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IceShanty Main => General Ice Fishing Chit Chat => Topic started by: hawg on Jan 22, 2021, 06:07 AM

Title: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: hawg on Jan 22, 2021, 06:07 AM: I have a 20 pounder that they keep telling me is hard to fill when I take it in. I’ve been told by a couple people it needs to be purged. What is purging? Can I just open it up tip it upside down to get all the air and moisture out of it and is that purged?
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: ds on Jan 22, 2021, 06:16 AM: It has to pumped down with a vacuum pump to get all the air out. Easiest fix is exchange for a full one at the mini mart
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: Raquettedacker on Jan 22, 2021, 06:22 AM: Quote from: ds on Jan 22, 2021, 06:16 AM
It has to pumped down with a vacuum pump to get all the air out. Easiest fix is exchange for a full one at the mini mart

X2... ;D Exchange it.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: hawg on Jan 22, 2021, 06:35 AM: Thanks, it came from Menards, I’ll give it back to them.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: Bucket Rump on Jan 22, 2021, 07:28 AM: Whenever I've gotten a brand new never-before filled tank my propane source will do an air purge on it by initially pressurizing the tank with propane vapor to blend with the ambient air inside the tank. They then open the valve to release the air mixture and then commence filling with liquid propane.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: bowski76 on Jan 22, 2021, 07:37 AM: Everytime I get my tanks filled, they open the valve on the side of the stem (with a screwdriver), the air inside the tank is forced out by the propane.
I never had an issue.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: ActiveTrapChecker on Jan 22, 2021, 07:42 AM: Quote from: ds on Jan 22, 2021, 06:16 AM
It has to pumped down with a vacuum pump to get all the air out. Easiest fix is exchange for a full one at the mini mart

Yup, get a nice shiny new one from the gas station, then start taking that one to be refilled
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: 2MuchStuff on Jan 22, 2021, 08:03 AM: Everytime I get my tanks filled, they open the valve on the side of the stem (with a screwdriver), the air inside the tank is forced out by the propane.
I never had an issue.
x2
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: RStock521 on Jan 22, 2021, 08:26 AM: Quote from: ActiveTrapChecker on Jan 22, 2021, 07:42 AM
Yup, get a nice shiny new one from the gas station, then start taking that one to be refilled
Only problem I've run in to with this method is that a lot of times the exchange tanks are expired, so my local place won't fill them.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: Rebelss on Jan 22, 2021, 09:24 AM: Quote from: 2MuchStuff on Jan 22, 2021, 08:03 AM
Everytime I get my tanks filled, they open the valve on the side of the stem (with a screwdriver), the air inside the tank is forced out by the propane.
I never had an issue.
x2

X3. My propane company guy told me that's how to do it, does it yearly to mine.
Title: Re: Purging a 20# Propane Tank
Post by: FG Steve on Jan 23, 2021, 10:24 AM: Quote from: RStock521 on Jan 22, 2021, 08:26 AM
Only problem I've run in to with this method is that a lot of times the exchange tanks are expired, so my local place won't fill them.

That's when you exchange again. The exchange folks will swap you out of the expired one. In some locales this can be cheaper than paying for an inspection.