Propane Gas, Liquid?

[meirman]

A friend of mine got a Sears furnace, a small one that fits between two studs, to heat his garage. It runs on propane.

So he wouldn't have to keep changing tanks, another friend gave him a propane tank that is twice or more the size of the tanks that go under propane grills. This is the size that is used to fuel fork lifts.

But now he is told that that tank is for *liquid* propane, and he can't use it for his furnace.

I thought that unless the pressure is higher in the big tank than the little, either both tanks hold mostly liquid, or both hold only gas.

And regardless, that what comes out when you open the valve is gas.

Why shouldn't he be able to use the bigger tank for his furnace?

Meirman

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[TURTLE]

This is Turtle.

The tanks on the fork lifts are different but only in that the wall of the tank is thicker and will take a hit by a large object falling on it and not smash it. you can take a BBQ grill tank and hit it with some forks of a lift and knock a hole in them. The fork lift type tank can be hit by the forks of the lift and just bend in and not knock a hole in it. If having a heavier duty tank on it mean to not use it , well OK.

Also both tanks are fine but never use a propane tank upside down for you do not want liquid flowing to the valve where it goes to the appliance or furnace and equipment is designed to run on vapor and not liquid. A propane tank is full when it is about 1/2 full and no more. It has 1/2 vapor and 1/2 liquid in it. Now they do put a rock feeder in them for people who likes to put the tanks upside down on the furnace or appliance and will feed it to not let the liquid through and just let vapor through.

Give me a Fork Lift tank anyday before getting a BBQ grill tank for they will take a beating that a BBQ tank will not take.

TURTLE

[PAUL100]

Both style tanks hold liguid that is converted into gas inside the tank. The difference is where the propan is picked up from. the one tank that suplies liguid has a pick up that goes to the bottom of the tank. The gas tank ahas the pickup at the top of the tank. If I remember corectly the liguid supplied tank has female threads on it while the gas suppiled tank has male threads.

[smile4camera]

Sounds like what he's got is an LP tank that supplies liquid.. meaning it's got a pickup tube mounted in it so that liquid will come out of the valve when opened. What it sounds like he needs is a tank that will supply gas.

Regards,

Jim

[Roger Shoaf]

This should not be a problem. The propane is liquid in the bottle so if there is a tube running to the bottom of the tank it will dispense liquid, if there is no tube, you get gas.

If the tank has a tube just bring the bottle to the gas place and they can remove the tube. While you are there have them explain about hydrostatic testing and set you up with the proper regulator for your heater.

[zxcvbob]

All propane tanks hold liquid propane.

If the tank has a dip tube, so it discharges liquid instead of gas, just use the tank upside down. Or take off the valve and remove the dip tube.

Bob