REFILLING 1LB TANKS?

[WalleyeBIZ]

Yup! I guess i will probably just buy the 1lb tanks and get a fill adapter in case of an emergency!

[DTro]

I would say do it at your own risk. Here are the cons:

-Will only fill about 2/3 full

-After a few refills the seal may leak

-U.S. DOT prohibits the transportation of re-filled disposable bottles.

There is a reason they are called disposable and if you think about the money you are saving. It might not be worth your time. What are you saving, about $.50 a bottle?

I guess I would really like to know how they could prove that you refilled the tanks. However if something did happen and you had a fire, insurance might not cover the damage if they discovered they were refilled.

[copperjohn]

Not Illegal to refill or transport unless it is commercial transportation. Read the label. Plain as day. Done it and it's ok. At best you get 3/4 lb in one, usually just 1/2. Freeze your bottles, and warm your 20 lb tank to room temp. Always do outdoors. Invert tank and couple bottle. Let fill for several minutes, or until it starts to come out the overfill hole. Uncouple and listen to valve for leaks. If leaking, try spraying wd-40 on valve and push valve in with wood dowl or finish nail to reseat. Sometimes you get a bad bottle and have to toss (after letting it depress). There's no way to tell a refilled bottle from any other and noone's ever blown themselves up doing this. At least that I could find and if they did, you;d know it on the internet. Once you do one you get over the initial willies, but common sense goes along way. I don't do it anymore since getting my 11lber for Christmas.

[croixflats]

Quote:

St.Croix not picking bone's and acurate information is welcome mabye you can change my opinion but telling me to stay back I have Coodies might just bring me in for a hug

Not trying to change your opinion just stating mine. Facts and history may say a different story but for me I side on caution.

Coodies dont bother me its the hug that scares me. Shave first please.

[Northlander]

The 5 pound tanks are great but I cant use them on my auger or lantern!

Your still using a lantern? I got sick of 1# tanks and broken globes and mantles. Now I have LED lights in my house and wear a headlamp when needed.

[Big Tom]

I hear you on the mantles. I go through quite a few of those. I don't have as much issue on the globes since I repack in a travel case. I like the heat additional heat from a lantern.

[DTro]

At best you get 3/4 lb in one, usually just 1/2. Freeze your bottles, and warm your 20 lb tank to room temp. Always do outdoors. Invert tank and couple bottle. Let fill for several minutes, or until it starts to come out the overfill hole. Uncouple and listen to valve for leaks. If leaking, try spraying wd-40 on valve and push valve in with wood dowl or finish nail to reseat. Sometimes you get a bad bottle and have to toss (after letting it depress).

Like I said, you have to ask yourself if it's worth the $.50 you save per bottle. That's not even calculating in the initial cost of the adapter you have to purchase.

[Sherpa]

I think you can save more than $.50 per tank. I can exchange a propane tank at the big hardware store for about $20 with tax. That's $1/lb. The best deal I have seen for the 1 lb tanks is 2 for $5.50 or so. So that is less than half the cost per lb. I still buy them all the time but refill often as well. I'm still not sure it's worth the hassle though.

[castmaster]

Its also against the law to remove the tags from a mattress. Gonna move if you find out a neighbor removed theirs? Or force those "law breakers" to move?

There are more than a couple laws that have no basis in common sense or reality. Refilling a 1lb tank is no more dangerous than filling a gas can. Heck its probably far less dangerous based on some of the accidents I've seen from not properly filling a gas can. Do a YouTube search for dummies that dont know enough to take the gas can out of the back of their truck before filling it. Probably best make portable gas cans illegal as well!

I hear a killer bee just farted in AZ, best pass a new law against alien bee flatulence! America..."land of the free" and a 1,000,001 laws!!!"

[DTro]

You can regularly find them for about $2/ea at Wally or FF.

You can also get a 20lb exchanged there for about $18.

A good round figure is about $1/pound with a 20lber and $2/pound for the disposables. There are lots of variations here. A lot of places charge more than $20 for an exchange, plus they aren't putting as much in those exchange tanks as they used to. Also I've seen $5 for 1lbers, but mostly at convienience stores.

So yes your are correct it's more like a buck a piece you would be saving to refill. But then add in the cost of the adapter and also the fact you can only get about 3/4 full refilling and that brings the savings down a bit.

[fishwater]

Might something like this improve the safety of using refilled canisters?

With the refilled cans screwed into the Gemini pack wouldn't the valve of the 1lb canisters be bypassed? You'd have to buy a hose and the pack though.

[Jeremy airjer W]

You guys need to search around for better propane prices!

Propane expands from a liquid to a gas at a ratio of 270 to 1. Do you have room in your garage for 270 empty #1 disposables.

[Pooh]

i have refilled 2 rounds of these bottles at 8-10 bottles per round. Had one that leaked after the 2nd fill threw it outside in the snow to loose its fill. I have been consistantly getting between 14.5 and 15 ounces of LP back into the tank. here is how i do it......

I do it when its cold outside like say 0 or 10 below... 1st warm larger tank... (i know your not suppoesed to but i take mine in the house for a few hours.) while big tank is warming depress the inside valve to drain all pressure from tank to be refilled, and toss in snow but dont get snow in valve. 2nd I attach the adapter to big tank tightly with wrench and flip upside down turn 1# tank onto the adapter and open valve on big tank. 1# should fill in about 1 minute but you can hear when the 1# tank stops drawing fuel. Turn off valve, take 1#er off and check for leaks listen close.

this is not me telling you to fill these things just how i do do it... do at your own risk.

[Big Tom]

Best prices I have seen at Wallyworld lately for 1 lbers is 2/$5.12. FF has them on sale for 4 for $9.89 this week. You only get about 17.5 Lbs on the tank exchanges now. Yep thanks for the new safety valve.

I got my adapter for $5 10 years ago.

I refill for use at the cabin and always buy new when transporting for camping use.

I do exactly what Pooh describes. Warm main tank and cold cyclinders allows for much greater fills.

[Jeremy airjer W]

You only get about 17.5 Lbs on the tank exchanges now. Yep thanks for the new safety valve.

It has nothing to do with the safety valve. If you bring a 20# tank to be filled you can still get 20# into it even with the new valve.

[DTro]

You get less in the exchanges because most people won't know the difference. Instead of raising the price, they give you less now.

I did't realize how rampant this practice was until someone pointed it out to me. It's happening everywhere.

[fishinfey8]

Exactly why I don't do exchanges. I like taking it to the local baitshop where I know they will fill it up! Even though their propane prices are a bit higher, I come out about even in the end since my tank gets full. Plus my tanks aren't rusty, and I know i'm overly anal, but I like having a nice looking tank!

I do refill 1lbers when I'm home from college staying up north. The reasoning is b/c wallyworld or any other big box store that has decent prices on 1lbers is 20 miles away! I can get my 20lb filled at the local baitshop (which also sells 1lbers, but heavily marked up in price) and save time and money by refilling them. It did scare me a bit at first, but have yet to have or hear of any accidents happening while refilling lbers.

[swamptiger]

Those 1# "generic" cylinders you get don't look as well-made as the Coleman cylinders - it looks like they're crimped together some way horizontally in the center - not sure I'd trust them too much new off the shelf.

[Pooh]

i also did some research a few months ago before i started refilling 1#ers. what i found is that liquid propane puts out the same amount of pressure weather its in a 5000 tanker truck or a 1# tank. some one may correct me on this, i may have read wrong but a 20# tank and a 1# tank have the same amount of pressure. all u are really doing is repressurizing a pressurzed tank in a liquid form. right?

[JBar]

I'm shure that is true, propane will have the same pressure in any quanity as long as temperature of the gas is the same. As with refrigerants pressure directly correlates with temperature. As temperature rises pressure rises, as temp decreases pressure decreases, that pressure correlation will not change without a rise or decrease in temperature or unless a change of state gas to liquid or vice versa.

[croixflats]

Quote:

As temperature rises pressure rises, as temp decreases pressure decreases, that pressure correlation will not change without a rise or decrease in temperature or unless a change of state gas to liquid or vice versa.

Oh! how so true found out the hard way unloading a couple 100# tanks from the truck. I filled them up when it was 5 below by the time I got them off the truck it was 15 above. Got them on the ground after finessing them in the right spot one decided to let loose its pressure right into my chest. Well to say the least it was not a comfortable ride home after the sudden release of pressure by me.

I know ive told that before but thats one I wont forget.

[schmoe147]

I work at a gas service place and I can tell you that we fill our 20# tanks with 20#s. We have exchange tanks and we do not short people there gas. Whoever told you this or does this is Illegal and should be reported.

[JBar]

Ha yes Croix somethings a guy only makes a mistake once and is more carefull next time. learn something new everyday!

[fishergurl]

Propane filler coupler

They sell these in the stores, it is not illegal. I bought one the beginning of the season for my mr heater and lantern. I was tired of spending $3.50 for a 1lb tank. Now it costs me $0.75 for a tank. The key is to have your 20lb'r at room temperature, your 1 lb'rs cold. I usually put them in the snow overnight. (OUTSIDE) I attach the coupler to the 20 lb tank, attach the 1 lb to the coupler, lift upside down, open the 20 lb tank up, set a timer for 1 min 10 sec, once timer goes off, turn the tank off, lift up right, unscrew your 1 lb tank, and move onto the next. Also, I do not use tanks that are rusted, and I always put the cap on the 1 lb tanks to keep them from rusting.

[nubote]

Up here, $5= 1#. Costco, $9.49 =20# Save roughly 4.50 a #. I have brass caps to deal with the inevitable leaks.