Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:29:17 -0700
Reply-To: David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Vickery <david_vickery@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: "Remote" Propane Tank Usage
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuJDfU3he4c2fEFBwp6CWbCqyED75vp+Ss078j+=G6mbUw@mail.gmail.com>
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>>and he takes the tank, flips it over and slams! it onto the concrete, valve first!
That's like ignoring an overheat switch on a gas heater and turning it back on manually. If it sticks, that is the warning to fix it.
As an aside, I found that my westy propane tank doesn't seem to take as much propane with the manual bleeder valve as with the old auto shutoff valve. Maybe by abot .2 gallons. Could be the pressure required to trip that autostop lets more LP in. I only get 2.4-2.5 gallons or so now. A remote tank would be nice for winter camping while running my big heater.
Dave
--- On Thu, 4/12/12, Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: "Remote" Propane Tank Usage
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Date: Thursday, April 12, 2012, 8:02 AM
I should probably wait till Friday to keep posting on propane...but
here's an interesting "Take" on how these Over-fill Prevention Devices that
are now required on all tanks are a big safety step......sideways?.....They
probably don't actually make the world a safer place (their stated
purpose)... below is a snipped quote from the explanation given for the
required change-over of propane valves and tanks.. found on Jim's link..
Quote: Older style valves were more susceptible to overfilling which
leaves no room for the liquid propane to expand. As a result gas may
escape, creating a potentially hazardous situation. OPD valves solve this
problem by using a special float (shown right) which rises during refilling
to block the filling process when the tank is 80% full.
The Real World, however, finds these OPD Floats seem to stick, quite
often. I've encountered what I've learned are sticking floats repeatedly
on my newer, safer, propane tanks.(perhaps 10% of the time when they are
filled)
The Propane Guy puts the filler-nozzle on the tank and turns on the
pump.....Nothing! It won't take any propane. The guy says..."You are
already full...." I go."No, I am certain it is empty"...He says, "Well,
you got a defective tank, or something...I can't fill it anyhow. It won't
take any propane..You must need a new tank" and then he vents all the
propane from his filler hose into the air and wants me outta there..
I go over to the 'other' propane seller, with the same tank, and he
goes..."Oh ya, this crap happens all the time with these new valves.
Here, I'll show you what we do"...and he takes the tank, flips it over and
slams! it onto the concrete, valve first! Bounces it, hard!, off the OPD
knob about 3 times, then he fills it right up....
Now tell me, is that really safer than maybe just paying attention as you
fill the tank and attentively turning off the pump when propane begins to
blow past the bleed screw? I 'bout fainted the first time I saw them do
that.....slam the tank on the concrete, valve first....I was
thinking..."Big Mortar" expecting to see the tank ignite and take off into
the next county....
So that's the safe way, now, sometimes. to refill your tank... the guy
has to slam the tank, upside down....OPD valve-first...onto the pavement to
free-up a stuck float first. .....I guess you outta be a little careful to
do the Tank Slam 'properly' or you might break off the valve or
something....Seems to me like tending to the screwdriver as you fill the
old style tanks was probably actually a little safer for all involved, but
....
Now for the vanagon content: If they retro-equip the under Westie tanks
with these Overfill Protection Device valves...what, you will have to slam
your Westie into the wall to free up the 'safety float' in you under
vehicle tank? (actually, I think 'horizontally mounted propane tanks are
exempt, when marked, from the OPD valve requirement)
Don Hanson
On Thu, Apr 12, 2012 at 5:40 AM, Jim Arnott <jrasite@eoni.com> wrote:
> Must be a local thing. Here in NE Oregon, I can have the tank revalved
> with no problem. I can buy a loose OPD no problem
>
