Gas leak at pressure regulator

This may seem obvious, but I find so damn many of them. I assume the brass bolt/screw on the pressure regulator shouldn’t leak at the little hole at the top of the nut?

The hole is there so the diaphragm inside could breathe as in move up and down… it is not leaking unless it is bubbling when there is no draw of the gas.

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Did you try a gas leak detector?

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Yes, a combustible gas detector would help, in this situation.

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No, I didn’t use a detector, just my nose. It is definitely gas. I can smell it from a few feet away.

I asked, because on the serious side it could be the gas regulator is not functioning right and can have an internal diaphragm leak, or something could have fouled the regulator. If you don’t have a gas detector, it’s a great tool to have.

That is what I’m thinking.

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The leak is on the vent limiter. There are two places that need to be checked for a leak, the threads and orifice hole. There may be a ball in the vent limiter that is designed to close this hole and allow 1 CFH of natural gas to escape. If the threads of the vent limiter are leaking than they need to be sealed.

Never test a vent limiter with a soapy solution as it’s sticky and not designed for detecting a gas leak. Snoop would be a better solution. The soapy solution will get into the orifice hole and clog the small ball check valve device or clog the orifice hole and the result will be a regulator that will not operate properly.

If you smell gas when inspecting a regulator and you do not have a gas detector, just mention it in your report and recommend it be evaluated by a qualified plumber with the proper testing devices.

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