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29-09-2020, 17:02
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Kemah, TX
Boat: Lagoon 42
Posts: 51
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australian lpg tank in USA
I'm looking at buying a grill from an Australian company. They also sell a stainless lpg tank. It has a different valve than what you would see in the States, that much I know. all I need to know is if I will have trouble getting someone to fill it here. Otherwise I will only get the grill and figure out a tank option later. Thanks!
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29-09-2020, 17:24
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#2
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Marine Service Provider
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Little Compton, RI
Boat: Cape George 31
Posts: 3,030
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Propane companies in my experience are very skittish about anything out of the box. I doubt they'd fill a non-US approved tank even if they had the fitting to do so, which I would doubt as well. They want to just see the same thing over and over.
__________________
Ben
zartmancruising.com
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29-09-2020, 17:29
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#3
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Muskegon, Mi
Boat: Columbia 36
Posts: 1,213
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
In the US recreational tanks must have the OPD valve with the triangular knob. No idea what the rules in Oz are but of it doesn't have the triangular knob no one here will refill it. You could have the valve swapped out, but again no idea if the threads would be the same. Getting tanks filled is a problem anytime you cross borders. LPG is available most everywhere but it seems the tanks and valves are different in every country.
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30-09-2020, 06:23
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#4
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Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Minnesota
Boat: Tartan 3800
Posts: 4,883
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by introverted
I'm looking at buying a grill from an Australian company. They also sell a stainless lpg tank. It has a different valve than what you would see in the States, that much I know. all I need to know is if I will have trouble getting someone to fill it here. Otherwise I will only get the grill and figure out a tank option later. Thanks!
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Cylinders manufactured for use in the USA and Canada must meet certain specific regulatory requirements and must be marked by the manufacturer to show compliance.
Propane dealers in these two countries, as a general rule, will not fill cylinders that aren't designed and manufactured specifically for use in USA/Canada.
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30-09-2020, 06:57
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#5
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cruiser
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 6
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
I cruised through USA with 2 x 20lb (9kg) Australian propane cylinders. OPD valves are not fitted to Australian cylinders so it is illegal to fill in USA. If the cylinders are fitted with prestolite (POL) type cylinder valves then they are the same threads as USA cylinders. Since they were galvanised and expensive I wanted to keep them. I simply bought a couple of OPD valves for 20lb size cylinders and replaced the originals.
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30-09-2020, 07:07
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#6
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Carrabelle, Florida
Boat: Fiberglas shattering 44' steel trawler
Posts: 6,084
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Blue Heeler has got it. Here's the US valve for conversion:
https://www.amazon.com/Nashfuel-Prop...32471436&psc=1
It's worth noting that LPG has a vapor pressure of only about 125 psi. Messing with the valve mounted on the tank is no where near the dicy situation of messing with, say, an oxygen tank or a SCUBA tank at 2,000 or so psi.
__________________
Never let anything mechanical know that you are in a hurry.
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30-09-2020, 09:43
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: North East USA
Boat: 1975 Tartan 41'
Posts: 1,044
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
You can also fill it yourself from another propane tank provided you have a hose that can connect the two. Just have to suspend the full tank above the empty one. Plenty of youtube vids showing how. LPG can be Butane or Propane and I'm not sure what is used in Aus but I think Europe typically uses Butane in grills. Slightly different propane is (C3H8) and Butane (C4H10). Probably not going to make any difference in a grill....?
If you change the valve to USA standard, won't it be a problem attaching to the Aussie grill?
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30-09-2020, 09:53
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: SC
Boat: None,build the one shown of glass, had many from 6' to 48'.
Posts: 10,208
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Just buy the grill. Filling the tank might be near to impossible in the US. Had you considered the other fittings and there thread. Hose from grill to regulator or visa versa?
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30-09-2020, 10:37
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Carrabelle, Florida
Boat: Fiberglas shattering 44' steel trawler
Posts: 6,084
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Zstine, my somewhat cynical thought is that they are bottling what comes out the top of the cracking tower, and call it LPG because they don't want to be pinned down on how much propane, how much butane, and how much mixed volatile hydrocarbon crud is going into the tank.
__________________
Never let anything mechanical know that you are in a hurry.
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30-09-2020, 18:06
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#10
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Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Burien, WA
Boat: 1986 Baliner 45'
Posts: 3
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Fs boat and for fuel c. The boat was for the stove and oven. I took the boat to British Columbia and found no service facilities in marinas that sold fuel including propane. Also, the jets in the stove tip and oven were different so they had to be replaced with jets for propane.
Good luck!
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30-09-2020, 18:39
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Boston
Boat: Leopard 39
Posts: 307
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by tkeithlu
Blue Heeler has got it. Here's the US valve for conversion:
It's worth noting that LPG has a vapor pressure of only about 125 psi. Messing with the valve mounted on the tank is no where near the dicy situation of messing with, say, an oxygen tank or a SCUBA tank at 2,000 or so psi.
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tkeithlu is correct about the relative risk of removing a low pressure LPG tank valve versus removing the valve on a high pressure oxygen or compressed air cylinder. However, any compressed gas cylinder should be handled with caution when removing the valve. A bottle of champagne is pressurized at somewhere between 70-90psi. You certainly don't want to be hit in the eye with a champagne cork. Imagine if it were a brass valve under greater pressure. Best practice when removing any cylinder valve is to completely depressurize the bottle. If the bottle has an OPG valve it will not drain by simply opening the valve. It will be necessary to drain the pressure off by turning on the burner or other device the tank is connected to first, then remove it from the regulator. When you are certain the bottle is at its lowest possible pressure, slowly unscrew the valve one thread at a time. The easiest thing to do is take it to your propane fill station and ask them to drain the bottle and remove the valve. Much safer.
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30-09-2020, 19:03
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#12
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,217
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Mate, why would you want to pay the doubtless excessive price for an Australian tank and then pay the shipping to the States?
Buy one locally, avoid controversy and save money too. What's not to like?
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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30-09-2020, 19:12
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#13
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Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Boat: Island Packet 40
Posts: 6,469
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim Cate
Mate, why would you want to pay the doubtless excessive price for an Australian tank and then pay the shipping to the States?
Buy one locally, avoid controversy and save money too. What's not to like?
Jim
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I've given up on owning tanks in Australia, refills are generally more expensive than the GasNgo folks and tanks going rusty is their problem.
__________________
Satiriker ist verboten, la conformité est obligatoire
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30-09-2020, 20:53
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#14
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2008
Location: cruising SW Pacific
Boat: Jon Sayer 1-off 46 ft fract rig sloop strip plank in W Red Cedar
Posts: 21,217
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Re: australian lpg tank in USA
Quote:
Originally Posted by RaymondR
I've given up on owning tanks in Australia, refills are generally more expensive than the GasNgo folks and tanks going rusty is their problem.
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Me too, even though one only gets 8.5 kg instead of 9 as we used to when we refilled ourselves.
Jim
__________________
Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II, lying Port Cygnet Tasmania once again.
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