Refilling 1lb propane tanks

[SomethingFishy*]

I was curious how many people refill there 1 lb tanks themselves, I found a coupler online for doing so off of a standard 20+ lb tank. I think it would be less waste than disposing of perfectly good tanks. It would also save a fair bit of $$$.

I am curious how to tell when the tanks are full.

[Big D 1]

I would like to know too. I didn't know that you could refill the 1# tanks, that would be the cats's meow

[SomethingFishy*]

I found the part online for under $20

The instructions look pretty simple, my friends dad has one and thats all he uses. The company name is MacCoupler, it has instructions and a video on there site. I will have to order one of these.

[iafish4fun]

for another $10 you can get a 4lb tank. They are small and last a while. Use mine camping and ice fishing. Just a thought.

[mark n]

Not this, again?

[SomethingFishy*]

Quote:

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Not this, again?

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Explanation?

[hanson]

SomethingFishy-

This is a pretty hot topic and has been debated to great lengths in the past here at FM.

The bottom line is FishingMinnesota does not promote this practice.

Click this link Refilling 1lb Tanks for more info.

In my post at the bottom of that thread, there is a link to another thread with even more info on the topic.

Happy Reading!

[mark n]

Thanks for clearing that up Hanson

Pardon the sarcasim, guys. Sometimes it's hard to indicate a hurmorouse intent on this dang thing.

[Jim Bob]

I posted this last year about this time and i'll do it again. My nephew wanted to go ice fishing, so he came by to borrow the auger and I gave him a couple of bottles of propane. He felt he needed more propane and since his dad had one of these devices they would use it. Anyway there was a flash fire while using it and off to the hospital they went. This was 2 days before Christmas 2004. I got to see them before and after they had their skin scrubbed off at 2 in the morning. There is a reason it says "Do Not Refill"

[metrojoe]

I was wondering where that thread was. I knew I had just read it a day or so ago. When you've been around awhile it's funny to see how many times the same subjects keep coming up.

[SomethingFishy*]

Hanson, thanks for the link and positive information. I was not aware of this, It is kind of hard to tell anything when someone only says"not this again". I was not awrae of this being illegal, I just think throwing away countell numbers of tanks is a horrible waste of resources.

[metrojoe]

It's my understanding that refilling them is not illegal. Transporting them is. I've never done it, but I don't know how you'd tell the difference.

[hanson]

You mentioned a waste just throwing these things away.

I'll suggest a couple alternatives.

1) I assume you are using these for a propane lantern. You may want to consider getting a lantern that uses fuel. Coleman has many options. The fuel lanterns don't hiss loudly like the propane ones do. Plus you won't be throwing 1 pound tanks away all the time.

2) Another option is to recycle your 1 lb tanks. I'll have to do some research again but I believe you can use a tool to remove the schraeder valve on the one pounders. You can then recycle them after that since they aren't under any pressure.

Can anyone help me on this recycling thing? How & Where, etc?

[Willy Walleye]

If you saw how many of these one pound fuel tanks were floating on the shoreland next spring, you would never use them again, its disgusting to see the waste and disrespect for the lake. We use a eleven pound tank with a long hose, then let the tank sit outside and just have the stove sit inside, makes for alot more room in the house. I believe its cheaper also to fill a larger tank and you don't have to do it very often!! Its a neat setup....

[metrojoe]

I still use the 1 lb'ers for my small sunflower and I've got quite a stock pile of empty's. I've seen a couple guys use the set up you describe and I'm thinking of doing the same. The only thing I'm concerned about is having enough room in a one man for a 10 lb tank.

[H20fowlr]

I stopped using them since my luck with 1/2 full o nes is about 30% of the time they leak after I'm done using them. I end up either running my Heater cooker on high just to burn them up. I don't particularily like the uneasy feeling of driving home with propane leaking in my Tahoe, or leaking in my Garage. I know, I know, I should accept change and prefer for my stuff to be randomly arranged in a fire or expolsion. Just call me a creature of habit, but I kind of like having my "stuff" the way it is. I guess the idea of being a burn victim proabably rates up there as well.

All sarcasm aside, It's not as safe as using the tanks designed for refills. I use an 11lb. tank, and 12 ft hose. It's lighter and narrower than the 20's, and cheaper than 11 1lbers.

[76k20]

If propane companys didn't make 3x per lb profit on these 1 lb jokes they would be outlawed.

They are a source of litter i.e. little plastic caps that never seem to find a garbage not to mention those who just leave the whole canister lay around...

and that doesn't even touch safety issues with weak valves.

I think someone somewhere has made a bit of money by not stopping production of these animals.

[SomethingFishy*]

I actually use a 19.2 volt Craftsman Flourescent light, I use the 1 pounders for the mr heater cooker, I hate dragging the big tanks out, I don't like the extra weight, gets to be a bear to drag. But now knowing what I learned I will have to find a smaller refillable tank, I would rather not go up in flames.

[tashit]

You can recycle the one pounders at the Hennepin County recycling center in Bloomington. It's on 96th street just off 35W. Do a search for Hennepin County Recycling or something similar. I think there may be some other locations to recycle these as well if you look on their HSOforum.

[homerj]

The Washington County Hazardous Waste Facility in Oakdale also accepts them. You must be a resident of Washington county to use the facility - they check your drivers license.

[tashit]

Same goes for Hennepin, you must be a resident and they check your license.

[blkfrg]

I have a 5lb cylinder with an adapter that my lantern screws into for the light and an 11lb cylinder for heat w/hose when pulling. When driving out a 20lb one for heat. The 5 & 11 lbrs are more expensive initiailly, but refilling them is relativly cheap where I go. One fill of the 5lb one last A LONG TIME. Those 1 lb ones while convienient are just pollution waiting to happen.

[Bungfodders]

I worked for a large propane company for many years and have been filling my 1 lb'ers for years without incident. Its like anything dangerious you need to use caution when doing it, in order to have a "flash fire" you need to have 3 components fuel (propane) oxygen and a source of ignition any one of those is missing you have no fire. I place a drop of oil in the valve hole prior to re-filling to lube the valve and have never had one leak yet. I woludn't recommend this for everyone but then again I am a propane professional and have been trained on the dangers involved and how to deal with them. Thats just my .02

[MNmikew]

I just dont trust refilling them. I've had half full NEW bottles leak in my garage overnight. I usually use a 5lb bottle and hose for the Buddy heater but I do go through a few for the lantern. I usually save the empties till summer and ventilate them with the .45 at the property

Then they are off to the recycler.

[Gissert]

I want to know what Hank Hill of Strickland Propane thinks of this

The ONLY time I refill them is in elk camp, when we can only pack so much into camp. We will from a 20 pounder so we have the one pounders for out tent lanterns.