3 regulators---all leaking

Oven/Range/Cooktop Repair
1

I noticed a light propane odor at times when my oven was off, when I pulled out the warming drawer (which I use for storage.) Called propane company, they checked the tank and lines to house, all fine. They said to check the appliance. So I called appliance company who sent people out, they verified they could faintly smell it. Did soap test, no bubbles, they said they didn’t know. I then bought a gas sniffer and found it—It was coming around the white plastic dust cap over the part of the regulator where you switch it from Nat Gas to LP. Called appliance company back, they replaced it. The new one leaked in the same manner. I then purchased a NEW one (this would be #3) from this site, and called a licensed gas plumber to replace, in case the appliance tech did something wrong. The gas plumber verified the leak with his sniffer and my sniffer, though no soapy bubble test showed it. He then replaced it again with regulator #3 and it STILL leaks from the exact same part.

They are all converted to LP. They all, when held up to light, have a small pinhole. The gas plumber and I can only assume this is either 1.) Normal operation of the regulator to leak small amounts of free propane, or 2.) A fault in the part from the factory, and that means that all these regulators have this issue.

Can anyone give me any information about this issue? I very much want to stop worrying about my range. It otherwise works fine, but I do not like the idea of a small amount of propane constantly venting underneath…

The part # is 316091706

2

Did they check the actual gas pressure up to the range? LP has a regulator outside that can go bad.

The chances of having three parts with the same problem seem very small.

3

Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.

Yes, the pressure was checked at both regulators outside. The propane company checked the one at the propane tank last month when this all started, and the gas plumber checked the one right where the propane goes into my house last night, using something called a water column test.

Both were normal pressure.

I agree that having 3 parts leak in the same way is almost statistically impossible, so would that mean that the range regulator is meant to continuously vent a small amount of propane, and most people are simply unaware of that?