Propane adapter for Europe

[john61ct]

Aside from safety and economic issues, note that 99% of propane appliances will burn butane and v/v without any adjustment.

In many countries "LPG" is a varying mixture of the two, that can vary depending on location, altitude and season, since butane is no good at very cold temps.

Just FYI if you're in a pinch somewhere.

[George DuBose]

A Dutch chandlery owner told me how to fill my own US LPG tanks and he made an adaptor for me taking a US hose with a fitting for a US tank that he mated to a European tank fitting. All I have to do is get a 11 kilo grey tank, hang it higher than the empty US tank upside down connecting both tanks together with my hose. I allow 24 hours for the transfer of LPG from the European tank to the smaller US tank.

I know this is illegal and I don't fill my tanks on board my boat, but by filling two 11 lb US tanks I can cruise for six weeks using the gas for cooking.

On occasion, the store house that I use for filling my tanks is cooler than the outside temperature and bringing the newly filled US tank out of the store house can cause the "pressure relief valve" to let gas out of the US tank. So I leave the tank in the open air for a few hours before traveling with the tank in a car.

I can "hear" the derisive howls of caution from the readers, but I have been refilling my own tanks for 10 years, in a store house that only I have access to and always assure that open flames are not present when filling or moving the tank in my auto.

...and in the process, I save money. 17 euros to fill two 11 lb tanks
Anyway, that is one solution to the problem of filling US LPG tanks in Europe.

[conachair]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

A Dutch chandlery owner told me how to fill my own US LPG tanks and he made an adaptor for me taking a US hose with a fitting for a US tank that he mated to a European tank fitting. All I have to do is get a 11 kilo grey tank, hang it higher than the empty US tank upside down connecting both tanks together with my hose. I allow 24 hours for the transfer of LPG from the European tank to the smaller US tank.

I know this is illegal and I don't fill my tanks on board my boat, but by filling two 11 lb US tanks I can cruise for six weeks using the gas for cooking.

On occasion, the store house that I use for filling my tanks is cooler than the outside temperature and bringing the newly filled US tank out of the store house can cause the "pressure relief valve" to let gas out of the US tank. So I leave the tank in the open air for a few hours before traveling with the tank in a car.

I can "hear" the derisive howls of caution from the readers, but I have been refilling my own tanks for 10 years, in a store house that only I have access to and always assure that open flames are not present when filling or moving the tank in my auto.

...and in the process, I save money. 17 euros to fill two 11 lb tanks
Anyway, that is one solution to the problem of filling US LPG tanks in Europe.

The kit linked to in post 14 supposedly has fittings for any bottle so should be able to decant anywhere. Maybe

[john61ct]

As long as you read up on and follow all the precautions I don't think this as any more dangerous than sailing offshore.

[SV Enough]

I am just getting back to see all your WONDERFUL replies and haven’t had an opportunity to read this wealth of information!

But I haven’t been idle. I may have found a vendor in Belfast Ireland willing to make an adapter specifically for North American tanks with the OPD used in NA.

It will take about 7 weeks to sample their work and let you know if this is a viable product, how much and are they willing to market it.

[SV Enough]

Additional notes: we will be doing our refilling primarily in Ireland which uses the AMCE standard for propane tanks.

I have been told there a 3 sizes of the ACME. It seems NA uses the smaller 1 1/4 inch while Ireland uses 1 3/4 inch. The vendor I found is making up a 1 1/4 inch ACME adapter. ACME in part is the “OPD” you are seeing nowadays on propane tanks in the US.

Bottom line is that ACME is being adopted by many countries including the US. And enforced as it is in the US by making it illegal to refill non ACME tanks ie without the OPD (Overfill Protection Device) which is also a one way valve. Meaning you can’t open the valve when disconnected and have gas come out. These are the obvious changes from the previous POL valves, there are other safety features in ACME.

[SV Enough]

CORRECTION 1 1/2 inch is US. Sorry it early and my brain isn’t hitting on all thrusters yet.

[Pete7]

Wouldn't it be easier to just change the regulator and use Calor gas cylinders whilst you are in Ireland and England? there are a range of adapters and regulators available:

Gas Regulators, Gas Valve & Adaptors For Caravans & Boats - Calor Gas

If not who do you think is going to fill your US cylinders via this widget? I just don't see the major gas suppliers like Calor Gas or Flowgas.

Pete

[SV Enough]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Wouldn't it be easier to just change the regulator and use Calor gas cylinders whilst you are in Ireland and England? there are a range of adapters and regulators available:



Gas Regulators, Gas Valve & Adaptors For Caravans & Boats - Calor Gas



If not who do you think is going to fill your US cylinders via this widget? I just don't see the major gas suppliers like Calor Gas or Flowgas.



Pete

No is actually would not. Our system is wired and plumbed and there is no easy way to change that short of tearing the place apart and redoing in ALL. England is not on our itinerary, ever. England does is not ACME standard.

[Kalinka1]

have sort of just gone through this process. We had a Diesel Kerosene stove on the boat that gave up the ghost. We replaced it with a Propane cooker. Since the boat didn't have a dedicated propane locker. We were a bit stimied on where to store the bottle. Fortunately we have a Cape Horn Wind Vane and the space beween the upper supports just fit the dia. of Calor gas bottles. so we just put a 17 kilo bottle on the back and lash it down. No issues with leaks as everything is outside. The problem is with the bottle fittings. They are all different. Northern Ireland UK uses a female? Southern Ireland uses a male or vice versa. So what we do is buy the different regulators with a hose barb and switch them out as needed. In Norway we couldn't find a regulator but were able to get the bottle refilled at a camp ground. Never saw a refill station anywhere in Northern or Southern Ireland it was always exchange.

[john61ct]

Worst case possible with the right adapters to decant from whatever-bottle up high upside down into yours.

But obviously outdoors only no sparks, heavy insulated gloves etc.

I do it with a scale to be sure not overfilling, push it a bit in cold weather.

Sounds more dangerous than it is really.

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by Kalinka1

Never saw a refill station anywhere in Northern or Southern Ireland it was always exchange.

Exactly, which I did try to point out but just had my advice shoved back down my throat, so I won't bother again. As for refill stations in Ireland, well I lived there for 6 years and don't remember seeing any. It was Calor or Gaz on a one for one exchange.

If SV is planning on visiting other European countries then he should switch to using Gaz cylinders which will be widely available. The high pressure to bulkhead regulator is the old way of using gas fittings which are being fazed out and replaced with regulators mounted directly onto the cylinder. Both Calor and Gaz have these options which would be simple to retrofit during a stay in Europe.

Pete

[SV Enough]

Originally Posted by SV Enough

I just came across this http://www.lpgadapter.com/pol-acme-f...ates-australia

These folks are making me an auto fuel to North American tank adapter. With it, if the attendant cooperates I can fill my North American ACME/OPD tank at propane auto fuel dispensing stations.

Not being content depending on the good will of the attendant I came up with Plan B.

My North American regulator has 2 pigtails:

http://tridentmarine.com/product/lpg.../#.Wljy7GJOnYV

I made a second requested of these folks which would allows me to use swap-empty-for-full local tanks if the local auto fuel place will not allow me to use the POL adapter to fill my American tank.

Since my NA regulator has connections for 2 tanks and built-in switch over valve, I can leave one with the NA pigtail referenced in the web link above. And change the other pigtail to one with the larger ACME 44.45 mm Irish pigtail and fitting for my NA regulator. They have agreed and are making the pigtail.

Both devices will be available for sale from them.

Mark Fay MMC Jr. Engineer QMED AS-E / MSC ET

[SV Enough]

Strategy wise we hope to have one American tank and one comparably sized local swap-empty-for-full in the locker. With one of each stored on deck in 5 gallon Weather tight buckets. This will afford a minimum of 2 Irish tanks available if filling our NA tanks is a non starter. Which will give 6-8 months fuel at the rate we use propane allowing excursions from our Irish base port and back. Four tanks if we are able to fill our NA tanks. If this doesn’t work out, I purchased a second Irish pigtail and will change the remaining NA pigtail with the second second Irish pigtail and have 4 Irish swap tanks. Plenty of propane for our use.

We have a toaster oven, microwave and two burner buffet stove which are all electric. Only the range uses propane. So as far as cooking goes we are not limited to one means of preparing meals.

[CatNewBee]

There are propane quick-lock hose connectors around in camping stores - mainly for BBQ hook-ups.

You can add some of those to your regulators, so you can just easy exchange the regulator fitting to the local bottles, it's then plug and play.

Propane quick lock connector

The female part goes to the regulator, it has a internal valve...