Sunflower Heater Issue

[Wellesy]

Yesterday I was out ice fishing. About sundown, I got a little cold in my otter so I lit off my sunflower. After about ten minutes I was warm enough to shut it down. Before I did, I looked up from my flasher and saw it huffing and puffing flames. I immediately thought to shut it down but before I did a sustained three foot flame burst came out, shocking me back into my seat. After recomposing myself, I shut the valve off at the tank and still it kept flaming. Next, I shut the regulator off but still flamage! Thirty seconds later, it finally shut down. I took it outside immediately. Needless to say I was scared [PoorWordUsage]less, not to mention this was the first time I was using my new Den.

When I got home last night I lit it off again (away from anything and everything) and afterwhile it flamed up again. After cooling off I put the heater on another tank I had and it ran fine for twenty minutes.

The tank I had in the otter is a brand new 11 lb and the other was a 20 lb. I did notice that the metal around regulator was heavily frosted, leading me to guess that the reason I was unable to get it shut off was the valve/regulator was frozen open? Was the 11 lb maybe overfilled? Help me please!

Thanks, Jason

[GatorBait]

Have you checked to see if the black plastic "O" ring inside the valve of the tank is there. That is one option you will want to rule out. Seeing you had frost on the outside of the reg, it sounds like there was leakeage which may have to do with your O-ring. My buddy just had the same thing happen, but haven't found out the cause as of yet.

[Wellesy]

Gator,

You know, I did not remember to check for that. Will look when I get home.

[minneman]

I bet the 11lb was over filled, never purged pryer to filling.

[GatorBait]

Overfilling may also be the case, but I had it happen a long time ago and I know the tank was half full, but can't remember the problem, seeing my father dealt with it. Can't ever forget it breathing fire at me.

[Surface Tension]

I'd say the tank was overfilled. The frosting was caused by propane in liquid form reaching the brass valve.

Could have been a lot worse if the tank was this tank inside the shack and the pressure relief valve dumped LP into your closed environment.

For now store the tank outside away from any flames.

To draw the tank you down you could refill a couple 1lbers.

[Wellesy]

Gator, I checked the ring in the valve and it looks good.

I told the guy at the Holiday station that it was a brand new, never before used tank...suppose he never caught on?

Surface, I rarely use 1lb tanks and do not have the means to refill them...any other suggestions? Can I go back to the station or somewhere else for that matter and have it emptied, then refilled properly?

Jason

[Kodiak]

mine does this with the little lb'er cans. that is why i switched to the big buddy.

[Surface Tension]

Email me. Filling 1lbers is the lesser of two evils. Its either that or dump it into the atmosphere.

I'd imagine it got filled when there were colder temps. With this warm up we have right now the propane will expand and the relieve valve should start letting out propane. Don't store the tank in an enclosed space and in transport don't put it in the trunk of a car.

[hanson]

Quote:

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I told the guy at the Holiday station that it was a brand new, never before used tank...suppose he never caught on?

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Do you know for sure whether or not he purged the tank before he filled it? He should have hooked up a valve to the tank and then opened it, which releases the air/gas which is within the tank. Once purged, he'll then put the tank on the scale, hook up the hose, and start to fill the tank.

With a brand new tank, this is a very important little step.

[Wellesy]

Surface, email sent.

Hanson, I honestly do not know if the guy purged the tank or not...I'm guessing more and more he did not. Like I said I told him it was brand new, never filled before and he said "ok"...

[Jeremy airjer W]

With an OPD device it is extremely unlikely that the tank is overfilled! In fact I have found that a majority of them will "trip" before the tank is technically full.

If the tank was not purged it still can be. Correct purging is the process of putting propane into a tank at low pressure and then removing it. Usually repeated for a total of three cycles. There are devices for this process!!! All this does is remove any air and moisture that is in the tank. Your tank can still be purged. Finding a place that has this equipment would be ideal. basically they will hook up the valves and let the tank vent for about a minute. As soon as it warms up so that temps are in the 50's or 60' have it purged again to remove any remaining moister that may have frozen to the inside of the tank.

If you see them opening up the screw on the side of the valve to purge tell them to forget it. This screw is used for the 80% full visuall filling process. On the other end of the screw is a plastic straw that is calibrated so that when the tank is 80% full it will vent liquid out the opening that the screw provides. Purging using this screw will only remove 80% of the air from the tank.

[Wellesy]

Airjer,

Now that you mention it, I did see him putting a screwdriver away at the end...I really did not watch him during the process...ignorance/stupidity on my part.

Surface, sorry but I forgot to mention that in my email reply to you.

Jason

[Sutty]

Holy Shnikeys sounds like an eyebrow remover. I'll have to pay more attention.

[hitthebricks]

Another problem could be a dirty gas tube on the back of the heater. Spiders lay eggs in there or dirt etc. collects in there and causes a bad gas/air mix. Just clean with a small brush or pipe cleaner. Easy fix if this is the cause. GL, HTB

[Wellesy]

It was an interesting experience to say the least.

[Kodiak]

me and my buddy where sitting in a clam 5600 and my heater did the same thing,,,i just grabbed it by the 1lb'er while it was flaming and threw it out the door!! real fast like, i was thinking it was gonna blow up in there and it was making a real loud wushhh sound when it was flaming.