Buddy doesn't empty 1 lb cylinders

[mixxedbagg]

I got the Buddy heater for Christmas (not the big one) and I find it kind of annoying.

Everything will be fine, it's burning away, then it will start to grow dim and eventually go out. At first, I thought it was the oxygen sensor, so I got a fan and tried ventilating better (and there ought to be LOTS of oxygen in the QF4). That didn't help. Changing the 1 lb cylinder seems to be the only thing I can do. Unfortunately, there is always some leftover propane in each cylinder...sometimes it seems like 1/4 of the cylinder is left.

Why won't the Buddy burn the entire cylinder? I have a bunch of partials now that I don't want to toss because I paid for the gas and should get to burn it.

[Jim Almquist]

There are a few threads on problems with propane and with this cold snap it is making matters worse. When it warms up they will burn but who wants to lug around a bunch of 1/4 filled tanks. Do you have a portable gas grill you could use them up with ? Maybe try to keep them warm in the truck before you use them might help.

[Eric Wettschreck]

It can be a pain in this cold weather. The propane just doesn't "Boil out" enough when it's below zero outside. One thing you could try is to use a pankake tank on a hose, or put the smaller tank(s) in the truck or your pocket to keep them warm.

[Dry_Fly]

Buddy Heaters A Pain in the FUZZY BUNNIES 1 lb don't empty to cold bigger tanks won't work well to full, blows to much pressure to keep pilot lite until the big tank is half empty. Always something with these heaters. I have three and they are Junk to say the least. Sun Flower is the only way to go for hassle free fishing.

[jwhjr]

Probably just the cold. I use an 11# tank with the quick connect and have never had an issue.

[Dry_Fly]

all I can say is you have been lucky, I use a 10lb tank quick connect also. I never leave home without my sunflowers now. Spent to many hrs trying to get the Buddy heaters to work on the ice. Bought filters for the other hoses and everything I could think of, not worth all the hassles to use them anymore. IMO they are JUNK

[jeffreyd]

could you put them in an insulated wrap to keep them a bit warmer?

[Jeremy airjer W]

I had my big buddy out on the ice this morning. -15 degrees on the lake. Opened up the valve on the 11# pancake and had it raining in the portable in about 3 and a half minutes. Ran fine all day long. Its on its fourth trouble free ice season and by no means is it pampered. It constantly gets bashed by this fish house as it rolls around in the back of the truck.

The problem may become worse if you insulate the cylinders. The process of the liquid changing to a gas makes the 1# cold. The heat from the heater is helping to keep it warm.

[efgh]

In below O weather, just tape a hand warmer on the side of the tank with some duck tape.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I never thought aboot this but it's really really really a good idea. I like it.

[Jeremy airjer W]

  efgh said:

In below O weather, just tape a hand warmer on the side of the tank with some duck tape.

Great tip!

[Tom7227]

Well this is about the 5th propane related thread in the past week and on the other ones the info was that the propane turns from liquid to gas at a -44 degrees. It hasn't been that cold out! Seems to me that there is something else likely going on with this guy's rig.

[boatfixer]

-44 is the temp at which liquid propane boils. That means anything over -44 the liquid can no longer remain liquid and will turn to gas. It can however remain liquid in a sealed container, i.e. tank.

Now that being said, during the boiling process, the liquid propane is drawing heat from what ever it is in contact with, in propanes case, the tank. The tank in turn must have a heat source to draw from as well. In most cases its outside ambient air temp. How much heat is needed depends on the total BTU draw. Thats why outside temp, BTU draw, tank size, tank % and line size are very important. Tank size become crucial because the more propane molecules that come into contact with the tank means more surface area to draw heat from. When a tank is very low or nearly empty, there is very little surface area in contact with the liquid.

Have you ever shaken the tank and notice the flame increase when you see the flame start to dim? The sloshing liquid contacted another part of the tank, drew heat, boiled, pressure increased and the appliance produced a better flame. Even a 500 gallon tank with less than 5% would have trouble heating your house on a very cold day.

[boatfixer]

The heat pad idea? Capital idea!!

[Castinski]

I've started putting my buddy on an old scrap 1x4 instead of directly on the ice. The 1 lber doesn't seem to ice up nearly as bad this way and burns the tanks a bit longer.

[Jeremy airjer W]

  Tom7227 said:

Well this is about the 5th propane related thread in the past week and on the other ones the info was that the propane turns from liquid to gas at a -44 degrees. It hasn't been that cold out! Seems to me that there is something else likely going on with this guy's rig.

Doubt it!

Propane stops turning from a liquid to a gas at -44 degrees. The process of turning from a liquid to a gas causing a cooling effect. The same principal that makes your a/c work in your car and keeps your beer cold in the fridge. We have all seen a propane tank frost up in the summer whether a one pounder or a 20 pounder. The same thing is happening in the winter but there isn't enough moisture in the air to freeze to the can. Add the fact that it is below zero and it makes it incredibly hard for the liquid propane to transfer enough heat to continue to boil enough to supply enough pressure to the appliance.

[slipperybob]

...And when I take the Big Buddy Heater inside of the house to the basement and fire it up, it works just fine...

[Dry_Fly]

yeah everytime really makes me happy than, glad I'm not alone on that one. LOL

[Tom7227]

Thanks for the info. Learn something new every day.

[ozzie]

I have 3 buddie heaters (1 big and 2 regular) and have no issues with them.....I won't even fish in a house with a sunflower heater as all it does is give you co2 poisoning........the issue you must be expierencing is the tank is getting to cold to get the last bit of gas out.....you can warm it up and try to get the remaining out or use it with the lantern as lanterns seem to be able to get all the propane out off the porpane tanks