Propane Pain

[Strait Shooter]

I have something going on that I hope someone recognizes.

I have 2 horizontal propane bottles mounted on my cabin top. When I use one specific bottle I get very very low pressure. When I switch to the other bottle everything is fine.

Is there something wrong with the pressure sensing system in the odd bottle?

[ADMPRTR]

Sorry, I have no solution to offer you but I had a similar problem with a propane tank that prevented it from being filled in addition to low pressure output.

What was explained to me was that there is a safety value that prevents uncontrolled discharges (i.e. if the hose was cut) and apparently this can become locked in the closed or half closed position. Sometimes you can get it to free up but in my case I ended up replacing the tank.

It was also explained to me that the best way to to avoid this situation is to turn on the solenoid and then slowly open the valve on the tank, gradually building up the pressure in the line. That will prevent the emergency valve from activating. However, that is a preventative solution, not a cure.

Edit: To state the obvious confirm that the line from the bad tank is not kinked or compressed but that is unlikely.

[osirissail]

Emergency valve????? Normal nautical propane tanks contain only a rotating valve and if they are comply with the new USA regulations, they have an OPD (Overfill Protection Device) valve. See below. These tanks are for vertical use only as the OPD is a simple "float valve" that closes off the valve when the liquid level in the propane tank rises.
- - Horizontally mounted propane tanks do not have OPD's unless they also have an additional outlet fitting. See below.
- - If the tank you are having problems with has an OPD installed then that tank needs to be operated vertically.
- - Or, as others have posted, you may need the valve removed and the valve and tank cleaned.

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by osirissail

Emergency valve????? Normal nautical propane tanks contain only a rotating valve and if they are comply with the new USA regulations, they have an OPD (Overfill Protection Device) valve. See below. These tanks are for vertical use only as the OPD is a simple "float valve" that closes off the valve when the liquid level in the propane tank rises.
- - Horizontally mounted propane tanks do not have OPD's unless they also have an additional outlet fitting. See below.
- - If the tank you are having problems with has an OPD installed then that tank needs to be operated vertically.
- - Or, as others have posted, you may need the valve removed and the valve and tank cleaned.

I have bought the horizontal mounted bottles before and totally agree with the above post. Most bottles are for standing up always and are more dangrous when layed down.

[Nicholson58]

No reason to discard a tank unless its an exchange type. The welded aluminum tank shown above is kinda expensive and a propane refiller can change out the valve for you for about the price of the valve. If the tank is old enough to requre recertification the old valve is removed anyway.

[Strait Shooter]

Sorry, a late update......
I turned the horizontal tank back into a vertical position and tapped the valve body with a wooden mallet.
Something must have become "unstuck" because when I hooked it back up everything worked fine.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

Sorry, a late update......
I turned the horizontal tank back into a vertical position and tapped the valve body with a wooden mallet.
Something must have become "unstuck" because when I hooked it back up everything worked fine.

bigger the job,bigger the hammer

[webejammin]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

Sorry, a late update......
I turned the horizontal tank back into a vertical position and tapped the valve body with a wooden mallet.
Something must have become "unstuck" because when I hooked it back up everything worked fine.

There are tanks that are to be used only in the horizontal position only and vertical tanks are used only in vertical position they don't work well in the horizontal position and cause the valve to stick or freeze with condensation in the valve.

[Mark1977]

Trailer Park Boys - Propane, Propane - YouTube

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by webejammin

There are tanks that are to be used only in the horizontal position only and vertical tanks are used only in vertical position they don't work well in the horizontal position and cause the valve to stick or freeze with condensation in the valve.

Totally true. Tanks made for vertical need to stay vertical and horizontal need to stay horizontal. The auto valves and siphon tubes are dependant on position. BTW, no safety valve required for horizontal tanks - yet. It hasn't been designed.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Totally true. Tanks made for vertical need to stay vertical and horizontal need to stay horizontal. The auto valves and siphon tubes are dependant on position. BTW, no safety valve required for horizontal tanks - yet. It hasn't been designed.

I think my horizontal tanks do have safety valves. I'm not currently on the boat or I could send a pic and get opinions. I may do that tomorrow.

Ya ya, horizontal can't be vertical blah blah blah etcetcetc

The tank wasn't in a vertical position except when it was last filled. I'm pretty sure that's when the offending digit got "stuck". If it wasn't a safety valve getting stuck, what was it. And what's the noise when the tanks empty that I hear? I thought it was part of a safety valve.

John

[Nicholson58]

They don't make safety valves for horizontal tanks. If you think you might have one ask the propane refilling distributor what is in the end of your tank. Hopefully, he is an old guy with a 7-day beard stubble and a dirty shirt. He may know what he is looking at.

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

Hopefully, he is an old guy with a 7-day beard stubble and a dirty shirt. He may know what he is looking at.

The last guy to pump my propane kept trying to hook up to the outflow and would get pissed when he couldn't get the propane to flow. I may not be a propane rocket scientist, but that was almost painful to watch.

So what I've been calling the safety valve sounds like the 10% valve.
What would a safety valve then be?

John

[Nicholson58]

Best thing is to get educated. Here are a few useful links. After reading and your own research, you should be able to aske the right questions. Anything else you get here is likely water-cooler talk.
I've read this and I am not sure my horizontal tanks are exempt or in/out of compliance.
Understanding Propane Bottle Valves - Troubleshooting LP Gas Cylinder Connections

for vertical standard exchange tanks Law requires new safety valves on propane tanks (05-13-2002)

Propane Systems by Don Casey

you can buy the OPD valve for a vertical tank and DIY but most porpane service stations will sell & insall the new valve for about the price of the valve since the old valve must be remove anyway for a pressure test.

Q&A including horizontal cylinders.
Propane Tank Regulations

Propane Tank Valves and Re-Certification

[Strait Shooter]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

They don't make safety valves for horizontal valves

Would this be considered part of that "water cooler" talk?

My asking the question in this forum IS a part of my "getting educated". As is your obviously special ability to push buttons with Google.

I've never had an OPD "stick", as it were. I'm not sure when the last time you got propane here in the states was, but horizontal or not, where I live if you don't have an OPD on a tank, you get no propane.

I was asking an experienced (and obviously some not so) group of people for their input on a problem I was experiencing. I also asked mechanics in the heavy equipment world, structural engineers that work for me, boat refitters, the guy that lives on the boat next to mine, and I'd have asked my girlfriend if I thought there was a chance in hell she'd know what I was talking about.

The one guy I didn't ask was the old fart in a greasy shirt that half ass fills my tanks and has to be reminded every time that yes, horizontal tanks are legal to fill, and would you please fill it through the proper input you bonehead.

I woke up one night when the boat rocked in our slip and watched as a net of oranges hit the cabins sidewall. I realized that the OPD must work in basically the same way. A gentle tap with a wooden mallet freed it up the next morning.

Trial and error are fine mechanical learning tools, as are knowledge bases wherever you may find them.