Magma Grill Regulators

[WSMFP]

I've been having a hell of time with these breaking. I have two I keep on the boat and both appear to be plugged somehow. I disassembled them as much as I could and blew them out with compressed air. There's really not that much to them basically a schreader type valve and a diaphram. At $50 this is getting expensive and its frustrating to bring a bunch of meat and not be able to get the grill lit.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/magma...42?recordNum=2


Does anyone have a source for a cheaper replacement that fits a magma cabo model grill?

[a64pilot]

I dumped my Magma’s, I have three total and went with a Weber, put an adapter hose to run it off of an aluminum 10 lb tank and haven’t looked back.
The little Weber Q grill is so far superior it’s not even comparable, it’s stay lit and my Magma’s wouldn’t.

[WSMFP]

Ya, I see a one of those Webber Q's in my very near future.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by WSMFP

I've been having a hell of time with these breaking. I have two I keep on the boat and both appear to be plugged somehow. I disassembled them as much as I could and blew them out with compressed air. There's really not that much to them basically a schreader type valve and a diaphram. At $50 this is getting expensive and its frustrating to bring a bunch of meat and not be able to get the grill lit.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/magma...42?recordNum=2


Does anyone have a source for a cheaper replacement that fits a magma cabo model grill?

See (click-on) Magma Type-1 Valve/Regulator 10-264. Print the page out an take it to your local West Marine and they will price match. In fact, if you've already purchased a replacement, so long as the purchase was 30 days ago, or less, (and you still have your receipt) they will still do a price match.

The more salient question is how do you keep "breaking" the things? We've had the same valve for 16 years.

[WSMFP]

I'm not sure how I'm breaking them as mentioned there's not much to them. I got a new one at WM and they price matched it down to $31.

[Bill Seal]

You can clean the orifice with welding torch tip cleaners. Just a few bucks at Home Depot.

[Cheechako]

So I have had this problem with my Weber home grill for years. The only possible component I can see as a problem is regulators. Everything else is just simple tubes etc. I'm on my fourth regulator now. I put all new tubes and etc in it a month ago and it has worked perfect.. until the 4th of July BBQ! Low heat and small flame. Nothing apparent in the end of the regulator inlet. I took it apart and retried and it worked. I hate these effing regulators. Different brands dont seem to matter... so far... My grandson commented he's had the same problem...
What's to clean?
Strangely, my experience was the opposite of some of you... my Magma worked for years at sea off a normal LPG bottle. 6#. Not one regulator problem.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by svHyLyte

The more salient question is how do you keep "breaking" the things? We've had the same valve for 16 years.

Our is 18-19 years old...

-Chris

[belizesailor]

Have had same Magma regulators for many years. Jet can get funky, but even that has not been often for me. Clean jet w a small piece of copper wire. Just had to do that to mine for the first time in at least 5 years.

[belizesailor]

OP: what mode of failure are you having? For example, reduced output or something else?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

OP: what mode of failure are you having? For example, reduced output or something else?

Mine will not heat up well. On the BBQ it wont go over maybe 200 degrees in 10 mins and not go higher. If the regulator is working properly it will be near 500 degrees in 10 mins.

[Jubilee39]

I went through three magna regulators before my last one which has worked for the last 10 years or so. The company acknowledged a problem with them then. That being said I just dumped the magma and went with a "Q". Major improvement. It stays lit in most conditions I've tried. Not so magma, flame was always blowing out. The magma also had serious problems with even heating, hot spots and cold spots. The "Q" cooks evenly and heats rapidly. Good searing of steaks, never happend on Magma.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Mine will not heat up well. On the BBQ it wont go over maybe 200 degrees in 10 mins and not go higher. If the regulator is working properly it will be near 500 degrees in 10 mins.

Had similar symptoms from mine this season, it was a dirty jet.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Jubilee39

I went through three magna regulators before my last one which has worked for the last 10 years or so. The company acknowledged a problem with them then. That being said I just dumped the magma and went with a "Q". Major improvement. It stays lit in most conditions I've tried. Not so magma, flame was always blowing out. The magma also had serious problems with even heating, hot spots and cold spots. The "Q" cooks evenly and heats rapidly. Good searing of steaks, never happend on Magma.

Interesting that people have such widely varying experiences w the Magmas, wonder if its different years/models? Ive got an ancient party sized version. Ive got one regulator from my previous boat thats at least 15 years old and still working fine (clogged jet this year, cleaned, working fine now). Another as a backup thats in like new condition...because its only rarely used. And mine is good up to 25 knots of wind (though it is partially shielded by deck house). Its the old style where the lid clips to the base as a wind shield (not the newer hinge type) with a heat distribution plate so the burner is well protected from wind. It heats hot and even...it tends to run a bit too hot, my only complaint. However, I had to replace the heat distribution plate this year and it was very uneven while it was without it.

Maintenance tip: if a Magma burner fails (rusts out for example) you can fabricate a provisional one from a steel can.