I've got a couple part full propane tanks, and would like to transfer some of the propane, and take the (now) empties to fill.
Refrigeration guys used to do this with "Freon" using a hose, and chill the destinaton bottle. Anything like this exist for propane? . Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus
You can buy hoses suitable for connecting a propane tank to a bar-b-que at any propane distributor. Maybe you can just butcher two such hoses to make a propane bottle to propane bottle transfer hose.
You can buy hoses suitable for connecting a propane tank to a bar-b-que at any propane distributor. Maybe you can just butcher two such hoses to make a propane bottle to propane bottle transfer hose.
lators are right at the tank fitting, so might need some work to make it fu nction. Thanks for the good idea.
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i think it may be more complicated..
the tank is filled partly with liquid and partly with vapor. the connection is set up to let out only the vapor. in fact I think if you turn the tank upside down to try to flow fluid out, there is a valve that closes to prevent the flow of liquid. when you go to a refill place, they have a special setup to flow liquid. If you are going to transfer by vapor only (by cooling the destination tank), it will take a long time to transfer a significant amount..
but I am only guessing at this, i could be wrong, anybody know for sure? I'd also like to know a good way to transfer propane...
Most U-Haul locations fill propane tanks by the gallon. The price per gallon will vary (widely) by location, but near me the per gallon price times the number of gallons to fill an empty tank is very close to the one-price-fits-all cost to refill a tank (even a half-full one) at BJ's Wholesale. In other words, BJ's charges you full price first and then fills your tank. No refund if you only need half a tank. U- Haul fills your tank and then charges you only for what you needed.
Just take all of your tanks to U-Haul and get them topped off at the per gallon price.
However, if you are dead set on transferring the gas from one tank to another, maybe you can do something with the following info...
I have no idea if this could be used for your application, but when we camped a lot, I used to this to fill the 1 lb propane canisters from my 20 lb tank:
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I recall that I would turn the 20 lb tank over and let her rip. I don't think it filled the 1 lb canisters all the way, but it sure was cheaper than buying new 1 pounders before each camping trip.
To use this for 20 lb to 20 lb transfer, you might need some more adaptors and a hose, at which point, unless you are doing it quite frequenly, you'll never recover the cost of the equipment vs. simply paying full price to fill to fill your tanks (assuming no U-Hauls in the area).
I refill my little one pound bottle from the big tank just fine. The trick is to invert the big tank so that the liquid can settle down into the little tank, which is at a lower position. This way, the density of the liquid propane, being greater than that of the gas, will go into the lower receptacle.
Any of the places I go to use a pump to put the liquid into the tank. In the big tank they have, the fill tube goes down into the liquid.
Yes, I noticed after that you were talking about consolidating the propane from several almost empty tanks into one.
You STILL need something other than the hoses from a barBQ. You need hoses for high pressure gas that can also withstand the cold from evapourating liquid - and without a pump you need a fairly healthy temperature differential between the donor and reciever tanks.
So the "if you are going to do something stupid" part is even more germaine to the discussion.
I seriously doubt it, the liability would be too high.
They do, however, sell a POL fitting that goes into the big tank (left handed thread) and converts it to NPT (I have one on an empty bottle I use as a portable compressed air tank). With some ingenuity, it would not be very hard to buy two of them, and whatever other fittings you need to do what you are setting out to do.
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One idea would be to connect the thing in the first link to the thing in the second link (with a coupler, or find a POL - FPT), but you can probably come up with something better than that.
Yes, I noticed after that you were talking about consolidating the propane from several almost empty tanks into one.
You STILL need something other than the hoses from a barBQ. You need hoses for high pressure gas that can also withstand the cold from evapourating liquid - and without a pump you need a fairly healthy temperature differential between the donor and reciever tanks.
So the "if you are going to do something stupid" part is even more germaine to the discussion.
However, if you are dead set on transferring the gas from one tank to another, maybe you can do something with the following info...
I have no idea if this could be used for your application, but when we camped a lot, I used to this to fill the 1 lb propane canisters from my 20 lb tank:
formatting link
I recall that I would turn the 20 lb tank over and let her rip. I don't think it filled the 1 lb canisters all the way, but it sure was cheaper than buying new 1 pounders before each camping trip.
To use this for 20 lb to 20 lb transfer, you might need some more adaptors and a hose, at which point, unless you are doing it quite frequenly, you'll never recover the cost of the equipment vs. simply paying full price to fill to fill your tanks (assuming no U-Hauls in the area).
the tank is filled partly with liquid and partly with vapor. the connection is set up to let out only the vapor. in fact I think if you turn the tank upside down to try to flow fluid out, there is a valve that closes to prevent the flow of liquid. when you go to a refill place, they have a special setup to flow liquid. If you are going to transfer by vapor only (by cooling the destination tank), it will take a long time to transfer a significant amount..
but I am only guessing at this, i could be wrong, anybody know for sure? I'd also like to know a good way to transfer propane...
Yes, I believe the valve will close if you turn the new tanks upside down. You need a pump of some sort. It's just not worth it. You must have devices that use propane. Use the tanks up.
People don't understand what you're trying to do. There is no need to be a dick about it.
You just say "transfer." TO WHAT? A 1lb tank? Another 20lb tank? A larger s tationary tank?
RV dealers sell high-pressure hoses with the tank connections, but without regulators for about $20 each, so all you'd need is a brass coupling from H ome Depot to connect two of them together.
It's still not going to work: As soon as you tip the source tank over the O PD closes off the valve. You won't be able to transfer the liquid by gravit y, and you won't be able to achieve a cold enough temperature on the destin ation tank using means available to you to "suck" the gas in and turn it ba ck to liquid.
The only way to transfer is with a pump. You'd be $$$ ahead just venting th e leftover propane to atmosphere so you can go to the refiller with an empt y tank.
t regulators for about $20 each, so all you'd need is a brass coupling from Home Depot to connect two of them together.
OPD closes off the valve. You won't be able to transfer the liquid by grav ity, and you won't be able to achieve a cold enough temperature on the dest ination tank using means available to you to "suck" the gas in and turn it back to liquid.
the leftover propane to atmosphere so you can go to the refiller with an em pty tank.
You don't need to vent it. The refiller will fill a partial tank. He'll s till probably charge you for a full tank. Take it to a real propane store that sells it by the gallon in which case you pay for what you need.
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