Hopefully someone finds it helpful and saves some cash.
Refilling Propane Cans - Save Money On Engine Repairs
- Thread starter Vintage Engine Repairs
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You never get the throw away tank to fill properly. Played that game for years. Also illegal to refill flamable gas canisters and not have them properly marked. Ie map gas tanks shouldnt have propane in them. The valves like to leak after several refills both the over pressure valve and the main valve.
My uncle found these refillable tanks years ago. I have 4 in rotation for the past 5 odd years now.
https://flamekingproducts.com/produ...nable-1lb-refillable-propane-tank-lp-cylinder
There are a few other companies that sell similar products. Also there are better fill valves too, handy when you have multiple tanks to fill.
My uncle found these refillable tanks years ago. I have 4 in rotation for the past 5 odd years now.
https://flamekingproducts.com/produ...nable-1lb-refillable-propane-tank-lp-cylinder
There are a few other companies that sell similar products. Also there are better fill valves too, handy when you have multiple tanks to fill.
Yes you can and I explain all this in the video.
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I'm far from an expert, but I didn't think it was illegal to refill, even without marking- I was under the impression that it is only illegal to transport them after refilling. Either way, even the transport thing would be an issue most of the time.
Of course, the refilled container wouldn't necessarily be recognizable as being refilled.
I have a buddy who gets them pretty much full, iirc he hold in the little schrader valve to release the air pressure, with the big tank being held upside down. Either way, the little refillable cylinders are definitely nicer if you're refilling a lot.
I refill the torch sized propane bottles all the time. I use them to power my case annealer when I anneal rifle cases prior to reloading. I use one of the 20 pound bottles from the RV. I invert it on the bench, screw in the adapter to the empty small bottle and then screw the empty to the 20 pounder and open the valve and it fills them right up but prior to filling, I put the empty ones in the shop freezer to cool them down. A cold bottle fills much easier and quicker.
Of course it's not free as the 20 pounder has to be filled back up. Bought the adapter at Tractor Supply for 8 bucks years ago and I keep a number of the small ones in the fridge all the time. I haven't bought a new small bottle in years and I also use them to power the 'Buddy heater' in the deer blind as well. I bet I've filled them at last 20 times now, maybe more.
Weighed an empty one as well as a filled one and the filled one's weight is within an ounce or two of a factory filled one.
One, it's not free and two, the big bottle MUST be inverted to fill the smaller ones so the picture in the first post is wrong. You want liquid, not vapor to fill the smaller bottle with and the ONLY way to extract liquid is to INVERT the big bottle.
Finally, they are not tanks, they are bottles. Tanks are on chainsaws and gas powered engines. I know people use the term interchangeably but the correct term is bottle. Like I said previously, been refilling my small ones for years. I've never had a leaking valve and I always get them almost full and I never 'bleed' off anything when filling them, I fill them up and use them and fill them again. Have big bottles as well that contain the inert gas the welders use. I get them refilled at my local welding supply store that also has a compressor station. I get Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen and non medical Oxygen as well as Acetylene bottles refilled all the time. It would not be cost saving to buy a filled bottle every time in as much as the big ones are costly to purchase and I own all my bottles and I have them refilled and I own quite a few.
Far as I'm concerned (and remember I own and operate a welding and fab shop), it would be insane not to refill gas bottles (well, in the case of Acetylene bottles), the Acetylene bottles are actually filled with liquid acetylene and the liquid is absorbed in the media inside the bottle, hence it's called 'dissolved' and you NEVER use a dissolved acetylene bottle in any position but vertical as you only want to extract the gas, never the dissolved liquid. Liquid acetylene in a torch head would do very bad things very quickly.
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Also never pressurize acetylene above 15psi when it isn't dissolved in acetone, bad things can happen then as well.
Some things I don't allude to and that is one. Common knowledge when it pertains to people using it every day. Just like keep all your bottles vertical and securely tethered as breaking the valve off the top of any pressurized bottle be it flammable gas or inert can and will cause untold grief as well. They make great 'rocket engines' when the contents is released in an uncontrollable manner.......
Been using the Flame King refillables for years, really like them. I'm more of a liquid fuel type of guy, but propane is ridiculously practical in a lot of applications. Being able to refill instead of running out and having to run into town for more cylinders is a good benefit too.
The disposable cylinders are an exercise in lowest acceptable viability, based on one use. I know lots of people do reuse them and don't have any problems, but doing so with flammable gassed ain't my jam when something engineered to be reused from the beginning is available. I've had the disposable cylinders leak without being refilled.
The disposable cylinders are an exercise in lowest acceptable viability, based on one use. I know lots of people do reuse them and don't have any problems, but doing so with flammable gassed ain't my jam when something engineered to be reused from the beginning is available. I've had the disposable cylinders leak without being refilled.
My high school shop teacher said he saw a large high pressure cylinder fall over and break the valve off. Said it flew like a balloon and went through a wall.
Years ago when I lived in Cleveland (long time ago), Welders Supply on Train Avenue caught on fire and it was spectacular to say the least. Bottles were going every which way, some straight up like rockets. 2500 psi even on a non flammable bottle equates to some serious force. Nothing much left of the place afterward. I keep my spares inside but always tethered to the wall with restraining chains. My greatest fear is having one fall over and break off the top. They look harmless but lots of dangerous energy inside, especially the acetylene bottles.
I've never had any issue but I buy name brand propane bottles for the most part. Sure is cost effective to refill them.
...and I do with my case annealing machine. It's a pig on propane.
