Refilling propane

[rubberduckie]

Refilled 18 1lb propane bottles using the Wheelie Pete YouTube video.  Worked great filled all bottles to max level.  Has anyone one completely bled off their 20 lb. bottle before getting it refilled.

[gotbait]

                 I've never emptied a 20lb tank filling my 1lb tanks. So I'll use them up on my barbecue. works for me

                                                                                           

[PoleJerker]

Never empty a 20lb tank filling 1lb bottles but might now as I will be using method from the youtube video mentioned by rubberduckie.

[bearnoob]

Perhaps somebody with more knowledge of propane than I can answer this, but is the propane in a 20# tank dirtier than the propane in the 1# cylinders?

I use either new 1# cylinders or a 20# with a hose and filte on my heater.The only thing preventing me from seriously looking at refilling my own 1lb cylinders is the fear that I will cause my heater to fail prematurely with dirty propane.

There seems to be a division on the interwebs about whether the filter for the buddy heaters prevents contaminants from the hose, the propane itself, or both. I tend to think the propane is clean and the dirty part is the hose since the heater manual states you do not need a filter with certain hoses. However, until I know for sure I avoid the refill game. Anybody know anything?

[gearheart]

The crud is from the rubber in the hose. a vinyl hose is ok to use w/o a filter.

[MT_Boy]

The "crud" is not from the hose.  The reason you don't need a filter with "some" hoses is because those hoses have regulators on them which limit the pressure of the propane (and according to some...filter out contaminants???.....I think they just limit the pressure).  High pressure hoses (without the regulator) move the oil in the propane (mercaptin oil I believe) which is an additive along with the odorant of the propane into your heater.  Degree of contamination varies by your propane source.  I understand from a few people that if you don't use the filter with the bulk tanks you will cause parts of your heater to be permanently damaged after time....

[DTro]

A  leaky 1lb cylinder not designed to be refilled would be my biggest concern.  Not dirty propane.

[legend]

dtro, then check the 1lb bottle
under water if you believe it is leaking.

[Crappieshrooms]

Propane.
Many years ago I was in the propane business. Unless you have an OLD empty 20# tank that has been sitting for a long time (YEARS) you do not have to worry about dirty propane. An empty tank could develop rust on the inside but that would be a worse case scenario. And it would have to have been empty with the valve left open for that to happen. Although you are using LP (Liquid Propane) you are not actually burning liquid. You are burning the vapor from the liquid. You Mr Buddy heater, coleman lantern, bar-b-que grills, kitchen stove, even vehicles that run on propane, they are all burning vapor from the liquid. The reason you flip the 20# tank over to fill the 1# bottle is to get the liquid to flow into the 1# bottle. Your biggest concern should be "DO NOT OVERFILL" the 1# bottle. As shown in the video if white liquid is coming out it is OVERFILLED. Bleed a little off so the liquid in the tank has room to VAPORIZE. All propane tanks regardless of size from 1# to 30,000 gallons MUST have room left to vaporize and / or expand.  I have seen the results of a tank being overfilled. Not good. Propane tanks of any size does not have pressure added to them. The pressure is created within the tank from the LP vaporizing. DO NOT OVERFILL ANY PROPANE TANK, BOTTLE. If you do just bleed a little off until the white liquid stops coming out of the valve when in an upright position. Stay safe and follow the direction in the video and you will be fine. And yes you will save money. If you go thru several bottle a year it is probably worth your time and effort. If you only use 3-4 bottles a year probably not worth the hassle.

[IceAddict87]

If you use a tank exchange 18 is about all you get as they usually only fill them with 15lbs of propane. Just get w 10-20# tank with a hose. I have not had good luck with refilling 1# cylinders. I had a couple filled 2 years and when I got to the camp site try were over pressurized and the bleeder valve was open.

[jethro]

Best purchase I ever made was my 11lb cylinder. I get the thing filled up at tractor supply for about $6. It's the equivalent to 22 of the 1lb green canisters for what you would pay for two of them. I never tried filling the green canisters myself, seems like more work than it is worth. I fill my 11lb'er twice a season and done. Cook with it too, got a splitter so I can cook outside while I am heating inside.   

[gotbait]

          I honestly have been refilling 1lb propane tanks for a few years now and have never had a problem with contaminates or over filling.

  And my buddy heater always works. Save your money and refill your own--it's worth it.

                                                                                       

[bearnoob]

The "crud" is not from the hose.  The reason you don't need a filter with "some" hoses is because those hoses have regulators on them which limit the pressure of the propane (and according to some...filter out contaminants???.....I think they just limit the pressure).  High pressure hoses (without the regulator) move the oil in the propane (mercaptin oil I believe) which is an additive along with the odorant of the propane into your heater.  Degree of contamination varies by your propane source.  I understand from a few people that if you don't use the filter with the bulk tanks you will cause parts of your heater to be permanently damaged after time....

I have heard this too. Isn't the oderant in the 1# cylinders too? It certainly smells the same.

[eriksat1]

For $10 bucks buy a scale and don't guess about over filling. Set tare weight and refill. When I refill 1 lber's I do about 10 at a time. Most times I find it takes 2 try's to get them to the 16.4 oz that a new tank comes with. With a 20 lb. propane fill at the local coop my cost per 1 lb tank comes out to about .63 cents per tank.
http://www.amazon.com/Carelove-WH-B04-Elegant-Cuisine-Removable/dp/B00XBM8UO2/ref=sr_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1455065287&sr=8-27&keywords=4+lb+scale

[runningantelope]

Refilled 18 1lb propane bottles using the Wheelie Pete YouTube video.

That was a great video. Thank you for sharing.

[rubberduckie]

It takes like two minutes to fill one bottle.  Have a kitchen food scale that I use to check each bottle.

[bearnoob]

The "crud" is not from the hose.  The reason you don't need a filter with "some" hoses is because those hoses have regulators on them which limit the pressure of the propane (and according to some...filter out contaminants???.....I think they just limit the pressure).  High pressure hoses (without the regulator) move the oil in the propane (mercaptin oil I believe) which is an additive along with the odorant of the propane into your heater.  Degree of contamination varies by your propane source.  I understand from a few people that if you don't use the filter with the bulk tanks you will cause parts of your heater to be permanently damaged after time....

I went to the source and talked to the people at Mr Buddy. They said the high pressure squeezes contaminants out of the hose. They said the regulator lowers the pressure to a level that does not squeeze the contaminants out, but that a regulator is not recommended on heaters with an internal regulator because it will reduce the league to the point the heater will not work. Long story short, no worry refilling from a 20# because there's no hose to contaminate your gas.

On an unrelated note, all the stores around me have switched to 16 oz bottles for the same price as the old 16.4 oz bottles. Anybody else noticing the switch? Wish I had not just recycled some of my bigger bottles.

[TheCrittaC]

I've used that Blue Rhino propane before and had a lot of problems with bad smell and it would irritate my eyes when it burned. On the side it says "It's not just propane!" What I want is just propane.

[er-e-is]

I refilled my 1st 9 propane bottles this am. I used "Wheelie Pete's You Tube" instructions. Very slick.

[Uncle Al]

I tried refilling 1lb'ers yesterday using a partially filled 20lb tank and didn't have any luck, the small tanks would only take a few ounces. I went to a full 10lb tank and filled the small tanks with out any problems.