Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Refill reuse

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Refill reuse

    I hate throwing away resources to me throwing away 1lb propane bottles annoys me. its perfectly reusable. you can buy a refill adapter at some hardware stores or online such as this. http://tinyurl.com/kev4my6

    Not to mention the savings 20lb of propane is 14.89 you can fill 20 bottles. A two pack is 5.37 53.70 to fill the same amount. 38.81 savings!

    1. Put the bottles in the freezer before filling.

    2. Screw in the adapter the threads are left handed. (Not righty tighty lefty loosy in this case, lefty tighty....)

    3. Attach a 1lb bottle turn the whole thing upside down.

    4. Carefully slip your hand under the tank and open the valve. (You don't have to fully open the valve)

    5. Shut the valve.

    6. Remove the 1lb bottle.

    Even though I'm a huge fan of natural selection here are a few safety tips.

    Fill out side. Don't do it near an open flame or while smoking.

    I recommend storing bottles outside in a shed if you can.


    Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0117.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	96.0 KB
ID:	72701Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0114.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	93.9 KB
ID:	72699Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0115.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	81.5 KB
ID:	72698Click image for larger version

Name:	IMAG0118.jpg
Views:	1
Size:	97.9 KB
ID:	72700
    Attached Files

  • #2
    Re: Refill reuse

    Originally posted by gr8brew View Post
    I hate throwing away resources to me throwing away 1lb propane bottles annoys me. its perfectly reusable. you can buy a refill adapter at some hardware stores or online such as this. http://tinyurl.com/kev4my6

    Not to mention the savings 20lb of propane is 14.89 you can fill 20 bottles. A two pack is 5.37 53.70 to fill the same amount. 38.81 savings!

    1. Put the bottles in the freezer before filling.

    2. Screw in the adapter the threads are left handed. (Not righty tighty lefty loosy in this case, lefty tighty....)

    3. Attach a 1lb bottle turn the whole thing upside down.

    4. Carefully slip your hand under the tank and open the valve. (You don't have to fully open the valve)

    5. Shut the valve.

    6. Remove the 1lb bottle.

    Even though I'm a huge fan of natural selection here are a few safety tips.

    Fill out side. Don't do it near an open flame or while smoking.

    I recommend storing bottles outside in a shed if you can.


    [ATTACH=CONFIG]4542[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]4540[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]4539[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]4541[/ATTACH]
    I am totally with you. It always seems unnatural to toss out a perfectly good 1 lb can. I have a question for you. can you overfill the 1 lb can?
    “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
    – E. B. White

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Refill reuse

      Originally posted by James. View Post
      can you overfill the 1 lb can?
      You can overfill the can but it would only be apparent when the temperature rises dramatically. That's when the over pressure valve would kick in. This is why it's against the law to transport a refilled disposable can. They're not as precisely filled as the bulk cans where they only fill them to 80-85% to allow for the expanding gas when it gets hot out.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Refill reuse

        Originally posted by MacGyver View Post
        You can overfill the can but it would only be apparent when the temperature rises dramatically. That's when the over pressure valve would kick in. This is why it's against the law to transport a refilled disposable can. They're not as precisely filled as the bulk cans where they only fill them to 80-85% to allow for the expanding gas when it gets hot out.
        Yes you can overfill the cylinder. There is a pressure relief Valve that will vent the cylinder. In such case as you overfilled. There is danger of the escaping gas ignighing.

        As far as I can tell it's only against the law to transfer refilled cylinders for comerse. IE refilling and shipping to an area where there is no law against reselling.

        Back to the overfill concerns just found one that has a overfill shutoff. Shnozzle . com

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Refill reuse

          Originally posted by gr8brew View Post
          Yes you can overfill the cylinder. There is a pressure relief Valve that will vent the cylinder. In such case as you overfilled. There is danger of the escaping gas ignighing.

          As far as I can tell it's only against the law to transfer refilled cylinders for comerse. IE refilling and shipping to an area where there is no law against reselling.

          Back to the overfill concerns just found one that has a overfill shutoff. Shnozzle . com
          Thanks. I just bought one for $10 on Amazon
          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
          – E. B. White

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Refill reuse

            I don't recall all of the specifics, but had heard that you will never re-fill a bottle to the same capacity of what it was able to hold before from the factory... like I said, I don't recall the exact physics behind why this is the case, but what I had read/seen before... either way, I think it is still a great way to have a handful of bottles that you fill for half the cost of buying new ones.. although I did finally break down and bought a 20lb propane container to use for next adventure ... whenever that might be.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Refill reuse

              I already take the 20 lb tank but still like to have the 1 lb cans for the lantern and emergency backup for the stove.
              “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
              – E. B. White

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Refill reuse

                Overfilling really is a concern, the best way to avoid it is to weigh the cylinders.
                Your refilled cylinders should weigh the same, or even better, slightly less than brand new factory filled cylinders.
                Most people probably don't have an accurate postal scale around though so this might be hard to do.
                When transporting or storing your refilled cylinders keep in mind that the propane inside is a liquid and if the safety valve does vent, and is below the liquid level, you will be venting liquid propane, not just propane gas or vapor.
                The liquid propane is far more dangerous than propane vapor, it comes out at -44 F or -42 C so it instantly freezes anything it touches.
                Then instantly expands to a vapor, 270 times the volume of the liquid.
                One cubic inch of liquid propane fills 270 cubic inches of space with propane vapor.
                It also leaves a pretty objectionable odor.
                If you can avoid it, it's best not to transport the cylinders inside a vehicle so the the propane can disperse safely.
                It's also best to keep the cylinders upright so that if they vent, the vent will be above the liquid level and will only vent vapor.
                If you do end up overfilling your cylinders, it's possible that even with the cylinders stored upright you might still vent liquid instead of vapor so be very careful not to over fill them.
                Last edited by Yukon Jack; 05-23-2014, 01:00 PM.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Refill reuse

                  Thanks Yukon Jack, some of us live for the specs when it comes to gear. As far as the foul odor, propane is odorless, but methyl mercaptan is added in ultra-small quantities like parts-per-million, and is the source of the stinky smell. As an organic chemist, we had to get creative for ways to reduce the smell of its residues from our clothing and skin as we use it "right out of the can", in its purest form for reactions...And take my word for it, it's God-Awful at 100%!
                  “People have such a love for the truth that when they happen to love something else, they want it to be the truth; and because they do not wish to be proven wrong, they refuse to be shown their mistake. And so, they end up hating the truth for the sake of the object which they have come to love instead of the truth.”
                  ―Augustine of Hippo, Fifth Century A.D.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Refill reuse

                    I worked around it for a long time, I've even stood by boiling puddles of it as I watched the liquid converting to vapor. I've also had frostbite from it as well due to a seal in a valve failing.
                    The oder stopped being an issue for me a long time ago though because I can no longer smell it. LOL I might be walking around reeking to high heaven, I just can't tell. I assume my scent receptors were just so overloaded by contact with it that they no longer recognize it. The really odd thing about it is that I can still smell natural gas and farts. So I got that going for me. :D

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Refill reuse

                      Originally posted by Yukon Jack View Post
                      I worked around it for a long time, I've even stood by boiling puddles of it as I watched the liquid converting to vapor. I've also had frostbite from it as well due to a seal in a valve failing.
                      The oder stopped being an issue for me a long time ago though because I can no longer smell it. LOL I might be walking around reeking to high heaven, I just can't tell. I assume my scent receptors were just so overloaded by contact with it that they no longer recognize it. The really odd thing about it is that I can still smell natural gas and farts. So I got that going for me. :D
                      I used to work in a film lab where ammonia was used. I would watch people walk into the room I was in and start gagging because they couldn't breath and thought, "Well, that can't be good."
                      “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                      – E. B. White

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Refill reuse

                        I had zero luck refilling them. I bought the adapter made by mr heater. I put the little tank in the freeze and the big one I left out in the sun. Filled to maybe 1/4 capacity.
                        One of these days when I have time to waste, I may try pulling a vacuum on one and see if it will refill.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Refill reuse

                          Originally posted by kmaysob View Post
                          I had zero luck refilling them. I bought the adapter made by mr heater. I put the little tank in the freeze and the big one I left out in the sun. Filled to maybe 1/4 capacity.
                          One of these days when I have time to waste, I may try pulling a vacuum on one and see if it will refill.
                          How would you do that?
                          “I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”
                          – E. B. White

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Refill reuse

                            Originally posted by kcscout View Post
                            I don't recall all of the specifics, but had heard that you will never re-fill a bottle to the same capacity of what it was able to hold before from the factory.
                            Most sites that explain how to refill a disposable can will tell you to put it in the freezer for a while because propane will flow towards the colder can better. I'm pretty sure that's a part of why it's hard to get one up to the original weight. But I stumbled onto a site that gave me a better "cheat". I wasn't too sure it would work, but I had to try. Without even freezing the can, I used a pair of curved hemostats to pull on the overflow valve when the flow stopped and it did, indeed, allow more propane in. I bought a cheap kitchen scale on Amazon to verify the results - very happy with the scale, the adapter and the whole procedure! $3 and more for a can of propane is ridiculous!

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Refill reuse

                              Safety tip; use soapy water (or spit) on the valve after refilling and each time the tank is removed from a device, I have had more than a few that were slow (or not so slow) leakers... The soapy water or spit will bubble if its a leaker.

                              Longer ago than I want to think about (pre OPD valves), I found & bought a 10 pound refillable tank, since replaced with an OPD equipped 10 pounder which is mostly what I use for short trips... I have also seen a few 5 pound refillable tanks.

                              Enjoy!
                              Last edited by Happy Joe; 06-21-2016, 06:46 AM.
                              2006 Jeep Rubicon, TJ; 4.11 gears, 31" tires, 4:1 transfer case, lockers in both axles
                              For DD & "civilized" camping; 2003 Ford explorer sport, 4wd; ARB & torsen diffs, 4.10 gears, 32" MTs.
                              Ground tents work best for me, so far.
                              Experience along with properly set up 4WD will get you to & through places (on existing, approved 4WD trails) that 4WD, alone, can't get to.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X