Propane?

[chucknduck]

Anyone on here refill their one pound bottles?  I've read a little about it. Just wondering what your experiences are with it. They are expensive and a hassle to remember to pick up at the store since closest they are sold is 40 miles away

[ice jim]

You have to get an adapter and there are videos on YouTube that show you how to do it

[TimberNinja]

No,I bought the adapter hose so I could use a twenty pound tank,there heavy but its alot cheaper and one tank will last me the whole season and Im out at least every weekend

[chucknduck]

No,I bought the adapter hose so I could use a twenty pound tank,there heavy but its alot cheaper and one tank will last me the whole season and Im out at least every weekend

I have that too but the 20 pounder is too big when I use my flip over and a pain when you move.

[mtjigalo]

I use a 5 lb. tank I got on amazon. Big enough to last for 3 or 4 trips and small enough that its light and fits on my sled no problem.

[Papa John]

I've used a refill adapter for 1 lb bottles for years and no problems. Just follow instructions including chilling the bottles in a freezer or outside before filling and it works great. Saved me a bunch of $$ and no more buying new bottles. Costs me less than a dollar to refill.

[chucknduck]

Think I'm gonna give it a try. Once i burn up the six I have  I'll have six to have filled all the time

[IAMONTHEGO247]

chilling the small ones helps to refill but i have found even if you don't chill them as your filling them you need to pull up on the pressure relief valve and you can always get a good full tank.... once in a while it don't want to reseal but if you pull it up and let it snap back down it usually will.....don't know if this is recomended but i've been doing it for a couple of years now without problems??

[OUTHNTN]

You can pick up the adapter at Harbor Freight for under $20.  I personally have a 4' hose attached to the adapter with a 1/4 turn inline valve for turning it off quickly when the small bottle is filled.  Since you must flip the 20# tank upside down and hold the 1# below that level it makes it much easier.  And as IAMONTHEGO247 said, you need to pull up on the relief valve stem with some tiny angled needle nose pliers.  Once liquid comes out turn off the valve and then release the stem.  One trick I've learned is to swirl the 1# tank in small circles as it seems to help fill 'em faster.  Also, the pickup tube in the 20#'er is off to one side of the valve, so you can't completely empty it unless you get it tilted just perfectly.  I've been re-filling for years now and have never had a problem other than smelling like a skunk for a few days. BTW- REFILL OUTSIDE, NOT IN THE GARAGE OR AN ENCLOSED AREA for obvious life-saving reasons other than making your cars interior smell so bad your wife and kids won't drive it anymore   Although that did cut down on the fuel bill for a month or so   Disclaimer:  RE-FILL AT YOUR OWN RISK- Good fishin' - OH

[chucknduck]

I just ordered the adapter. So we will see how it goes. Thanks for the tips

[hagfan72]

This is one of the reasons I love this forum; great tips!! 

[Papa John]

Using the relief to fill a bottle to max isn't a safe proposition due to potential overfilling and the relief popping off when the bottle warms up. Ran into this a couple times doing the same thing and bled propane off into the garage and camper on several occasions. A normal filling without this will still yield a 3/4 pound or more refill. Just my experience...........

[hagfan72]

Would weighing the bottles pre and post fill be a good way to know that you didn't overfill them?

[Papa John]

Yup

[jign4koks]

Should you use a filter inline between the 20lb and 1lb during refill ??  Mr. Heater recommends to use one if you run the buddy heaters off a bulk type tank, because of possible contamination in the bulk propane.

[needin2fish]

I've been refillng for a couple years and never had a problem with my buddy heater.  I also weigh them, haven't filled any this year but I believe a new one weighs 1.29#.

[chucknduck]

Should you use a filter inline between the 20lb and 1lb during refill ??  Mr. Heater recommends to use one if you run the buddy heaters off a bulk type tank, because of possible contamination in the bulk propane.

Good question. I've been researching this a bit have not heard anyone using the filter. I have a filter and I think it will accept the threads of the one pounder so I could just use it

[Ice Junkie_]

Will have to try this, tired of buying bottles

[Papa John]

The filter on a larger bottle sounds like a good idea to me. Has some contamination once from a supplier that must have pumped from the bottom of the bulk tank and I have yellow goop filling my heater. Took me some time to strip mand clean the thing. Lines were filled too.

[Cornbread]

Besides not having to drive 1.5hrs to Missoula to get new bottles what is the cost savings difference you guys who are refilling are seeing roughly? I need to start doing this just so I don't have to remember to pick up new bottles when I am in town but also wondering what the overall savings difference is when you do it this way?

[Papa John]

Picked up the refill adapter for $10. at a second hand store.  A 20 lb refill at Costco is less than $10. (or lets say a half buck a pound). So a refill from a 20 pound tank is about a half buck after initial adapter purchase. I have four 1 lb bottles that I've refilled a half dozen times each and they're doing fine. I use them on my boat stove, lantern, and portable heaters.

[Cornbread]

Picked up the refill adapter for $10. at a second hand store.  A 20 lb refill at Costco is less than $10. (or lets say a half buck a pound). So a refill from a 20 pound tank is about a half buck after initial adapter purchase. I have four 1 lb bottles that I've refilled a half dozen times each and they're doing fine. I use them on my boat stove, lantern, and portable heaters.

Thanks! That was what I wanted to know.

Roughly 50 cents a refill then or some where close to that. Last time I got a two bottle pack they were $5 a pack of two so that is roughly $4 in savings per ice fishing trip for me when I take my boys. I burn a Mr Buddy on low all day in the popup when I have them with me and that will burn through 2 a day if we go from dark to dark. We generally only burn one each trip but still $2 - $4 a trip saved adds up quick over time with how often I usually fish.

[chucknduck]

So I tried to fill a few today. Got two filled filled a third one. When I unscrewed the third one the little tube in the adapter that pushed into the one pounders got stuck in the small bottle. So there I was with a bottle spewing propane everywhere. After a few seconds of panic I knocked if off into the gravel never to be found. Looks like it was threaded into the adapter and unscrewed when I unscrewed the bottle.  Thinking it must have froze to the one pounder. This was a adapter from mister heater. You would think it would have had some loctite. Think ill just buy bottles now. Be careful when refilling

[missoulafish]

Great thread...