Posted: 3/7/2012 8:03:25 AM EDT
I'm posting this here in HTF, because I know for certain there's quite a few guys with vast experience with cooking stuff on grills.  However, this is about the tool, not the food.
I've got a 3 burner propane grill made by "Grill Pro". I really like the way it cooks, but... My problem is I cannot get the hose with regulator tight enough into a propane tank to prevent it from "wiggling", and leaking. I've got two tanks, and it's the same with both. The fitting on the hose & tanks is the newer type, that's not supposed to require a wrench. It's the big black plastic knurled knob type. There's no o-ring on the brass "nozzle" of the hose, but there's o-rings in the tanks (and both are not that old, and look good to me). I lubed the threads with some vasoline and put a strap wrench on it, to try to get it tighter. It's "bottomed out" and it still isn't tight enough to stop the gas from leaking.  The colder the weather, the more pronounced the problem is (doesn't leak in July). I can push the brass nozzle inward just a hair, and it makes contact with o-rings and leak stops (sprayed with soapy water, stops the bubbles). When l let it go, it leaks pretty bad (lots of soapy bubbles, and I can even smell it).
Anyone have this issue (I can't believe I'm alone in this) and how did you solve it? I'm thinking of changing the fitting on the hose end to the old wrench-required type, before I blow the thing up. Both tanks have the "old-style" interior left-handed threads, as well as the outer threads the current hose fitting uses, and I've got enough brass fittings from older stuff to do the swap. |
| I would suggest you replace the hose and fitting that connect to the tanks. I would imagine your plastic fitting is out of spec. I believe the hose and fitting are standard size parts across all grills. My brother replaced his on his weber through warranty and it solved a similar problem. I bet Menards would have what ya need. |
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I messed around with it yesterday afternoon. I'm thinking the problem is with the tank OPD valves, not the hose fitting. I had the tanks "re-fitted" with the new valves where I buy my propane (I own the tanks, they're not "rentals").
I've got a box full of propane fittings (leftovers from my previous 18 yr job as a roofer, and some stuff saved from yrs of owning campers). I had another grill prior to this one that had the same type fitting on the hose. But back then, my tanks had the old type valves. I had bought a adaptor fitting that would screw into the left-hand inner threads on the tank end, and accept the "new" type hose fitting on the other. I totally forgot I had this adaptor, until I opened that box of propane fittings yesterday. This fitting screwed into the tank's inside LH threads nice & tight, and the fitting on the grill hose works just fine in the other end. Tested with soapy water, no leaks, and nice easy-to-light flame on the grill. I also found the hose & regulator from a previous grill, which I scavenged parts from before I threw it away. This one doesn't tighten up neither in the tank valves, but fits nice & tight in the adaptor. Next time I need a refill, I'll take both the grill hose & regulator assemblies with me (and the adaptor fitting that works) , and ask them why the valves they sold me are so fricken hazardous!!! I haven't liked this "new" system from the start. Having an explosive gas go through connections that are only hand tightened seems dangerous to me. ... especially when there's an open flame just a few inches/feet away. I spent years working with propane burners everyday, and you don't mess with flammable gas. If I can't tighten in down with a wrench, I don't trust it. 
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Quoted:
I did some Google work, called a few friends, and asked my BBQ mentor Clark your questions. I came up with the fix. Sell your gas grille and buy a charcoal grille. Phew, explosions averted. Problem fixed! Phew.
If it were up to me, I would. But my wife is the principal user, and she likes the convenience of a gas vs charcoal grill. I'm a man of many talents... and it may be "sacriligous" to say so here, but cooking is not one of them.  My version of cooking a hot meal is to toast the bread of my peanut-butter & jelly sandwiches.  I'll stick to the mechanics of cooking... maintaining the tools. It's what I'm good at. 
I cooked a meal once. It was awful. Most of it got fed to the dog. Shortly after eating it, the dog was licking his ass. My wife said he was doing so to get the bad taste out of his mouth.
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