me.

 

[camelcarlson]

My flame seemed to look just fine, I usually only supply about half throttle to the burner. I have still yet to hear back from Blichmann after a week or so...I was brewing in pretty cold conditions, but nothing I haven't brewed in before, at least with my banjo burner. I'm at a loss..

 

[sivdrinks]

Was just gonna order one of these, not very confidence inspiring. Not the first time I've heard about no response from Blichmann either which really sucks. Now I'm second guessing.

 

[jwatkins56550]

That is really bad news you haven't heard back from him yet. The exact same thing happened to mine, however it waited until now to actually leak. I emailed Blichmann an hour ago.

If I hear nothing anyone want to help chime in with possible regulator substitutes.

Would any of these be the best substitute?

King Kooker High-Pressure Adjustable Regulator and LP Hose - Female | Meijer.com

High Pressure Adjustable Regulator with Type 1 Connection & Stainless Steel Braided Hose with 3/8 in Female Flare Swivel-34502 at The Home Depot

 

[samc]

Blichman is awful IMO. Customer service is spotty.

If that were my burner I'd plumb with brass or SS fittings so that the hose is connecting well below the burner to keep that from happening again.

I'd also tell Blichman that if they failed to respond in X number of days you will file a complaint with the #$#)#$ government agency who handles that kind of problem. Pretty sure we must have a Gov't agency for that, we seem to have one for most things.

 

[cswest]

That sucks, I've been using that burner with the extensions for about two years now, around 24 batches, and have never seen anything like that. I'm also surprised that you have not gotten a response yet. I had a problem with the on-line retailer I bought my burner from and Blichmann took care of everything.

 

[sivdrinks]

Don't they have a phone number?

 

[Markd27]

I'd also tell Blichman that if they failed to respond in X number of days you will file a complaint with the #$#)#$ government agency who handles that kind of problem. Pretty sure we must have a Gov't agency for that, we seem to have one for most things.

Yes, government involvement is what is needed here.

 

[joeybeer]

They've probably started manufacturing in China ... It saves them a couple of dollars you see - when it burns your house down they'll deal with it.

 

[BigdogMark]

It looks to me like the flame got back to the orifice and started heating up the hose connection to the point of melting the hose itself. I've seen that happen a couple of times on our rig but we catch it because the heat on the burner falls off and we lose boil. The significantly different jet engine sounding noise is a giveaway as well. On our rig there is more distance between the orifice and the hose connection due to some additional safety valves so it takes quite a bit longer for the heat to transfer all the way to the hose.

This isn't really an issue with the regulator, but one of the hose and the connection to the burner. The stainless steel braid looks good, but if the thermoplastic hose gets warm it starts to ooze out and will develop a leak. This won't occur with a short term heat flash.

 

[starman]

I use natural gas but compared to mine, theres a lot of discoloration and corrosion on the rest of the burner for 4 or 5 uses. Its hard to see but is there a spring between the damper and the hose? If your SS pot holder brackets are in rough shape already, maybe that high carbon spring that keeps the damper valve tight got similar corrosion, bound up, and allowed fuel to leak?

Also, it looks like you're missing the set screw at the damper as well.

 

[Horace]

theres a lot of discoloration and corrosion on the rest of the burner for 4 or 5 uses.

Also, it looks like you're missing the set screw at the damper as well.

That's kinda the way I see it. It's hard to believe that 4 or 5 uses caused that kind of discoloration.

After experiencing the "jet engine" noise I always place the damper perpendicular to the wind to prevent blow back.

Disappointed to hear that you received no response as of yet. Wondering if this issue was the cause of the short supply problem during the Holidays...

 

[sivdrinks]

I'd still like to hear a response before buying. I've made them aware of this thread, maybe get an answer quicker. So you guys think it's a wind issue? I'd mostly be in the garage anyway.

 

[Horace]

I have not had the problem since consciously placing the damper perpendicular to the wind but I can't say with certainty that the wind was the cause.

I "babysit" this burner... something I never had to do with my Hurricane burner.

 

[camelcarlson]

It looks to me like the flame got back to the orifice and started heating up the hose connection to the point of melting the hose itself. I've seen that happen a couple of times on our rig but we catch it because the heat on the burner falls off and we lose boil. The significantly different jet engine sounding noise is a giveaway as well. On our rig there is more distance between the orifice and the hose connection due to some additional safety valves so it takes quite a bit longer for the heat to transfer all the way to the hose.

This isn't really an issue with the regulator, but one of the hose and the connection to the burner. The stainless steel braid looks good, but if the thermoplastic hose gets warm it starts to ooze out and will develop a leak. This won't occur with a short term heat flash.

Thanks for the info, but I'm still trying to figure out WHY this happened. There was no wind and all the connections, to my knowledge, were properly connected. I did step in the house to ready a hop addition and thats when I heard that crazy jet blasting sound.

 

[starman]

Pure speculation but it looks like maybe that venturri baffle wasnt assembled right. I took the set screw off and that alone makes it kind of sloppy. Not sure how well can you fine tune the flame without it.

I am very happy with mine. It took a few batches to figure out boil off. With only a 44 quart pot its very easy to run it a lot hotter than needed. Thats with the natural gas conversion kit and primarily run out of the elements.

 

[eastoak]

On only my 4th or 5th time using a new Blichmann burner, the stainless lined hose suddenly burst into flames (the rubber hose had melted and was spewing out propane which caught on fire)! Has anyone had any issues such as this? I've tried contacting Blichmann about this, with no response. Any ideas?

that burner looks like it's been rode hard those 4/5 times, with the stainless being as discolored as it is there must have been quite a flame going. i have a top tier stand with two of these burners and i have had it blow out with a loud pop once but never any flames shooting out like this. i had two other burners before i went with blichmann and i feel the blichmann is a superior burner, high quality materials, powerful and quiet. when fed ex delivered my stand it was 1 burner short i called blichmann and it was on it's way that day. i don't care to shill for any product but my experience with blichmann has been good.

 

[BlichmannEngineering]

John here from Blichmann Engineering. Heard about this post second hand from another feedback inquiry we got from our web page. I'm not sure what happened to the original inquiry from Camelcarlson, so will answer here.

I am guessing, without seeing the actual parts first hand, that there was a gas leak and subsequent flame at the crimp. Obviously not normal. These regulators have been very reliable but failures do occur and we will certainly replace this.

If you are getting flame into the venturi that is normally an adjustment issue or misassembly. Please see our video on the proper assembly and adjustment:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80DXdiSVxQI]Blichmann TopTier Burner Instructional Video - YouTube[/ame]

Most brewers are used to cranking up the propane on typical turkey burners till they hear a big roar. This product is quite different - if you can hear the flame it is misadjusted.

Camelcarlson - as mentioned on our feedback form, please first contact the retailer where you purchased the product for any assistance you need with product issues before contacting us directly. They can order any warranty replacement parts and provide guidance with any issues you're having and can get you back up and running quickly. That's why we sell wholesale through retailers - to have that immediate local support for the customer. If you are unable to resolve through them please contact us through our feedback form on our web as we do not monitor this forum regularly.

 

[sivdrinks]

Direct reply, nice.

 

[jpalarchio]

I've emailed John @ Blichmann several times about just BS questions on whatever and he's always responded immediately. Glad to see he popped up on the forum to address this.

 

[camelcarlson]

Thanks John! By no means was I trying to blemish the company, I just wanted some sort of explanation for how this could have happened. Cheers!

 

[BlichmannEngineering]

Thanks Camelcarlson - We by no means claim to have omnipotent customer service powers, but if we don't reply in a few days it is likely that we just didn't get your message somehow. In any case, always contact you're retailer first for any issues. They're a great bunch and have staff at the ready to help you and can get us involved if necessary.

 

[kickrjason]

So whats the overall verdict on these? still worth the $$ or has the quality gone downhill? I am looking to replace my current burner sooner then later and this was on the top of my list.

 

[eastoak]

So whats the overall verdict on these? still worth the $$ or has the quality gone downhill? I am looking to replace my current burner sooner then later and this was on the top of my list.

these are all stainless steel so i'm not sure how that could go down in quality but to me it was worth the price. my old bayou classics were not worth the $30 i paid for them.

 

[TomSD]

these are all stainless steel so i'm not sure how that could go down in quality but to me it was worth the price. my old bayou classics were not worth the $30 i paid for them.

Yeah that was kind of my feeling. Don't get me wrong going to full boils and moving the operation outside made my Bayou kit well worth it but after using it for over a year I realize there has to be a better solution. As usual though you get what you paid for and how much you are willing to pay is ultimately a decision only you, as the consumer, can make.

Mine is being delivered today so it looks like they are clearing up their inventory problems and getting caught back up. Just an FYI for those thinking about pulling the trigger.

 

[adroc]

The same thing happened to me during my brew day yesterday and it was scary as ****. I had a 3ft flame thrower shooting out of regulator at exactly the same spot as OP which ended up damaging the gas solenoid valve and electric starter I had hooked it up to. I had to throw myself into the line of fire in order to shut off the propane tank and not burn my whole rig down. I have attached some pictures of the aftermath for your viewing pleasure.

I have also contacted Blichmann and the retailer I purchased the burner from and will update this thread once I hear back from them.

 

[matc]

Holy crap ! What a bummer...that's why one should never use a propane brewing rig inside. **** can happens

 

[Hello]

The same thing happened to me during my brew day yesterday and it was scary as ****. I had a 3ft flame thrower shooting out of regulator at exactly the same spot as OP which ended up damaging the gas solenoid valve and electric starter I had hooked it up to. I had to throw myself into the line of fire in order to shut off the propane tank and not burn my whole rig down. I have attached some pictures of the aftermath for your viewing pleasure. I have also contacted Blichmann and the retailer I purchased the burner from and will update this thread once I hear back from them.

When did you purchase your burner and was it new or used?

 

[day_trippr]

Seems like an E-Stop that shuts everything immediately off is a good feature to add.

And harder gas plumbing - those crimped flex lines clearly are a liability...

Cheers!

 

[adroc]

When did you purchase your burner and was it new or used?

It was purchased new about 4 months ago and used around 6 times so far.