I said bad words about Chen Fong Industries, when their 6 month old gas regulator decided to gush gas everywhere a few days before we are scheduled to depart.

We (luckily) decided to test the hot water service and shower prior to leaving. Turned on the water; got the HWS full of water; checked flow in shower; turned on the gas... only to get a huge whistling gush from the regulator. 

At only 6 months old, I was NOT impressed.  It's not so much the cost of replacing the regulator, but more the hassle of removing the dud one and fitting a new one when we've got a pretty tight schedule.

This is the old reg:

I did some internet searching and it seems to be a common issue. One poor bloke had gone through 7 regulators in 5 years. The local company I bought it from was a dedicated gas specialist, so I didn't expect to get a crappy unit from someone like that.

Seeing as the unit has 6 screws around the diaphragm, you might think you can just buy a spare part and repair it. Nope. All you can do is chuck it out.

Anyway, decided to lash out and spend not a whole lot more on an American Marshall brand regulator. $65 compared to $45, so not serious money at all, and if I'd known how flakey the Chinese ones were I'd have gone straight for an Australian/American one.

This is the new unit:

Let's hope it lasts more than 6 months. Or there'll be more bad language!

BTW: I bought it from a company called Blue LPG in Victoria. They were excellent: good advice and quick delivery.