Propane!

[southpennrailroad]

Ok, I just noticed yesterday that I have a propane bottle that I got from Get Go that has a meter showing how much propane is in the bottle. (Maybe the previous owner left it on the tank.) It reads in the green at 1/2 inside the green safe zone. The blue tag on the opening is still in tact which proves I haven't tampered or used it yet. It is to cold now to post a photo as I didn't take one yet anyway. I will take one later. I will however take the bottle up to U-Haul just as it is and have them add by weight to see just how much the tank can be added too. (maybe the meter is wrong) Get Go sells the exchange tank for $17.75. I have so far been using one tank per week. I bet if I had gotten fuel from U-Haul as I have done in the past winters that I would have been getting 1.5 weeks out of a tank. I did need to get some of the tank's replaced but didn't think I was getting short changed if I am.

PropaneTankA.jpg (39.07 KiB) Viewed 3374 times

[Bill n Robi]

Some really good info about propane I found:
http://www.orangecoat.com/the-truth-about-filling-20-lb-bbq-grill-propane-tanks

Opened my eyes to some issues.

Bill

[Socal Tom]

Those meters are only accurate when the tank is empty.
Tom

[Redneck Teepee]

Those meters are only accurate when the tank is empty.
Tom

I'll second that, those gauges will only begin to drop when all of the liquid propane has turned to gas and at that point your bottle is as good as empty.

[southpennrailroad]

Well I took the tank to U-Haul and he filled them including that one shown.When he put fuel in that meter gauge shot way past that mark to the far left. The tank also felt much heavier then when I purchased as a trade in at my closest Get Go/Giant Eagle store. O know I will get 1.5 weeks out of the new one. I just replaced one on Monday so I should be replacing it next Wednesday. I filled six bottles at u-Haul for $78.00 At Get Go I paid$17.75 per bottle.=106.00. That comes out to about two bottles for free.

[S. Heisley]

Off the subject; but, it is so good to hear from you! It's been a while. Glad you didn't forget about us.
....Anything new? How you are you doing? It reads like you are still living in your CT and that it is still working out okay for you, even in these nasty snow storms that you've been getting.

[GuitarPhotog]

And the gauge is even less accurate when the tank is cold. At low temperatures the gas pressure above the liquid drops and the gauge indicates less propane.

<Chas>

[Nobody]

Well I took the tank to U-Haul and he filled them including that one shown.When he put fuel in that meter gauge shot way past that mark to the far left. The tank also felt much heavier then when I purchased as a trade in at my closest Get Go/Giant Eagle store. O know I will get 1.5 weeks out of the new one. I just replaced one on Monday so I should be replacing it next Wednesday. I filled six bottles at u-Haul for $78.00 At Get Go I paid$17.75 per bottle.=106.00. That comes out to about two bottles for free.

The reason your tank felt heavier is because it probably was. The cylinders you get at an 'exchange' location are only filled to 80% maximum (most are filled to 75%). When you fill at a 'propane filling location' the operators usually fill to 85-90%, sometimes 95% (they usually do this by using a screwdriver to 'bypass' the OPD). Since April 1, 2002 all propane cylinders between 4-40 pounds capacity, in the USA, have been required to have an overfill protection device (OPD) which limits filling to 80% which is only 16# in a normal 20# cylinder. Many folks think it is a law (& it may be in some states) but it is actually a 'compact' for safety purposes originated by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) & agreed to by most states. A few states never 'signed on' to the compact & consequently one can often get one of the older, non-OPD tanks filled at a propane dealer. In the pic posted by southpennrailroad you can see that the tank has an OPD by the 'triangle' shaped shut-off wheel. If you look carefully next time you're around one of the propane 'exchange' locations, you'll see on their sign the actual amount of liquid propane contained in the cylinders...

I've circled in red the cylinder's fill level (which is 75% [15#] of the 20# capacity) in this pic

[razorback]

As usual, Harvey always has a great answer. I had never looked at that label before. Makes sense.
Larry

[southpennrailroad]

Thanks and I never looked at that small print either.

[southpennrailroad]

Sharon thanks and yes I have been living in my trailer for the past three winters so far without any problems. I filled my last six tanks in January and still have them left as I had three others still waiting to be used. total 9. So I now have five ready to go for next year. It helped using the small heater (electric) in the men time instead of using the propane furnace.