Comments on: Refill Disposable Propane Cylinders!

By: Ron

Ron — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:33:32 +0000

Chilling a tank is not going to be that effective IMO. The first inrush of propane gas is going to cancell out any benefit 80F is going to net you. The most effective way this might help would be with a completely empty tank. Vent the tank to the atmosphere, then heat the open tank. Once the tank and the air it contains is throughly heated and at it’s lowest density, seal the tank, then cool the tank. Starting from a low density warm air, the tank will pull a vacume as it cools. This will make the tank the most receptive to filling with liquid propane. I think warming the supply tank is more important. The problem with venting the tank is that it lets in air. Air has O2(and moisture) and propane has moisture. Both inside a steel tank = rust… If you lay the 16oz tank on it’s side with the pressure relief valve at the highest point, pulling the pin while filling will result in about 85% full tank when liquid gas starts to vent out of the safety…

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 20:12:38 +0000

They use a lot of butane to cook at resorts and conventions, omelette stations and so forth, and the stoves are fairly easy to operate, as well as inexpensive. Check any Restaurant Supply store. The fuel comes in cans that resemble spray paint or hairspray cans.
That part is not really that inexpensive, however. And for land use, there is an adapter to run those off your pugs!

By: Jon Biehl

Jon Biehl — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:49:18 +0000

thanks, Tim. Whoever told me that the new valves will not allow liquid propane to flow when the bottle is inverted, just didn’ t know what he was talking about. Now I understand how it works and have tested,….. with and without a fitting attached. Thanks again.

Hope you get around to responding to John Moore’s question in regard to Butane. Can a standard propane bottle be filled with Butane? Drawbacks?

By: John Moore

John Moore — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:50:20 +0000

For boating, I’ve always wondered why Butane isn’t used instead of Propane, as Butane is lighter than air and therefore inherently safer in a boat. I understand that in the US there is currently a large stock of camping gear based on Propane, which is ok for outdoors use and is most appropriate for trailers and RV’s, from which a leak can dissipate out an open door. A boat is different. Butane would be safer.
Back in the 70’s I motorcycled/camped through Europe with a small butane stove that worked great. Surely there is butane equipment out there; why no butane market?

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 02:32:40 +0000

Thanks for the explanation, Tim. I didn’t know the valves were merely for overfill protection. I guess since they tend to flip-flop around inside the cylinder, I assumed it was an internal float or safety shutoff in case the bottle tipped over. I’m gonna get busy with these empty pugs this weekend. If I have trouble I’ll post again. Thanks for the posts!

By: Is refilling disposable propane cylinders really illegal? | Navagear.com

Is refilling disposable propane cylinders really illegal? | Navagear.com — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:10:36 +0000

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By: Tim Flanagan, Managing Editor

Tim Flanagan, Managing Editor — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:36:10 +0000

Newer cylinders have what’s called an OPD valve. OPD stands for “Overfill Prevention Device”. If there is a standard EVEN NEWER than that, I don’t know about it.

It’s easy to tell if you’ve got an OPD valve: it’ll have “OPD” cast or stamped into it. I’ve got an OPD valve, and liquid propane comes out just fine when it’s inverted, if there is a fitting attached. If no fitting is attached to a properly-functioning OPD valve, nothing comes out when you open the valve, regardless of the orientation of the tank.

Again, though, if there is some newer standard, I haven’t heard about it, which is pretty unlikely the way some folks panic when they see this post. It would be odd if NOT ONE of them had come up with the “Well you can’t do this anymore anyway because of the new valves!” argument.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:53:14 +0000

Jon,

That’s exactly why I read through all these posts. I had the same question. Newish 20# tanks can’t be turned upside down, right? So, how do you get liquid out of a 20# grill cylinder that has that float mechanism inside?????

By: Jon Biehl

Jon Biehl — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:49:35 +0000

I have one of the re-fill adapters….think I bought it at Cabellas years ago. Haven’t used it yet. I keep buying more disposables, but I’ve been saving them……I must have a hundred by now.

Anyway…….I live in Calif. and someone told me that in the past year or so….with the replacement of all the “old” style 20# cylinders…..that the new 20 # ones are DIFFERENT. That there is a float valve inside, so that when you turn the bottle upside down…..you won’t get any liquid out (and into your 16 oz’er).

I asked a guy at Pro-Gas if the float could simply be removed……..he said “yes, but we would know immediately and would refuse to refill it!”

Is ANY of this true??????

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:22:44 +0000

The key to getting a full fill WITHOUT disturbing the relief valve is to make sure the pug is totally empty and at atmospheric pressure (about 15 psi). Propane at 60 degrees creates a pressure of about 90 psig which is 6 times the atmospheric pressure. When refilling, the gas in the pug is compressed by the absolute pressure ratio. Any residual pressure in the pug will inhibit this compression. Freezing the pug can reduce this pressure but not by enough to care about. Warming the pug and venting any pressure completely before filling would be more useful. Warming the supply tank will increase the propane pressure but don’t warm it to more than just being in the sun.
Even without warming or cooling, a completely vented tank, and supply tank at 65 degrees, should be able to fill with liquid leaving 1/7th of the tank as vapor. That is an 85% fill and that should be both safe and easy.