BajaNomad - Filling propane tnks

Filling propane tnks

Santiago - 2-4-2009 at 10:53 AM

http://www.gswagner.com/propane/propane.html

Has anyone tried this and will it work?

BajaGringo - 2-4-2009 at 11:07 AM

Yes we tried it. Didn't turn out so good and sort of ruined our vacation...

bajadogs - 2-4-2009 at 11:07 AM

Yes, I did it once and it worked.

BajaGringo - 2-4-2009 at 11:09 AM

See? You have a 50/50 chance...

:rolleyes:

shari - 2-4-2009 at 12:07 PM

this is commonly done here without the wet towels...and usually from a big tank to a small tank...I like to go to the beach when Juan is doing this and yes, I am his beneficiary.

BajaGringo - 2-4-2009 at 12:10 PM

Now that is what I call a supportive wife!

:lol:

4baja - 2-4-2009 at 01:12 PM

yes jim i do it all the time and have done it for many people in baja that have run out of propane in there small tanks. cabelos has the right fittings for this purpose and it is legal to do but after you cant transport the refilled bottles by law. the best way to do this is put the tank to be refilled in the freezer for ten minutes or so and you will get at least 3/4 bottle fill. good luck.

Santiago - 2-4-2009 at 01:41 PM

Steve-o: How long does it take? I don't have a freezer that big so I will have to do the shade/wet towel thing. Or maybe give it to Kiki and let him do while we're fishing on the other side of the main island - that ought to be far enough.
Thanks

bajalou - 2-4-2009 at 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 4baja
yes jim i do it all the time and have done it for many people in baja that have run out of propane in there small tanks. cabelos has the right fittings for this purpose and it is legal to do but after you cant transport the refilled bottles by law. the best way to do this is put the tank to be refilled in the freezer for ten minutes or so and you will get at least 3/4 bottle fill. good luck.

I think you're talking about the little tanks for lanterns etc. The article is about the 5gal and larger ones.

DENNIS - 2-4-2009 at 02:07 PM

Here's one of those valves 4baja talked about up there:

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?i...

Barry A. - 2-4-2009 at 02:22 PM

Those "valves" are available at WalMart, also, for about $15, as I recall. At least they are here in Redding, CA----saw one yesterday.

Personally, I don't recommend this practice------it just isn't worth it, in my opinion, from a safety standpoint. I don't own one of these valves, and won't. All my camping appliances are powered by a "tree" and distribution hoses off a (3 gal) propane tank, with a full backup tank available-----works great for me.

BArry

The OLD Way

MrBillM - 2-4-2009 at 03:05 PM

Up until the late 80s or early 90s, the "transfer" method was the ONLY way you got your propane tanks filled in San Felipe. There was a yard where they brought 27-gal tanks down from Mexicali and would turn them upside down one at a time to fill smaller tanks. For many years, there was one "Very" Old guy who filled the tanks with a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth the whole time. It was an unsettling experience, especially when he'd grasp the almost-empty larger tank in a bear-hug and BEAT IT up and down on the ground, supposedly to get the last possible amount of gas available. It was the only game in town, though, and you had to stand there waiting no matter what the line. If you left the tanks behind while shopping, when you came back you were still at the back.

When I put in my 300 Litro stationary tank, I had wanted to install a liquid-fill to use for smaller tanks, but found it was illegal to sell them in California. Too late, after having filled the tank, I thought about how to build my own liquid-fill arrangement. If I ever drain the tank completely, I may do so.

biglar - 2-4-2009 at 06:55 PM

I was a refrigeration tech for years and when still using the graduated cylinders, I used to fill them from the main refrigerant tanks almost every day. Propane works in exactly the same way......in fact, propane makes a good refrigerant itself, and tho' I never tried it, have been told that it will work as a substitute for R12.

Hose connections have been covered by others. Put the tank to be filled right side up in cold water, packed with ice if possible. Put the supply tank upside down in a deep sink and run hot water on it. Open the valves. The tank in the cold water will fill very quickly, and it's very necessary to monitor it. You don't need to open the vent. If you don't leave a gap of gas at the top, the liquid has no-where to expand to if it gets warmer, and will pop the rupture disc, or even split the tank. You really Don't want that. A tremendous fire would be almost certain.

Lar.

Santiago - 2-4-2009 at 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by biglar
The tank in the cold water will fill very quickly, and it's very necessary to monitor it. You don't need to open the vent. If you don't leave a gap of gas at the top, the liquid has no-where to expand to if it gets warmer, and will pop the rupture disc, or even split the tank. You really Don't want that. A tremendous fire would be almost certain.

Lar.

If I'm filling a 5 gallon from a 20 gallon: what is "very quickly"? How do I know I have air in the smaller tank - isn't that what opening the vent is suppose to tell you? I do not have a scale in Baja to weigh the tank and really - who wants to bring a scale to Baja?

Bajajorge - 2-5-2009 at 09:18 AM

I quit buying those little propane bottles a long time ago. Now I just run a hose from a 5 or 7 gal propane tank to the device I'm using. I use the hose method on a lantern, a heater a small 2 burner Coleman stove and on a BBQ grill. I tried the refilling method and never got better than half or 3/4 bottle. A lot of work for little return. My place is solar and I use a lot of propane devices.

biglar - 2-5-2009 at 09:41 AM

As has been said, propane under pressure is a liquid that boils off into a gas that you use in your appliances. By putting the donor tank upside down and heating it, liquid is forced by pressure differential into the cooler receiver tank. It can and will fill the receiver tank completely with liquid, since any gas in the receiver tank will condense to liquid as the tank fills.

As far as "how full is it ??" If you don't have a scale, and don't want to take one to Baja or buy one there, about all you can do is shake the receiver container from time to time to try and feel the liquid sloshing inside. This works OK with 30 lb freon tanks, and is what I did, but not sure how well it would work with the little cylinders. I think you'd need sensitive hands to feel it.

I would guess that I transferred about a pound a minute when doing this. Never paid that much attention.

When you disconnect the tanks, set the receiver tank upright and crack the valve for a second. Any air inside will be above the liquid and will be blown out. Not too likely a problem, tho' I s'pose a little bit of air could be in the connecting hoses.

If you're going to do this more than once or twice, buy a bloody scale. Sheesh.

Lar.

[Edited on 2-5-2009 by biglar]

biglar - 2-5-2009 at 10:00 AM

That business about air in the tank.......... That's something I've thought about many times over the years I worked on propane appliances, both commercial and in campers. To my understanding, any fuel needs a correct fuel/air ratio in order to burn - gasoline in your car, or propane in your stove or whatever. When you change tanks, or especially, hook up a new system, there Will be air in that system, and the propane will mix with that air.

Why isn't there an explosion, or at least a pop when it hits the flame ??

I dunno, but I worked in the trade for many years and never, ever heard of such a thing. Life's little puzzles, eh ?? All that said, I don't think I'd want to experiment with it, or get even a little bit careless. A propane fire is a nasty and extremely dangerous thing, and any explosion can be deadly.

Lar.