Because the regulator is the heart of the propane system and is the key element in ensuring safety, it is important to understand how it works. The Certified Employee Training Program and the consumer education materials provided by the Propane Education & Research Council are excellent sources of information.

Players who do not meet the criteria for "international" players are automatically eligible if they meet any of the following criteria:

The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players.

Integral two-stage (twin) – Some smaller load systems can bring container pressure down to inches of water column with a regulator that has both stages built in, sometimes referred to as a twin-stage or piggyback regulator.

Automatic changeover – Similar to an integral two-stage regulator in regard to pressure regulation but also has a mechanism that allows it to monitor vapor pressure switching from one tank to another in a multi-tank installation. Read more: Understand automatic changeover regulators

Players who meet the criteria for "international" players are automatically eligible if they meet any of the following criteria:

The Los Angeles Clippers, who won the draft lottery on May 19, 2009, used their first overall draft pick to draft Blake Griffin from the University of Oklahoma.[1][2] However, he missed the entire 2009–10 season due to surgery on his broken left kneecap, which he injured during the pre-season.[3] Tanzanian-born Hasheem Thabeet from University of Connecticut was drafted second by the Memphis Grizzlies. Thabeet became the first player born in Tanzania to be drafted by an NBA team.[4] James Harden was drafted 3rd by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This made him the first player to be drafted by the franchise as the Oklahoma City Thunder; the franchise moved from Seattle to OKC in 2008. The Sacramento Kings drafted Tyreke Evans 4th; he was named 2009–10 NBA Rookie of the Year, after he became the fourth NBA player in history to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his rookie season, joining the elite club of Oscar Robertson (1960), Michael Jordan (1984) and LeBron James (2003). Spanish teenager Ricky Rubio was drafted 5th by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Rubio became the fifth-highest-drafted international player who never played U.S. college basketball to be drafted in the NBA, tied with Nikoloz Tskitishvili (5th in 2002), and behind Yao Ming (1st in 2002), Andrea Bargnani (1st in 2006), Darko Miličić (2nd in 2003) and Pau Gasol (3rd in 2001).[5] Twenty-third pick Omri Casspi became the first Israeli player to be drafted in the first round, and later he became the first Israeli to play in the NBA.[6]

Line (appliance) – Placed before the appliance and decreases the pressure from 2 pounds to inches of water column (often 11). Does not have integral relief and usually uses a vent limiter.

Vent – Built into the cover, allowing the regulator to breathe during normal operation. Vents can also be placed where the relief mechanism discharges.

The CBA defines "international players" as players who permanently resided outside the U.S. for three years prior to the draft, did not complete high school in the U.S., and have never enrolled at a U.S. college or university.[37]

The purpose of the regulator is to control the flow of gas vapor from the container to the burner tip. The regulator ensures safety by providing over-pressure protection, usually by means of a pressure relief device. This is why we often refer to the regulator as the heart of the propane system.

The basic requirement for automatic eligibility for a U.S. player is the completion of his college eligibility.[38] Players who meet the CBA definition of "international players" are automatically eligible if their 22nd birthday falls during or before the calendar year of the draft (i.e., born on or before December 31, 1987).[39] U.S. players who were at least one year removed from their high school graduation and have played professional basketball with a team outside the NBA were also automatically eligible. Former high school player Brandon Jennings meets these criteria, having graduated high school in 2008, skipped college basketball and then played professional basketball in Italy.[7]

The lottery selection to determine the order of the top fourteen picks in the 2009 draft occurred on May 19, 2009.[49] The Los Angeles Clippers won the first pick, while the Memphis Grizzlies and Oklahoma City Thunder moved up to second and third picks, respectively. The Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards, who had the two best chances to land a top-three pick, fell down to the fourth and fifth spots, the lowest possible picks they could be awarded through the lottery.[1] The remaining first-round picks and all the second-round picks were assigned to teams in reverse order of their win–loss records in the previous season. As is commonplace in the event of identical win–loss records, the NBA performed a random drawing to break the ties on April 17, 2009.[50]

Of the 60 players drafted, four were freshmen, nine were sophomores, 12 were juniors, 22 were seniors, and 13 were international players without U.S. college basketball experience. The University of North Carolina's Tar Heels had the most players selected in the draft; three players were selected in the first round and one was selected in the second round. This marked the second time ever that four Tar Heels players were selected in the first two rounds of an NBA draft.[8] The Minnesota Timberwolves had the league-high four first-round draft picks and the first time in team history that the team held two top-10 draft picks.[9] The Timberwolves also had two second-round draft picks and became the team with the most draft picks in the 2009 draft with a total of six. The Houston Rockets and the Orlando Magic were the only NBA teams who did not have a draft pick this year, although Houston acquired three drafted players' rights after the draft.[10]

Two pound – Placed at the residence and decreases the pressure from first-stage regulator to 2 pounds. Used in newer systems where the gas vapor demand requires additional regulation before the appliance.

I typically write about personal safety, but in this article, I take a different approach and talk about a key element of safety within a typical residential propane system, the propane regulator.

A player who is not automatically eligible must declare his eligibility for the draft by notifying the NBA offices in writing no later than 60 days before the draft.[40][41] For the 2009 draft, this date fell on April 26. An early entry candidate is allowed to withdraw his eligibility for the draft by notifying the NBA offices in writing no later than 10 days before the draft.[42] This year, a total of 74 collegiate players and 29 international players declared as early entry candidates.[43] At the withdrawal deadline, 55 early-entry candidates withdrew from the draft, leaving 39 collegiate players and 10 international players as the early-entry candidates for the draft.[12]

Never attempt to modify, manipulate or repair regulators unless you are qualified to do so and have approval from the manufacturer.

While features vary among manufacturers, the basic components are the same in most regulators. The main parts of a regulator include:

Inlet and outlet ports – The inlet is where gas vapor enters the regulator and the outlet is where it exits the regulator.

There are many different types of regulators designed to fit different applications. Sizing a regulator correctly for the load on the system is very important. Types of regulators used in residential applications include:

Prior to the day of the draft, the following trades were made and resulted in exchanges of draft picks between the teams.

A player who has hired an agent will forfeit his remaining college eligibility, regardless of whether he is drafted. Also, while the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union allows a player to withdraw from the draft twice,[42] the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandates that a player who has declared twice loses his college eligibility. This second provision affected Chase Budinger, Wayne Ellington, and Ty Lawson, all of whom declared for and withdrew from the 2008 draft.[44]

Second stage (low pressure) – Typically placed at the residence and decreases the pressure from the first-stage regulator to inches of water column (often 11).

Below were the chances for each team to get specific picks in the 2009 draft lottery, rounded to three decimal places:[51]

NOTE: The opinions and viewpoints expressed herein are solely the author’s and should in no way be interpreted as those of LP Gas magazine or any of its staff members.

Relief – If excess pressure flow beyond the capacity of the regulator occurs, the relief mechanism (spring) allows the propane vapor to exit through the relief valve. This prevents excess pressure from building.

The 2009 draft marked the first time three sons of former NBA players were selected in the top 15 picks of the draft. Stephen Curry, son of Dell Curry, was drafted 7th by the Golden State Warriors. Gerald Henderson Jr., son of Gerald Henderson, was drafted 12th by the Charlotte Bobcats. Austin Daye, son of Darren Daye, was drafted 15th by the Detroit Pistons.[5] The draft also marked the first time a former high school player who skipped college to play professional basketball in Europe was selected in an NBA draft. Brandon Jennings, who skipped college to play professional basketball with Italian team Lottomatica Roma, was drafted 10th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the draft.[7]

From the players in this draft, there have been six players selected as All-Stars; out of these six, Curry and Harden have both won the NBA's regular season MVP award.[11] Nine players chosen in the 2009 draft have been on teams that have won an NBA championship: Danny Green, Roddy Beaubois, Stephen Curry, Austin Daye, Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Patty Mills, Jeff Ayres and Jeff Teague; of those, three have won multiple championships, Green, three times, Curry, four times, and Holiday, two times. Curry was named MVP of the 2022 NBA Finals. As of 2024, there are still 8 active players from this draft, Which are James Harden, Stephen Curry, DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Jrue Holiday, Taj Gibson, Garrett Temple and Joe Ingles, though Temple and Ingles went undrafted.

^ a: Nick Calathes was born in the United States, and has dual U.S. and Greek citizenship by birth. He has represented Greece internationally.[30] ^ b: Goran Suton, who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is also a naturalized citizen of the United States since 2006.[31] ^ c: Emir Preldžić, who was born in Bosnia and Herzegovina, also has Slovenian and Turkish citizenship. He had represented Slovenia internationally in 2008, before switching to Turkey.[32][33] ^ d: Chinemelu Elonu, born in Nigeria, is a naturalized citizen of the United States.[34][35]