Does The Mr. Heater Buddy Require A Regulator When Using A 20lb Propane Tank

Published 11/24/2021

Question:

Does the Mr. Heater Buddy need a regulator when going directly from a tank say 20 lb to the heater with an extension hose with appropriate tank / 1 lb. appliance connectors ?? Do you carry / recommend such a hose say 12’.

asked by: Richard V

Expert Reply:

In most propane appliance situations, there is a regulator located at the tank, followed by a supply line. In that situation, what passes through the hose after the regulator is low pressure gas. Low pressure gas is harmless to rubber. The buddy system has the regulator located at the heater. In this setup you cannot have a regulator at the propane tank due to over-regulating the gas supply. This makes the gas that passes through the hose to get to the buddy system high pressure. High pressure gas squeezes rubber as it passes through it, and can occasionally pull some of the oils and plasticizers from the hose during these periods of high pressure. Those contaminates will travel with the flow of propane and land somewhere inside the heater, slowly building up over time and causing gas flow problems once the buildup becomes large enough.

Because this you won't need a regulator but you will want to get a filter from the manufacturer to go along with the MB Sturgis Propane Adapter Hose for Small Appliance - Type 1 x Disposable Cylinder Port - 12' # 100555-144-MBS. You would screw the filter into the 1 Inch-20 female propane inlet on your heater and then be able to attach this hose to the filter and to the 20lb propane bottle.

expert reply by: Kevin C