What signs that a gas regulator needs changing?

[TonyB]

What is the average lifespan of a gas regulator? I thought that I needed to change mine as the lever to select the service cylinder seized up but a squirt of WD40 got it moving again. I did a search for Marshal 250 (the regulator) and was surprised to see accounts of these failing after only months of operation. Also a recall of some batches. It could be that some older ones are better built than the newer ones.

[Pete Dumbleton]

I wouldn't use WD-40 in a situation like that -- It's not a lube and it leaves behind a 'protective coating' that may gum up the works on a mechanical system.

You can build your own manometer to test and adjust the output pressure of the regulator:

http://www.rverscorner.com/manometer.html

Or you can just replace the regulator -- A two-stage LP regulator goes for about $20.