Snail Scott on tue 2 apr 02
Michelle-
I had an odd experience with a propane tank recently which
led me to speculate on whether is was defective, or perhaps
overfilled.
It was a 20# tank (barbecue-style) with a weed-burner-type
torch attached, no regulator. They'd just swapped out the
previous tank. When lit, the torch began surging every few
seconds with a flame about three times longer than normal.
(I had no authority over the person using it, who decided
to put up with the effect.) The next day, I checked it out,
and the torch behaved normally. So, that led me to suspect
that the tank was overfull, but I'd never encountered this
phenomenon before, and I've used many, many 20# tanks of
propane with a torch. Was this consistent with the symptoms
of overfilling?
That tank came from one of those Blue Rhino tank-swap
operations; I've always gone to an actual propane dealer,
and gotten a fill-while-U-wait. Should I distrust those
swap operations? (aside from being outrageously expensive.)
We don't have those new safety valves around here yet, that
I know of.
-Snail
Philip Poburka on tue 2 apr 02
Dear Snail!
In the absence of a Regulator, a less than or decidedly less-than-full-tank
especially, if 'sloshed' will have a pulseing 'Flame' if feeding a Torch or
similar.
The more room TO slosh, the more the effect...
This as the liquid Propane or similar sloshes and contacts the sides of the
Tank in a rythmic way, and in general is agitated...
If that Tank had been 'still' I'd bet the Flame would have been steady.
Was the person moveing the Tank around while they did their chores?
I'd bet they were...
Phil
Las Vegas...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Snail Scott"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: New propane valves
> Michelle-
>
> I had an odd experience with a propane tank recently which
> led me to speculate on whether is was defective, or perhaps
> overfilled.
>
> It was a 20# tank (barbecue-style) with a weed-burner-type
> torch attached, no regulator. They'd just swapped out the
> previous tank. When lit, the torch began surging every few
> seconds with a flame about three times longer than normal.
> (I had no authority over the person using it, who decided
> to put up with the effect.) The next day, I checked it out,
> and the torch behaved normally. So, that led me to suspect
> that the tank was overfull, but I'd never encountered this
> phenomenon before, and I've used many, many 20# tanks of
> propane with a torch. Was this consistent with the symptoms
> of overfilling?
>
> That tank came from one of those Blue Rhino tank-swap
> operations; I've always gone to an actual propane dealer,
> and gotten a fill-while-U-wait. Should I distrust those
> swap operations? (aside from being outrageously expensive.)
> We don't have those new safety valves around here yet, that
> I know of.
>
> -Snail
>
>
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Snail Scott on wed 3 apr 02
At 06:09 PM 4/2/02 -0800, Phil wrote:
...liquid Propane or similar similar sloshes and contacts the sides of the
>Tank in a rythmic way, and in general is agitated...
>Was the person moveing the Tank around while they did their chores?
Nope.
The guy who was using it was physically handicapped,
and couldn't have moved the tank at all even if he'd
tried. And I'm the one that picked up the tank from the
swap station, and carried the tank out to the dock
where the guy was working, and it felt full to me. I
was watching him work; the tank was never moved at all.
(The torch worked fine on the previous tank before the
swap, and it worked fine the next day, too, when it had
been emptied somewhat by the previous day's efforts.)
-Snail
John Stromnes on wed 3 apr 02
Clay folks:
Please note that these new federal rules requiring more sophisticated
regulators do not apply to the 5-foot-high, 100-pound portable propane
tanks. I have mine strapped on a hand truck and take it down to the propane
lady and she fills it up in the back of my van three times a winter, and
home I go _ Same old valve, same old tank that's been around for maybe 40
years. (We wrestled it out of the van the first couple times, and she
weighed it empty off the hand truck, so she knows exactly how much propane
to squirt into the tank to allow for a margin of safety.)
100-pound tanks are often available in my area for $40-$80, second or
third hand, so it's probably a better choice for raku or other small
propane-fired kilns than those small weed-burner tanks, anyway.
100-pounders seldom freeze up. I would not recommend a smallish person
trying to lift these tanks into or out of a van or pickup, however,
especiallywhen they are full. I use a ramp. I use my 1O0-pounder to fuel
a cheap space heater in the studio, and occasionally for raku. It never
comes off the hand truck, which I bought for $20 second hand.
Bye
John Stromnes/Polson MT
Snail Scott on wed 3 apr 02
At 08:54 AM 4/3/02 -0700, you wrote:
>Clay folks:
>Please note that these new federal rules requiring more sophisticated
>regulators do not apply to the 5-foot-high, 100-pound portable propane
>tanks.
Some localities have regulations about the maximum size of
a tank that can be transported in a private vehicle.
-Snail
James Bowen on sat 6 apr 02
It is my understanding the 100 # bottles are supposed to be
pressure tested every ten years. Also the tare weight is
stamped right on the bottle . TW 90 is a bottle that will
weigh 190# when full.
Stay Centered
James Bowen
Boyero CO
jbowen43@yahoo.com
jbowen43@plains.net
" I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap
himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the
Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag."
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