Propane question

[NorthernMac]

Sooooo I wasn’t thinking I’d be needing this, especially after the heat pump and my snowbird like traveling, well I haven’t made it as far down the ICW as expected with waiting for the new jib to get made (great turnaround don’t get me wrong), but it’s kinda cold and I need to know if this looks fillable, and or if I could temporarily hook up one of those gas station tanks you can buy.

[Belezar]

Not much to see there. Why wouldn’t it be?

[Sailmonkey]

If it’s within hydro there’s no reason it can’t be filled.

Look for the hydro test date stamp on it, if within 12 years of the date of manufacture it’s good. Otherwise it’ll need a test and stamp every 5 years after 12.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

If it’s within hydro there’s no reason it can’t be filled.

Look for the hydro test date stamp on it, if within 12 years of the date of manufacture it’s good. Otherwise it’ll need a test and stamp every 5 years after 12.

Any idea on the type of tank and fitting?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

Any idea on the type of tank and fitting?

Hard to tell from the pic, but looks like it has an external POL thread to me and the hose fitting is screwed into the inside...so likely an internal POL thread too. This is common on USA tanks. Assuming the tank cert dates are OK, getting it filled should not be an issue.

USA exhangeable tanks normally use POL fittings...but of course...you need a tank to exchange.

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by NorthernMac

Any idea on the type of tank and fitting?

Not quite sure what the question is.

Pull it out for a better photo and it’ll be easier to answer and questions.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

If it’s within hydro there’s no reason it can’t be filled.

Look for the hydro test date stamp on it, if within 12 years of the date of manufacture it’s good. Otherwise it’ll need a test and stamp every 5 years after 12.

Your mostly correct, except they don’t hydro propane tanks.
I believe it’s just a visual and a leak test. Just don’t bother with the ones that want to put a sticker on the tank, it won’t stay on, find someone that will stamp the tank.
You have an aluminum tank, they are a couple hundred dollars, worth rectifying If it were a 20 lb steel tank, don’t bother, just swap it out.

It also appears that you have an OPD valve from the valve handle shape, which is good cause if you didn’t, you would have to buy one and they come in many different sizes, so they can be hard or find for an aluminum tank as it’s different than steel ones.
The OPD dip tube length is also stamped on the collar of the tank. Also with the date of manufacture and or recert date.

I’m betting you have a 10 lb aluminum tank, that’s also stamped on the neck, and if so, no way a 20 lb tank will fit in that hole, and a steel tank rusts like nobody’s business so I wouldn’t want one anyway.

[gonesail]

I had my 10 lb. tank filled today. They hold around 2 gallons of propane.

[SV Melody]

It looks like the same bottles I have on my boat. Shouldn't be too much trouble finding a place to fill it for ya.



Mike's Happy Little Boat Story Time:
Not having ever really used propane for much of anything, I was a bit befuddled by the various hoses and fittings and adapters tossed in the locker when I took possession of my first boat (this one, yes. A 41' 20 year old production boat. In Florida. Stupid? Possibly, we don't know yet.). The surveyor had mentioned that the bottle that was hooked up was empty, which is why he couldn't check the stove. (It wasn't empty.) So I took it to a Tractor Supply in town to have them fill it, also allowing me to see what sort of hose/adapter witchcraft was necessary to not detonate my new boat but still create masterful hot dogs and grilled chikinz at my leisure on my new yacht. The guy went through all the trouble to set up the whole rig and that tank took less than 1/2lb. I guess the "other" tank is empty then, huh? I felt like such an idiot...


Took it back to the boat and plumbed it in according to the spells and incantations I had witnessed at the tractor store. Rotated valve to the 'open' position and heard the little whoosh noise I was expecting. All is well, no fires or fatalities. Quick hop downstairs to flip the switch for the gas solenoid then stood over the stove with my lighter on a stick. Turn the little knob... didn't hear anything but maybe it takes a second for the gas to reach all the way from over there to over here..? Didn't smell sulfur, no hissing noises, and about a thousand attempts with the lighter yielded zero satisfying blue tongues of fire in my galley. This is Not what I was expecting in return for several hours of work and driving around town and looking stupid at the tractor store.


Well, I know for a solid fact that the tank is full. I know it's hooked up correctly. I know it pressurized the line correctly when I opened the main valve. But there's no gas at the stove... hmm... For S&G I decided to use one of the other random adapter thingies in the propane locker to connect one of my 1lb disposable bottles, thus bypassing the now-suspect hose situation that connects the big tanks in an effort to determine whether this is a supply problem at the tank or a device problem at the stove. I didn't know at that exact moment that I was also bypassing the solenoid valve, not knowing what a solenoid valve looked like in this capacity. I know what solenoids are and I know what valves are. But I didn't know much of anything about the two when combined in a marine installation, particularly what such a thing might look like. So anyways, I connect the 1 pounder and it hisses when I open the valve just like the big tank did. Back downstairs. Find lighter on a stick that I have managed to lose in the seven minutes since I last used it. Found after brief search and minor cursing. Approach stove. Turn knob. Hear actual noise! Apply lighter on a stick and POOF! Little blue tongues of fire!!! Now if I only had pots and pans.. or maybe something to cook on a skewer.. but sadly no.


What had happened wuz that the previous owner, in his infinite and absolutely bat---- crazy logic, had destroyed the solenoid valve whilst attempting to troubleshoot it. What I couldn't know was that he had taken/ripped/beaten the electrical bit off of it, just leaving the brass valve part inline with the rest of the witchcraft in there. It just looked like another random piece of something-that-was-possibly-important but with no wires going to it, my electrician's brain did not make the association that it may be the valve I seek. I had torn apart the stbd lazarette, gone diving behind the galley cabinets, nearly took the stove out trying to find this stupid valve that I now know has to be the bad part. I've isolated everything else and built a functioning system from one end to the other so where is this stupid valve at!?


Well, when all else fails and I'm running low on beer, thus needing to find a resolution before nightfall lest I die in my sleep of acute failure to fix something, I went to a few websites to just see if I could locate a single picture of this alleged "solenoid valve" that I now suspected may well have been a huge practical joke on me and that they don't actually exist at all. And there it was (for $270 &$@*%#* dollars!). Hey, I've seen at least half of that assembly quite recently... hmm... Back to the cockpit, open the propane locker, dig past the discarded bits of witchcraft. Ahah! Yep, that's a valve alright. But.. isn't it supposed to have wi-- oh there they are. Cut short and stuffed back into a recess with a piece of prehistoric electrical tape and some cobwebs holding them just out of easy visual detection range.


The electrical actuator is gone. Long gone. Probably beyond the orbit of Jupiter by now. But the valve part is there. I go grab some of my vicious pliers that can ruin stainless and put some torque on that suspicious looking post sticking out and behold! The valve turns! So we're all on the same page at this point: Mr P/O had destroyed the actuator, hacked the wires, left the valve stuck in the closed position, hidden it in with the other random debris in there, left a full tank hooked up, and left the breaker on sending 12VDC to two bare wires in a propane locker. Yep. And you know what? That's not the worst thing I've found. But that's a story for another thread. Back to your regularly scheduled reading

[john61ct]

The "new" requirement for all portable DOT-regulated consumer tanks to be fitted with working OPD fitting

Type 1 QCC 1-5/16" ACME/FPOL

and the datestamp

are the only potential roadblocks.

Many tanks are fitted with cheap-chinese valves, and even good stuff can go bad, so if you do get any work done at your local LPG shop, ask for a new "genuine RegO" one.

[sailorboy1]

Get another tank, you WILL need a second tank no matter what

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Your mostly correct, except they don’t hydro propane tanks.
I believe it’s just a visual and a leak test. Just don’t bother with the ones that want to put a sticker on the tank, it won’t stay on, find someone that will stamp the tank.
You have an aluminum tank, they are a couple hundred dollars, worth rectifying If it were a 20 lb steel tank, don’t bother, just swap it out.

It also appears that you have an OPD valve from the valve handle shape, which is good cause if you didn’t, you would have to buy one and they come in many different sizes, so they can be hard or find for an aluminum tank as it’s different than steel ones.
The OPD dip tube length is also stamped on the collar of the tank. Also with the date of manufacture and or recert date.

I’m betting you have a 10 lb aluminum tank, that’s also stamped on the neck, and if so, no way a 20 lb tank will fit in that hole, and a steel tank rusts like nobody’s business so I wouldn’t want one anyway.

You’re correct, I hadn’t looked up what is done in a while. It’s a stupid process, but required none the less.

[psk125]

We have the same type of aluminum tank. It works fine and is refillable, though I haven’t checked the date stamp recently. Bigger steel tanks won’t fit in your locker. Hooking them in to your existing setup may be a problem. Our hose in the locker would not extend far enough out of the locker to reach a steel tank on deck, for example. Perhaps there are extension hoses? Be sure to put something on the deck to avoid rust stains if you get a steel tank.

[NorthernMac]

Originally Posted by psk125

We have the same type of aluminum tank. It works fine and is refillable, though I haven’t checked the date stamp recently. Bigger steel tanks won’t fit in your locker. Hooking them in to your existing setup may be a problem. Our hose in the locker would not extend far enough out of the locker to reach a steel tank on deck, for example. Perhaps there are extension hoses? Be sure to put something on the deck to avoid rust stains if you get a steel tank.

Next chance I get I’ll have it filled.

[psk125]

It’s supposed to warm up soon.