If you are having trouble getting the relief valve to reseal (and blipping the relief valve hasn't worked), take the hemostats/forceps and go down around the valve pin and grab the valve flats and gently tighten the valve a little, then re-check for leaks. I did 12 tanks this last weekend of varying ages and conditions and a few of them had leaks from the relief valve after filling. Tightening the valve a little solved them all. I tested all bottles with submersion to make sure they were 100% sealed. Worked perfectly. (Completely dry the valve areas after if you test for leaks with liquid.)
@huntingupland The valve is a little different than on a car in that the pin is much longer. Most automotive core tools don't have enough relief inside them to get all the way down past the pin to engage the flats. You would need to drill out the tool. (Pretty sure they designed the valve like this to keep people from messing with it using a normal valve core tool.)
Wish I saw this a week ago... My curved needle nose are too beefy to reach down to tighten relief valve (if I had even known they could be tightened...) I had to toss a few that leaked themselves dry. Thanks for the great info getting hemos at Amozon.
SEVEN. I watched seven other worthless UA-cam videos which told me nothing. Your excellent video answered all my questions. (Best was the 10:00 valve trick. Big propane tanks have a "spit valve" that keeps you from filling over the 80% safety maximum. Your 10:00 trick works the same way. Smart.) Plus you explained vapor versus liquid, the pressure relief valve, and overfilling. I know you spent a ton of time on the graphics, filming, and editing. Thanks for doing that, and thanks for your smarts.
The best video by far for refilling 1 lb Coleman propane cylinders. I watched so many that my head now looks like one. If you smoke lefties you probably already have hemostats.
I saw a comment that says that it is better to simply get a hose and hook up to a larger tank. That is not always the case. Nobody wants to go hiking with a full size propane tank in their back pack. BTW. This is one of the most polished professional looking videos that I have ever seen on UA-cam.
another case its useful - I'm moving into my restored motorhome in a few days, I put a brand new 81 pound tank and a wave 8 catalytic heater. sadly, no plumbers will get to me until a week into February(5 weeks from now, ands its COLD). so since I don't have gas lines installed to run my furnace directly, I will use the 8 pound tank as a refill station for 3-4 of these little ones until February. see, there are cases where this is ideal. thanks for the video, very good editing.
Hey.. it's people like you who take the time to make videos like this that help us all move forward and save time and money. Thank you for making this video!
Incredibly informative, comprehensive and concise. The diagrams were awesome too. This may be the best instructional video for anything I have ever watched. You're a champ.
I agree 100%. I just got the little adapter and checked a few short clips on best ways to fill, (the directions are not so great), and I'm not so fond of throwing my bottle in the freezer for a bit!!! Great Info and explanation!! Thanks WilliePete...
The metal in the cheap bottles will stretch when refilled. Do it enough times and it will crack and leak and possibly explode. Anyone nearby will be burned.
Was at campground in Yellowstone a week ago. They had a large container full of empty bottles to recycle. With a string I was able to get 5 of these so we can fill and leave our big bottle at home on next trips. Little bottle fit in small places in our SUV while the big bottle takes way too much space. This was great vid
Lets talk a little bit more about this. His method is simply great, however there are those of you that may carry this a bit further and hang the large tank upside down with a hose to the refil coupler and simply set the small tank down flat on it's bottom. This method also works well, however you have to be careful about how you do it. In the hose method described above, it's possible to get the small tank completely full or nearly completely full of liquid propane, which is very bad. Why? When the small tank is filled this way and is put into a warm environment, the liquid gas within the bottle will exaporate a bit and try to fill the bottle more than there is room for. In normal high pressure gas tanks, this isn't a problem because the tank is designed to accomodate the higher gas pressure inside the tank itself and , to a large degree, prevents the gas from vaporizing. Also, in large house-sized propane tanks, there are provided blow off valves that will allow excess pressure inside the tank to safely vent out. However, disposable tanks rely on there being a gaseous headspace within the tank at all times to accomodate (and partially recondense) vaporized gas and modulate the liquid/gas temperature within the tank, keeping the tank internal pressure within limits of it's design. That's why this method of filling the tank on it's side with the pressure relief valve at the 10oclock position works well - it maintains that headspace after filling. If you wish to use the hose method, like me, you MUST use a scale underneath the tank while filling so you know how much propane you've put into the tank and so you absolutely do not over fill the tank. If you fill on a cold day/afternoon, you can skip the filling on the scale and weigh the tank afterwards, venting off excess gas until you get to the desired weight (but wasting gas pretty much defeats the economy of what you're doing in the first place). So what if you dont vent off excess gas or fill to the desired weight in the first place and leave the tank overfilled? I've had experience with that. It was a disposable tank that was bubbled out on both the upper and lower hemispheres. Fortunately it didn't rupture. but was very scary to look at. The ends of the tank were fine and the junction around the middle of the tank was fine, but in between it looked like it was inflated like a balloon and was about 10% greater in diameter. I'm not going there again and my description above is what I'm doing to prevent that from happening again. You also can use the hose method and lay the tank on it's side and fill it. Just dont fill it standing up without checking it's weight afterwards to be sure you're safe.
Overfilling is very dangerous. If the tank bulges without rupturing you are very lucky. It can be a deadly bomb if it ruptures. If the expanding gas from a ruptured tank doesn’t do enough damage with it’s explosive force, wait till it finds a spark, your house is gone. Overfilling doesn’t cause an immediate problem, it’s when the liquid warms up a few degrees that it gets scary.
Thanks bro, I have looking into this refill method and I'm shocked on how many people making videos dont check there cylinders via a scale let alone a leak test or even suggest inspecting the bottle first. That's just fookin nuts. How foolish to avoid a one minute safety check.
My father was a home propane delivery man for many years. I grew up watching him do this exact thing on full size propane bottles. In the old days, you could get 2 lbs or so propane bottles with small nuts on the expansion valve specifically to refill them. I guess to many stupid people spoiled that system. Thanks for the video and a little nostalgia for me.
Actually, you don't "film a video." You record a video. Film is an entirely different medium. When "filming" something, you use film. Film being chemical based, and video being electronic or digital.
I spent 35 yrs making training vids like this for companies like HP, Apple Fujitsuu eta. This is as good as anything we did with a million dollar studio and a staff of 20. I WAS BORN TO EARLY. Today all you need is a decent phone and a PC! Great work!
An Absolutely top job, Pete. 100% consistent with any and all of my own experiences over the years. Now you have an old guy watching all your work - and so, sir, Well Done. - Joe - UPDATE 2 years later: Amazon now has a new version of the filler adapter with a hose and a ball valve shutoff. I suspend the 'donor tank" from a tree branch by a ratchet strap hooked into a hole in the base of the "donor tank". No slips and full control. Screw adapter onto the "donor", hang from the tree branch, screw the receiver tank onto the adapter, open the ball valve, fill until the lower bottle is vapor locked and do the over pressure valve maneuver. At the end shut off the ball valve and unscrew the 1# tank. - Joe -
I refilled these for several years using the technique you demonstrated. Then I had one burst in my van! No fire, thank goodness. It was terrifying! It appeared to have been caused by metal fatigue. I have since switched to Fire King bottles. They are made of thicker gauge steel, and are easy to refill and legal to refill. They are more expensive, but much safer. Wall thickness of Coleman and Bernzomatic: 0.02 in. Wall thickness of Fire King: 0.07 in. Thanks for your video!
Awesome video. Had leaky pressure relief valves on two 1 lbs tanks and the forceps trick (I used curved needle nose pliers) worked magic for both. I am sitting at 35.5 oz for each of the tanks I filled with freezer method so I think I’ll bleed some of the extra to be safe. UPDATE: 35.5 oz is probably just too much pressure because the release valves started hissing again. I used the filling coupler (as shown in video) to release down to 31-ish oz and seem to be fine now.
Yep, it saves a ton of money over the long haul. Be sure to read the updated video details (and pinned top comment) for dealing with a leaky relief valve. I refilled a bunch of my empties recently and I got them all to seal even though I had a couple relief valves that were leaking out of those old cylinders.
Thanks for your positive feedback! If you belong to any forums or discussion boards that you think would benefit or find value in this video please feel free to embed it or link to it. It's a lot of work to get these videos put together so the more people it can reach the better. The more views and subscribers I get the more encouraged I am to continue making videos.
Pete, must concur with the others: simple-straightforward-2-the-point video. You had just enough "safety" concepts; precise measurements; possible problems that could arise & remedies. I have a very old Dometic RC 2000 ammonia absorption portable cooler. We use an RV primarily, but take the dometic if long road trips (kids 2 college) are needed. It has 3 choices for cooling: AC; 12 volt car system when driving; small propane cylinders (each one lasting more than needed usually). Filled 3 last night via freezing for 30 minutes. Weighed b4 & after (1 had close to 36 oz). Only 2 possible suggestions: does not hurt to "squirt" a shot of silicone and/or Teflon (Slick 50, but a mix will keep the Schrader valve seats in good condition long after they normally would dry to powder). In addition, if you get your used tanks by recycling collection points or you buy them yourself, try to find/keep the small black plastic caps that "push on" over the threads so you keep rust/dirt/other crap from creeping in.
I've always just filled it a quarter of the way, unscrew the adapter and let it vent till its frozen then refill it. This method is so much better. UA-cam is full of endless knowledge.
Gee, here I was thinking I was a slick and such using my forceps like this to refill my Coleman bottles. Nicely done and I wish every youtuber did their instructional videos like this.
Fantastic you have coincided with your 9 year old brilliant video and another Aussie doing a video on the ' New ' LCC27 something you US guys have had for so long, the internal thread is our saviour . Have for 1 year re-filling camping gas sized cans and have saved an fortune similar to your excellent demo. Have learned a lot, you have crammed a whole lot of safe and valuable info into my cranium which is a major feat. Many Thanks.
This is a really helpful video! The production value of this video is great - steady video clips, clean audio, great narration and excellent graphics! Thanks for posting this.
Best video ive seen so far. Most other videos use the chill method and spend literally 10+ minutes on crap we already know . There is no reason why a video about refilling a bottle should be 17 minutes long. lol.
Thanks for this video. Every time we go on a cold weather camping trip, we use 3 or 4 of these Coleman 1 pound bottles (less in summer) and even when buying them at Wal-Mart, the cost is stupid. (2 for $7.88). I have about 10 empty bottles right now and I plan to refill them just as you have shown in this video. Big thumbs up and thanks again.
Round 2, completely empty bottle, with a completely full tank. This time I left the setup for probably 10 minutes (not advised) and the bottle filled to about 80g (2-3oz) short of full. Guessing starting with a partly empty tank (larger gas volume) and a completely empty bottle (less thermal mass due to no liquid) prevented the bottle from filling completely.
Round 3, completely empty small cylinder and it over filled about 15g (3%) on the first fill after just chilling it in the freezer for a few days. Still my go to way instead of fiddling with a valve. But not to bash this video, as I have again benefited from it. Just want others to know that chilling the small bottle and using a large full tank can also be really easy. Thanks so much.
This procedure works very well, is super easy and fast!. I didn't have curved forceps, so I put my straight ones in a bench vise and pulled the top back very slowly, and now I do! Here's my math: Around here at Walmart, the 1# Coleman bottles cost $6.24 for two ($3.12 each). Propane is $2.29/gallon at TSC. So, it costs me $0.57 to refill a 1# bottle, or a savings of $2.55 per bottle (an 82% savings!!!). To put it the way you did, a new 1# bottle is 547% more expensive than refilling!!! I bought the adapter at a local Menard's hardware store, it cost me $17.99. So, after I refill 7 bottles, the adapter has paid for itself! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As many comments have already said this is the winner for the explanation on how to fill the 1 lb. small coleman type bottle. You have the perfect voice with great diction and the diagram is what makes it easy to completely understand. This video I will definitely save for future reference. Thanks loads!!
Great video, the best on the subject that I've seen. I was successful in using a straight needle nose plier (didn't have a curved plier) by releasing the pressure from the 16oz bottle BEFORE attaching it to the larger tank. Naturally I wore gloves for protection. Due to the release of pressure the 16oz bottle got cold also, didn't need refrigeration. Once attached I tipped the 5 gal. tank upside down and opened the value. It only took a minute for the hissing to stop. I then detached the small bottle and weighed it. It came to 29.4 oz. Good enough for me! Thanks for the money saving tips!
Owsee THAT is a real money saver! I normally pack three small Coleman’s for any long road trip for camping opportunities. But refilling it from my bbq tank would literally save hundreds a year. Thank you…. I knew someone out there would have a solution to do exactly this.
Great video, I've been refilling small propane bottles for decades now and your right about the cost savings. One warning though, any bottle that appears compromised due to damage or rust is better thrown out. Don't risk it.
@@AndersRamm Basically forever. The key things to look for are dents, especially on the bottom which is designed to blow outward to increase internal volume to avoid rupture. If the bottom won't stand upright because of the bulge it clearly is toast.
Excellent video WheeliePete! Very well done. I especially appreciate the data comparing the filling methods. Essentially it tells me if I am happy with an ~80% filled bottle I don’t need to chill or release pressure.
EXCELLENT video. As a professional video producer I applaud you. I won't even take points off for the "pre-chill" reference. Just FYI, "pre-chill" means to "chill before you chill." Proper usage would be, "no need to chill the bottle pre-fillilng," with "pre" meaning "before." Nicely done. The math breakdown was great, the instructions were clear and you actually SHOWED what you are teaching without head shots.
I actually muffed up the math calculation on the video (should be a 632% more expensive, not 732%), but by the time I caught that the video had taken off and I can't edit once it is uploaded...sigh...part of the perils of being the writer, videographer, on-screen talent, sound, editor, producer, and craft service all at the same time...lol..
I only use mine for soldering & starting fires so I don’t care if it is 1/2 full so I just attach and give it 1 minute & remove. Easy & fast and lasts me a month or 2. Great job on the video, I will try it if I need a very full bottle.
I've had one of these fittings for a longtime and used it but only half full bottles. i never chilled but they were good enough for camping..but i like this vid simply explained. as i have lots of bottles for refilling.thanks buddy.
I use a pair of bent-tip needle nose pliers to pull on the relief valve core. It keeps my fingers out of the stream of chilled propane mist when the bottle reaches capacity. I also wear safety goggles while I'm doing it, because I wouldn't want to damage my corneas. The MacCoupler from KM Industries is a pale imitation of a refill adapter once made by Cleanweld Turner in the 1980s. That adapter had a brass tube about 8 inches long coming out of the POL connecter that screwed into the bulk cylinder valve. At the other end of the brass tube it had a purpose-made brass elbow-style MAC female thread fitting, so that when the bulk cylinder was placed inverted on a table, the bottle to be refilled could hang from the elbow fitting with the relief valve always in the uppermost position. In this position, when the relief valve is opened with pliers or locking forceps, the bottle can be filled until liquid mist comes out of the valve. Technically, the bottle is then _overfilled_. When bottles are overfilled in this manner, they should be bled to the nominal net weight, be stored in a ventilated area, or, if being transported, should not be left unattended in a hot vehicle where they may begin to vent in the cargo or passenger area. A nominal 1-lb cylinder is supposed to contain no more than 16.4 oz. of propane, which represents an 81.3% fill, leaving room for gas expansion when the contents get warmer. If a disposable bottle is only filled to 80%-85% of capacity, it avoids the problem of having the relief valve opening at an inconvenient time or place. Although I haven't had problems yet with overfilled bottles, if one were to do it correctly, the bottle should be weighed empty on an accurate scale to get the tare weight, filled with propane, and then weighed again to get the gross weight. Finally, subtract the tare weight from the gross weight to get the net weight. If overfilled, it should be bled until it has about 15% to 20% headroom.
Although the net heating value of the two gases is comparable, isobutane and butane perform poorly at low temperature. Mountaineers who use butane stoves at elevations where the temperature drops below freezing at night have to keep a fuel canister in their sleeping bag just so they can cook breakfast and have something warm to drink. Also, the variety of equipment and fittings available for butane/isobutane is considerably less than for propane.
Freezing the small bottle will absolutely fill it full, it may actually overfill it! I've had the green Coleman tanks swell up they filled up so much! The way you're doing it is the same as when you have a larger tank filled. I agree that this is a good way of doing it.
This method works perfect every time, thanks for the tip. The freezer method only netted me about 4 oz, so I resorted to using my refrigeration gauges and vacuum pump to completely evacuate & fill the bottles but that was a pain to setup and didn't want to contaminate my oil with hydrocarbons. I use these bottles on my converted lawnmowers and fully filled-up 2 of them this morning even with both tanks being at 60F. I also put a drop of oil in the relief valve before exercising them.
Not only a great video in that it's clear and concise with solid video, but also because it sounds like the delivery is from none other than Billy Bob Thornton.
That happened to me a couple of days ago. I hooked up the Coleman tank and flipped the big tank upside down and I didn't hear any hissing after I turned it on. I reached underneath to see if I hadn't tightened it well enough and it sprayed liquid propane straight into my hand. I have never felt pain like that before. I had no idea how cold it would be. Luckily I got to a sink and ran warm water over my hand and scrubbed the propane off of my hand with soapy water. At the time I thought for sure that I was going to lose the skin on my hand it hurt so bad. I was very surprised the next day when I woke up and I didn't have any blisters or anyting. I will definitely wear gloves from now on whenever I do that.
As a licensed propane gas fitter (for over 30 years) , I agree with your process. Other videos I have seen are quite the opposite and misleading. One individual was talking about getting the "air" out of the cylinder....There had better be no air in there ! Well done.
oidodger gray and as a licensed gas fitter you should know that this is completely illegal and extremely dangerous filling tanks like this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen transferring liquid propane like this causes static charge buildup
"this is completely illegal"...Many people say that this or that is illegal and I always tell them to cite the law that is being violated, but of course they never do. It's not illegal and not dangerous if one uses a little common sense.
oidodger gray there absolutely it's air in a propane tank. Why to you think they unscrew the small Flathead screw on the side of big tanks. To vent the air. I don't think people mean air, as in oxygen. I think they mean if it is not all liquid then it's air. But yes you should definitely vent this small can to relieve pressure that it's not liquid propane
Expertly done. I've never purchased disposables because of the cost and the belief that there was no way for the home consumer to refill them. I just discovered refill adapters and learned that prohibition on refilling was only due to local regulation. This video very clearly answered all of my questions and the no-chill trick will make a huge difference. Thanks for doing this.
Flame King Refillable 1lb cans now available, has a built in valve to bleed off gas, and DOT approved. cost about $20. work great!!! refill is the same way as shown here.
@@BeezyKing99 these exist......go to Amazon and search for flame king 1 lb. refillable propane tank..... u won’t have type it all before it pops up in the search bar
@@teamslaiyans3808 propane becomes more liquid in the cold, so it fills it up better. That's why it's hard to cook with propane when it's cold out, it starts sputtering and acting like a liquid, it's quite annoying if you're trying to cook and it's freezing temps
Great video. I made a refill adapter using a pigtail connector, a ball valve, and a 1lb adapter. No more flipping the 20 lb tank, and I can cut the gas off above the 1lb cylinder using the ball valve.
This is how I do it. I find it easier to make an adapter which uses a hose though. This way I just set the supply bottle on it's handle on my porch. The bottle being filled can then be placed on the first step down any way I like it with easy access to the relief valve to purge gas to allow the bottle to fill better. Your goal is no more than about 80% of the bottle volume being liquid, same as the OFD does in the newer cylinders to keep hot pressure/expansion within structural limits... Also watch the bottle condition on the small bottles. Scratched/dented and rusted bottles are weaker than new/clean ones...
I made an adapter with a hose, as well. But put a brass ball valve in the middle of the hose. Connect the hose, with the ball valve closed. Then you can turn on the big tank, and leave it on. Flip the big tank upside down. Now you are turning the flow off and on with the ball valve. Connect the 1 pounder. Set that on a set of scales. Now you can control how much propane goes into the small tank, by weight. Just subtract the original weight reading from the final. If you really want to hold the smaller bottle at the perfect angle, to keep the overflow at ten oclock position, make a cradle for it that sets on the scales.
I am from Romania. Back here the tank is thiner and taller and you can't find colleman ones but it's the same tank only different shape. I went to UK for 12 months and there you could give your old tank and receive one full which was also not brand new and it was around 1.5 GBP back in 2008 or so. Now i have tanks but i only found out about the adaptor. Thank you an all the best to you! Sry of bad englis, not my native tongue. Your new subscriber Cristian from Romania.
Hi Cristian Coleman is a brand name they just happen to be the biggest MFG. of the small one pound tanks if you are having a problem finding the refill adapter they can be found on line on Ebay. There are smaller in height but fatter tanks out there and they do sell the adapter for those to they have what looks like a air valve for a tire instead of the larger one found on the 1 pound tank as shown in the video.
That's why I couldn't get the relief valve to work. I was pushing it. Was trying to figure it out on an empty. Going to be buying the adapter soon. Thank you so much for the how to.
Very well done and it explains the process and issues on filling the tanks for those who did not know. Using the graphics you used really added a nice touch to the video.
This is by far the best articulated, best filmed, and best tested method and video I’ve seen on this subject on the tube. Well done, sir! Keep up the good work.
Just wanted to say thanx for the vid! I bought the coupler a few years ago but I couldn't get a good bottle to save my life, after seeing this video I'm confide I can refill my empty 1 pounders! Thanx again!
propane has similar refrigeration properties to r22 refrigerant and can frostbite so wearing gloves may be a good idea while working the relief valve because the liquid can spray. propane is used in commercial refrigeration units and great care needs to be taken when working with those systems as propane is flammable even when used as a refrigerant.
This process for refilling 1 lb propane bottles works great. The bottle can be overfilled and a scale should be used to confirm fill amount, but after doing several bottles, I was able to figure out exactly where to position the relief valve so that when propane exited, the bottle was filled correctly.
+Karen Andrews If you can get a consistent position on the upright tank and the tightness of the adapter valve then you can figure out where to position the relief valve. The 10 o'clock position is a good starting point and then it sounds like you were able to pinpoint it from there for your particular tank and adapter. Good Job!
This is one of the BEST how to videos I have ever seen! I even went back and watched the full commercial so you might get credit. Thank you SO much for producing this video. SUBSCRIBED! Well done!
You can also fill the 1 pound bottle without pulling a relief valve OR heating/cooling anything: Just invert the big tank, and leave everything connected overnight, with the valve open. The higher top-level of the liquid in the big tank will exert pressure on the gas/liquid mix in the 1 lb bottle, and the vapor inside will condense to liquid. The process takes a while, but after some hours, that bottle will be completely full. ...The other thing: It's a good idea to set the bottle outside in the sun after filling. If the bottle is over-filled, this will allow the safety valve to release the excess outdoors, so there is no problem. If the garage gets too warm, you don't want an overfilled bottle to release its excess indoors!! ...Really good video, by the way!
Steve c5088 I was thinking the same thing, there's a larger surface area in the 5 gallon tank than the Coleman tank, it would just take a bit for the gas to condense. You could speed this up by having the big tank in the sun and small one in the shade.
I haven't gotten a tank to completely full yet, but I admit its my fear of having to explain to ER nurses that I shot my face off with propane and propane accessories that makes me have to fill up twice as often. I was brave enough to try it at all because this video made it seem almost foolproof. The forceps really do make it simple. My wallet thanks you for posting this video!
Remember, the object isn't to get the small tank full to the brim, but just to put a "full" 16oz of liquid propane back into the small tank that was designed to hold 16oz of liquid propane. The absolute most fool-proof way to do it is to just make sure the big tank is warmer than the small tank and hook them together like in the video and just let the smaller one fill for a minute or two.
Just bought a Mr. Heater buddy and am really feeling sticker shock feeding it $3.57 bottles of propane every 3-5 hours. I'll buy the little refill adapter and a set of forceps. Thanks for the vid!
akbychoice my thoughts exactly. The small bottle probably doesn't have enough propane in it to suffocate you if there were to be a leak in your tent, but the big one definitely does.
I tried filling tanks for the first time over the weekend, and have to disagree that chilling bottles will still not allow a complete fill. I put them in the freezer (because I didn't have forceps) and filled 4 bottles from empty. The total weight of a new Coleman bottle is 1 lb 14 oz. I easily filled all four of mine to this weight, in fact the first one I left on too long and it filled to more than 2 lbs. I immediately attached it to a propane heater to bleed of the overfill. Having said all that, I do like this idea of the forceps and not having to chill the bottles...and possibly avoid overfilling by waiting for the white mist to escape and knowing when exactly to stop. Filling chilled bottles (after overfilling the first one), I started to stop halfway and check the weight, then continue to fill. Not a big hassle but still took longer. Great video!
In response to Lanc Mac's question about anti tip-over valve causing it to stop flowing. I think you're talking about OPD (Overfill Protection Device) equipped tanks. As of April 1, 2002 all four- to 40-pound propane tanks must be equipped with an Overfill Protection Device valve if they are to be commercially refilled. This is a new valve that replaces the one on existing tanks. The new valves are marked with "OPD" to designate their compliance with the state law and have three-lobed valve handles, rather than the five-lobe type found on older propane tanks. The OPD valve is simply a protective device that, as the name implies, prevents overfilling of a propane cylinder. The OPD valve does NOT prevent you from flowing liquid when the tank is on it's side or inverted. The tank in this video is a newer tank and is OPD equipped. I find no information on a true tip-over valve installed in the common BBQ tanks. There are valves in the hook up fittings to BBQ equipment and camper/motorhomes that prevent fast flow in case lines are cut to prevent the free-flow of gas/liquid in an accident, but those fixtures also usually have regulators/mixers to deal with liquid propane.
+WheeliePete Agreed. There is no such thing as an anti tip safety on D.O.T propane cylinders. The OPD valve is actuated by a float. When inverted the valve will stay open till the liquid level is low enough to allow the float to close the valve. Hence, you will probably never get all the liquid out of a OPD equipped cylinder. EDIT: I said that backwards. You will get all the liquid out. You cannot fill an inverted cylinder that is empty but if it is partially full then you could fill it 100 percent. DON"T TRY IT!!!!!
i just figured out why this damn thing will not fill. it is the OPD valve. because the float on the OPD, in the tank, must leak. when i turn the tank upside down, the float must fall over and shut the valve. they fill these big tanks by weight where i go and underfill the ones at those exchang cages at stores .they would never know it that float ever works unless they tried to overfill it which they don't . or by turning it upside down and see if it shuts off. like my full crap tank from the exchange.
There is propane tanks that do have a valve that cuts off the flow. I believe it's called low flow cutoff. Anyway these tanks can still be used, just barely crack the valve on the big tank. Turn it too far and you hear a loud tick noise and stops flooring
Great video thanks for taking the time to make it and share Only thing I would add if I may, is the reason for not overfilling The fuel needs space in the top of the tank above the liquid level To evaporate into a gas before it can be discharged for use Again great video informative clear concise and to the point Thanks again
Have been doing this for years also. I will dumpster dive for the little greenies at campground trash collection sites. Almost worth their weight in gold.
Just an awesome video all-around. From the necessary instructions, to the added tips you included, I felt adequately informed and confident enough to try my hand at it. I truly appreciate the time you took to make this video really concise and just plain great. Thanks! Note : You really should consider hiring your voice out to others on UA-cam who don't quite have a tolerable one! You actually reminded me of the great Mutual of Omaha and Disney wild nature shows I grew up with in the 60s.
@@DonziGT230 I found out that overfilling the 1lb green "Coleman" propane tanks causes them to BULGE. I had to get a scale, wait till the green tank was absolutely empty. Place it on the scale and note the weight (tare scale if possible). Then when I filled it, I could check to see that I had only replaced exactly 1lb in the tank. Works great.
Appreciate the info and brief safety talk. Watched another video prior to this one which was just a bit inaccurate. You have proven that the truth is easier to follow and understand. Thank you sir!
If you are having trouble getting the relief valve to reseal (and blipping the relief valve hasn't worked), take the hemostats/forceps and go down around the valve pin and grab the valve flats and gently tighten the valve a little, then re-check for leaks. I did 12 tanks this last weekend of varying ages and conditions and a few of them had leaks from the relief valve after filling. Tightening the valve a little solved them all. I tested all bottles with submersion to make sure they were 100% sealed. Worked perfectly. (Completely dry the valve areas after if you test for leaks with liquid.)
WheeliePete the valve is no different than a valve stem core on a tire. Tighten with a core tool.
@huntingupland The valve is a little different than on a car in that the pin is much longer. Most automotive core tools don't have enough relief inside them to get all the way down past the pin to engage the flats. You would need to drill out the tool. (Pretty sure they designed the valve like this to keep people from messing with it using a normal valve core tool.)
WheeliePete I stand corrected
Wish I saw this a week ago... My curved needle nose are too beefy to reach down to tighten relief valve (if I had even known they could be tightened...) I had to toss a few that leaked themselves dry. Thanks for the great info getting hemos at Amozon.
Do you sell propane and propane accessories for a living?
9 years later and still the very best video in circulation
i thought you couldnt tip a #20lb tank with out the safety tripping in the doner tank.
SEVEN. I watched seven other worthless UA-cam videos which told me nothing. Your excellent video answered all my questions. (Best was the 10:00 valve trick. Big propane tanks have a "spit valve" that keeps you from filling over the 80% safety maximum. Your 10:00 trick works the same way. Smart.) Plus you explained vapor versus liquid, the pressure relief valve, and overfilling. I know you spent a ton of time on the graphics, filming, and editing. Thanks for doing that, and thanks for your smarts.
The best video by far for refilling 1 lb Coleman propane cylinders. I watched so many that my head now looks like one. If you smoke lefties you probably already have hemostats.
lol ! They are 40 years old and still working !!!😊
I saw a comment that says that it is better to simply get a hose and hook up to a larger tank. That is not always the case. Nobody wants to go hiking with a full size propane tank in their back pack.
BTW. This is one of the most polished professional looking videos that I have ever seen on UA-cam.
Just strap the 5 gallon tank to you back with your camping stove, and you are good to go!
watch Captian Disillusioned. Those are quality made UA-cam videos.
Thank you for that. One of my new favorites!
another case its useful - I'm moving into my restored motorhome in a few days, I put a brand new 81 pound tank and a wave 8 catalytic heater. sadly, no plumbers will get to me until a week into February(5 weeks from now, ands its COLD). so since I don't have gas lines installed to run my furnace directly, I will use the 8 pound tank as a refill station for 3-4 of these little ones until February. see, there are cases where this is ideal. thanks for the video, very good editing.
because he didnt have any crappy music- amazing!
Hey.. it's people like you who take the time to make videos like this that help us all move forward and save time and money. Thank you for making this video!
Possibly the best UA-cam video on how to safely and properly refill the 1Lb bottle. Thanks for uploading.
"Screw that crap" You sir are a gentleman and a scholar! Thank you so much for your simple step by step instructions.
Incredibly informative, comprehensive and concise. The diagrams were awesome too. This may be the best instructional video for anything I have ever watched. You're a champ.
Wish I could do more than 1 like. This is far and away the best description of the whole process I could find. Excellent video, thanks. Subscribed.
I agree 100%. I just got the little adapter and checked a few short clips on best ways to fill, (the directions are not so great), and I'm not so fond of throwing my bottle in the freezer for a bit!!!
Great Info and explanation!!
Thanks WilliePete...
Agreed
my thoughts also
The metal in the cheap bottles will stretch when refilled. Do it enough times and it will crack and leak and possibly explode. Anyone nearby will be burned.
Why don't you share the video with a friend?
Was at campground in Yellowstone a week ago. They had a large container full of empty bottles to recycle. With a string I was able to get 5 of these so we can fill and leave our big bottle at home on next trips. Little bottle fit in small places in our SUV while the big bottle takes way too much space. This was great vid
Easy, simple, with no music and stupid words, good sound. Respect!!! Thank you!
Lets talk a little bit more about this.
His method is simply great, however there are those of you that may carry this a bit further and hang the large tank upside down with a hose to the refil coupler and simply set the small tank down flat on it's bottom.
This method also works well, however you have to be careful about how you do it.
In the hose method described above, it's possible to get the small tank completely full or nearly completely full of liquid propane, which is very bad. Why?
When the small tank is filled this way and is put into a warm environment, the liquid gas within the bottle will exaporate a bit and try to fill the bottle more than there is room for. In normal high pressure gas tanks, this isn't a problem because the tank is designed to accomodate the higher gas pressure inside the tank itself and , to a large degree, prevents the gas from vaporizing. Also, in large house-sized propane tanks, there are provided blow off valves that will allow excess pressure inside the tank to safely vent out.
However, disposable tanks rely on there being a gaseous headspace within the tank at all times to accomodate (and partially recondense) vaporized gas and modulate the liquid/gas temperature within the tank, keeping the tank internal pressure within limits of it's design. That's why this method of filling the tank on it's side with the pressure relief valve at the 10oclock position works well - it maintains that headspace after filling.
If you wish to use the hose method, like me, you MUST use a scale underneath the tank while filling so you know how much propane you've put into the tank and so you absolutely do not over fill the tank. If you fill on a cold day/afternoon, you can skip the filling on the scale and weigh the tank afterwards, venting off excess gas until you get to the desired weight (but wasting gas pretty much defeats the economy of what you're doing in the first place).
So what if you dont vent off excess gas or fill to the desired weight in the first place and leave the tank overfilled? I've had experience with that. It was a disposable tank that was bubbled out on both the upper and lower hemispheres. Fortunately it didn't rupture. but was very scary to look at. The ends of the tank were fine and the junction around the middle of the tank was fine, but in between it looked like it was inflated like a balloon and was about 10% greater in diameter. I'm not going there again and my description above is what I'm doing to prevent that from happening again. You also can use the hose method and lay the tank on it's side and fill it. Just dont fill it standing up without checking it's weight afterwards to be sure you're safe.
Overfilling is very dangerous. If the tank bulges without rupturing you are very lucky. It can be a deadly bomb if it ruptures. If the expanding gas from a ruptured tank doesn’t do enough damage with it’s explosive force, wait till it finds a spark, your house is gone. Overfilling doesn’t cause an immediate problem, it’s when the liquid warms up a few degrees that it gets scary.
You and I have it worked out. Works most effectively with a short hose than a long one. Let gravity do the work. I use my R134a scales.
H.
Thanks bro, I have looking into this refill method and I'm shocked on how many people making videos dont check there cylinders via a scale let alone a leak test or even suggest inspecting the bottle first.
That's just fookin nuts. How foolish to avoid a one minute safety check.
What's the design purpose of the valve? Maybe it's to relieve the excess pressure??
This was a fantastic video for refilling the green mini propane tanks. I can tell a lot of work went into this. Thank you!
Thank you for dubbing voice over video. I really dislike videos with excessive wind noise or crappy camera mikes.
My father was a home propane delivery man for many years. I grew up watching him do this exact thing on full size propane bottles. In the old days, you could get 2 lbs or so propane bottles with small nuts on the expansion valve specifically to refill them. I guess to many stupid people spoiled that system. Thanks for the video and a little nostalgia for me.
Did he happen to say "I tell you hwat", and "Im gonna kick your ass", and was he proud of his job?
I was going to film a video showing how to do this, but not now. This is the best video for this procedure ever. No other videos required. Nice!
Actually, you don't "film a video." You record a video. Film is an entirely different medium. When "filming" something, you use film. Film being chemical based, and video being electronic or digital.
no need to get pedantic here, we all knew what he meant.
@@newsveteran4466 -- Thanks you Captain Obvious....Your work here is finished.
I've watched a few of the "refill your 1 lb. bottle" videos on UA-cam and this was the best/ most informative. Thanks!
I approve of this video, best one I've seen for refilling one pound bottles.
One of the best videos I have seen on UA-cam. No BS, great editing and the voice over is the way to do videos such as these.
I have watched dozens of videos on this subject and this is the best video on the subject on UA-cam. Thanks!!!
I watched ALL the vids on FB about this. THIS IS BY FAR the best video !
I spent 35 yrs making training vids like this for companies like HP, Apple Fujitsuu eta. This is as good as anything we did with a million dollar studio and a staff of 20. I WAS BORN TO EARLY. Today all you need is a decent phone and a PC! Great work!
and talent of course.
An Absolutely top job, Pete. 100% consistent with any and all of my own experiences over the years. Now you have an old guy watching all your work - and so, sir, Well Done. - Joe -
UPDATE 2 years later: Amazon now has a new version of the filler adapter with a hose and a ball valve shutoff. I suspend the 'donor tank" from a tree branch by a ratchet strap hooked into a hole in the base of the "donor tank". No slips and full control.
Screw adapter onto the "donor", hang from the tree branch, screw the receiver tank onto the adapter, open the ball valve, fill until the lower bottle is vapor locked and do the over pressure valve maneuver. At the end shut off the ball valve and unscrew the 1# tank. - Joe -
I refilled these for several years using the technique you demonstrated. Then I had one burst in my van! No fire, thank goodness. It was terrifying! It appeared to have been caused by metal fatigue. I have since switched to Fire King bottles. They are made of thicker gauge steel, and are easy to refill and legal to refill. They are more expensive, but much safer. Wall thickness of Coleman and Bernzomatic: 0.02 in. Wall thickness of Fire King: 0.07 in. Thanks for your video!
Awesome video. Had leaky pressure relief valves on two 1 lbs tanks and the forceps trick (I used curved needle nose pliers) worked magic for both. I am sitting at 35.5 oz for each of the tanks I filled with freezer method so I think I’ll bleed some of the extra to be safe.
UPDATE: 35.5 oz is probably just too much pressure because the release valves started hissing again. I used the filling coupler (as shown in video) to release down to 31-ish oz and seem to be fine now.
This is one of the most helpful videos on the internet on any subject. I didn't expect this when I saw this come up in my search results.
Excellent graphics, narration and demonstration.
Fantastic step by step instructions for filling my empties and saving myself a WHOLE lot of hard earned cash!
Yep, it saves a ton of money over the long haul. Be sure to read the updated video details (and pinned top comment) for dealing with a leaky relief valve. I refilled a bunch of my empties recently and I got them all to seal even though I had a couple relief valves that were leaking out of those old cylinders.
I have been refilling my bottles for probably 15 years and never knew this trick, thank you for posting.
Watched seven videos on this topic before this one, this is the only Subscribe. Brief, relevant, and straightforward. Thanks.
This the best demo on this subject that I've seen so far.
Thanks for your positive feedback! If you belong to any forums or discussion boards that you think would benefit or find value in this video please feel free to embed it or link to it. It's a lot of work to get these videos put together so the more people it can reach the better. The more views and subscribers I get the more encouraged I am to continue making videos.
WheeliePete I haven't figured out how to add a link to my videos yet. If I can find how to do that, I'll create an intro video and feature yours.
Pete, must concur with the others: simple-straightforward-2-the-point video. You had just enough "safety" concepts; precise measurements; possible problems that could arise & remedies. I have a very old Dometic RC 2000 ammonia absorption portable cooler. We use an RV primarily, but take the dometic if long road trips (kids 2 college) are needed. It has 3 choices for cooling: AC; 12 volt car system when driving; small propane cylinders (each one lasting more than needed usually). Filled 3 last night via freezing for 30 minutes. Weighed b4 & after (1 had close to 36 oz).
Only 2 possible suggestions: does not hurt to "squirt" a shot of silicone and/or Teflon (Slick 50, but a mix will keep the Schrader valve seats in good condition long after they normally would dry to powder). In addition, if you get your used tanks by recycling collection points or you buy them yourself, try to find/keep the small black plastic caps that "push on" over the threads so you keep rust/dirt/other crap from creeping in.
I've always just filled it a quarter of the way, unscrew the adapter and let it vent till its frozen then refill it. This method is so much better. UA-cam is full of endless knowledge.
Gee, here I was thinking I was a slick and such using my forceps like this to refill my Coleman bottles. Nicely done and I wish every youtuber did their instructional videos like this.
Fantastic you have coincided with your 9 year old brilliant video and another Aussie doing a video on the ' New ' LCC27 something you US guys have had for so long, the internal thread is our saviour . Have for 1 year re-filling camping gas sized cans and have saved an fortune similar to your excellent demo. Have learned a lot, you have crammed a whole lot of safe and valuable info into my cranium which is a major feat. Many Thanks.
This is a really helpful video! The production value of this video is great - steady video clips, clean audio, great narration and excellent graphics! Thanks for posting this.
Tractor Supply was over $6
Best video ive seen so far. Most other videos use the chill method and spend literally 10+ minutes on crap we already know . There is no reason why a video about refilling a bottle should be 17 minutes long. lol.
Thanks for this video. Every time we go on a cold weather camping trip, we use 3 or 4 of these Coleman 1 pound bottles (less in summer) and even when buying them at Wal-Mart, the cost is stupid. (2 for $7.88). I have about 10 empty bottles right now and I plan to refill them just as you have shown in this video. Big thumbs up and thanks again.
My limited experience, sample of one. I put my almost empty bottle (
Round 2, completely empty bottle, with a completely full tank. This time I left the setup for probably 10 minutes (not advised) and the bottle filled to about 80g (2-3oz) short of full. Guessing starting with a partly empty tank (larger gas volume) and a completely empty bottle (less thermal mass due to no liquid) prevented the bottle from filling completely.
Round 3, completely empty small cylinder and it over filled about 15g (3%) on the first fill after just chilling it in the freezer for a few days. Still my go to way instead of fiddling with a valve. But not to bash this video, as I have again benefited from it. Just want others to know that chilling the small bottle and using a large full tank can also be really easy. Thanks so much.
This procedure works very well, is super easy and fast!. I didn't have curved forceps, so I put my straight ones in a bench vise and pulled the top back very slowly, and now I do! Here's my math: Around here at Walmart, the 1# Coleman bottles cost $6.24 for two ($3.12 each). Propane is $2.29/gallon at TSC. So, it costs me $0.57 to refill a 1# bottle, or a savings of $2.55 per bottle (an 82% savings!!!). To put it the way you did, a new 1# bottle is 547% more expensive than refilling!!! I bought the adapter at a local Menard's hardware store, it cost me $17.99. So, after I refill 7 bottles, the adapter has paid for itself! THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As many comments have already said this is the winner for the explanation on how to fill the 1 lb. small coleman type bottle. You have the perfect voice with great diction and the diagram is what makes it easy to completely understand. This video I will definitely save for future reference. Thanks loads!!
Great video, the best on the subject that I've seen. I was successful in using a straight needle nose plier (didn't have a curved plier) by releasing the pressure from the 16oz bottle BEFORE attaching it to the larger tank. Naturally I wore gloves for protection. Due to the release of pressure the 16oz bottle got cold also, didn't need refrigeration. Once attached I tipped the 5 gal. tank upside down and opened the value. It only took a minute for the hissing to stop. I then detached the small bottle and weighed it. It came to 29.4 oz. Good enough for me! Thanks for the money saving tips!
Owsee THAT is a real money saver! I normally pack three small Coleman’s for any long road trip for camping opportunities. But refilling it from my bbq tank would literally save hundreds a year. Thank you…. I knew someone out there would have a solution to do exactly this.
Great video and well done. I'm a diy type of person and really appreciate the time you took to share your expertise!
Great video, I've been refilling small propane bottles for decades now and your right about the cost savings. One warning though, any bottle that appears compromised due to damage or rust is better thrown out. Don't risk it.
How many time approx do you refill a bottle?
@@AndersRamm Basically forever. The key things to look for are dents, especially on the bottom which is designed to blow outward to increase internal volume to avoid rupture. If the bottom won't stand upright because of the bulge it clearly is toast.
Excellent video WheeliePete! Very well done. I especially appreciate the data comparing the filling methods. Essentially it tells me if I am happy with an ~80% filled bottle I don’t need to chill or release pressure.
EXCELLENT video. As a professional video producer I applaud you. I won't even take points off for the "pre-chill" reference. Just FYI, "pre-chill" means to "chill before you chill." Proper usage would be, "no need to chill the bottle pre-fillilng," with "pre" meaning "before." Nicely done. The math breakdown was great, the instructions were clear and you actually SHOWED what you are teaching without head shots.
I actually muffed up the math calculation on the video (should be a 632% more expensive, not 732%), but by the time I caught that the video had taken off and I can't edit once it is uploaded...sigh...part of the perils of being the writer, videographer, on-screen talent, sound, editor, producer, and craft service all at the same time...lol..
Just tried this, worked perfectly. Very grateful for well produced instruction. Don't forget: "skip that crap" !
I only use mine for soldering & starting fires so I don’t care if it is 1/2 full so I just attach and give it 1 minute & remove.
Easy & fast and lasts me a month or 2. Great job on the video, I will try it if I need a very full bottle.
I've had one of these fittings for a longtime and used it but only half full bottles. i never chilled but they were good enough for camping..but i like this vid simply explained. as i have lots of bottles for refilling.thanks buddy.
VERY professionally and "educationally" done! I never commented on a UA-cam vid until I saw this one. I just had to acknowledge the perfection.
I use a pair of bent-tip needle nose pliers to pull on the relief valve core. It keeps my fingers out of the stream of chilled propane mist when the bottle reaches capacity. I also wear safety goggles while I'm doing it, because I wouldn't want to damage my corneas.
The MacCoupler from KM Industries is a pale imitation of a refill adapter once made by Cleanweld Turner in the 1980s. That adapter had a brass tube about 8 inches long coming out of the POL connecter that screwed into the bulk cylinder valve. At the other end of the brass tube it had a purpose-made brass elbow-style MAC female thread fitting, so that when the bulk cylinder was placed inverted on a table, the bottle to be refilled could hang from the elbow fitting with the relief valve always in the uppermost position. In this position, when the relief valve is opened with pliers or locking forceps, the bottle can be filled until liquid mist comes out of the valve. Technically, the bottle is then _overfilled_. When bottles are overfilled in this manner, they should be bled to the nominal net weight, be stored in a ventilated area, or, if being transported, should not be left unattended in a hot vehicle where they may begin to vent in the cargo or passenger area.
A nominal 1-lb cylinder is supposed to contain no more than 16.4 oz. of propane, which represents an 81.3% fill, leaving room for gas expansion when the contents get warmer. If a disposable bottle is only filled to 80%-85% of capacity, it avoids the problem of having the relief valve opening at an inconvenient time or place. Although I haven't had problems yet with overfilled bottles, if one were to do it correctly, the bottle should be weighed empty on an accurate scale to get the tare weight, filled with propane, and then weighed again to get the gross weight. Finally, subtract the tare weight from the gross weight to get the net weight. If overfilled, it should be bled until it has about 15% to 20% headroom.
@Jake McCoy is right but I am going to add this - Because I don't want to be hauling useless extra weight and volume.
Although the net heating value of the two gases is comparable, isobutane and butane perform poorly at low temperature. Mountaineers who use butane stoves at elevations where the temperature drops below freezing at night have to keep a fuel canister in their sleeping bag just so they can cook breakfast and have something warm to drink. Also, the variety of equipment and fittings available for butane/isobutane is considerably less than for propane.
Freezing the small bottle will absolutely fill it full, it may actually overfill it! I've had the green Coleman tanks swell up they filled up so much! The way you're doing it is the same as when you have a larger tank filled. I agree that this is a good way of doing it.
really like your in depth videos, they help answer any question we might have by watching the entire thing! great job, you helped a fellow camper
This method works perfect every time, thanks for the tip. The freezer method only netted me about 4 oz, so I resorted to using my refrigeration gauges and vacuum pump to completely evacuate & fill the bottles but that was a pain to setup and didn't want to contaminate my oil with hydrocarbons.
I use these bottles on my converted lawnmowers and fully filled-up 2 of them this morning even with both tanks being at 60F. I also put a drop of oil in the relief valve before exercising them.
Simple, succinct, and scientific. This is exactly what UA-cam was made for. Great video, thanks!
Not only a great video in that it's clear and concise with solid video, but also because it sounds like the delivery is from none other than Billy Bob Thornton.
I had one malfunction once and spray propane at me. I did eventually get it to reseat, but I'd advise wearing gloves in case of any incidents.
That happened to me a couple of days ago. I hooked up the Coleman tank and flipped the big tank upside down and I didn't hear any hissing after I turned it on. I reached underneath to see if I hadn't tightened it well enough and it sprayed liquid propane straight into my hand. I have never felt pain like that before. I had no idea how cold it would be. Luckily I got to a sink and ran warm water over my hand and scrubbed the propane off of my hand with soapy water. At the time I thought for sure that I was going to lose the skin on my hand it hurt so bad. I was very surprised the next day when I woke up and I didn't have any blisters or anyting. I will definitely wear gloves from now on whenever I do that.
All I can say is WOW. I was ready to throw the adapter away because I could not get more than 1/4 full. This video is great. Thanks so much.
As a licensed propane gas fitter (for over 30 years) , I agree with your process. Other videos I have seen are quite the opposite and misleading. One individual was talking about getting the "air" out of the cylinder....There had better be no air in there ! Well done.
oidodger gray and as a licensed gas fitter you should know that this is completely illegal and extremely dangerous filling tanks like this is the dumbest thing I have ever seen transferring liquid propane like this causes static charge buildup
"this is completely illegal"...Many people say that this or that is illegal and I always tell them to cite the law that is being violated, but of course they never do. It's not illegal and not dangerous if one uses a little common sense.
Static electricity is a non-issue. This is no different than connecting and disconnecting a one pound cylinder from anything.
Matthew Murphy no it does not. Just go read a book.
oidodger gray there absolutely it's air in a propane tank. Why to you think they unscrew the small Flathead screw on the side of big tanks. To vent the air. I don't think people mean air, as in oxygen. I think they mean if it is not all liquid then it's air. But yes you should definitely vent this small can to relieve pressure that it's not liquid propane
Expertly done. I've never purchased disposables because of the cost and the belief that there was no way for the home consumer to refill them. I just discovered refill adapters and learned that prohibition on refilling was only due to local regulation. This video very clearly answered all of my questions and the no-chill trick will make a huge difference. Thanks for doing this.
It's also a Federal issue through the DOT if the cylinders are transported over public roads.
Flame King Refillable 1lb cans now available, has a built in valve to bleed off gas, and DOT approved. cost about $20. work great!!! refill is the same way as shown here.
Not found.... link it otherwise you're just spouting spam.
@@BeezyKing99 these exist......go to Amazon and search for flame king 1 lb. refillable propane tank..... u won’t have type it all before it pops up in the search bar
@@toddmcwhite8909 looked all on line I think they discontinued it??
I’m guessing they had some legal issues? Not sure but I can’t find anywhere? Darn shame as they work well.
Got them at Menards - a home improvemeent chain out of Minnesota
Very very very well done: clear, concise, FACTUAL, visually simple (no clutter or cutsie fluff) but effective. This IS how it's done
I have been doing this for 40 years. Was taught how by a friend that ran a propane company
How much do you use them before you're finally done? 5 refills? 10?
Why put in the freezer ?
@@teamslaiyans3808 propane becomes more liquid in the cold, so it fills it up better.
That's why it's hard to cook with propane when it's cold out, it starts sputtering and acting like a liquid, it's quite annoying if you're trying to cook and it's freezing temps
Great video. I made a refill adapter using a pigtail connector, a ball valve, and a 1lb adapter. No more flipping the 20 lb tank, and I can cut the gas off above the 1lb cylinder using the ball valve.
This is how I do it. I find it easier to make an adapter which uses a hose though. This way I just set the supply bottle on it's handle on my porch. The bottle being filled can then be placed on the first step down any way I like it with easy access to the relief valve to purge gas to allow the bottle to fill better. Your goal is no more than about 80% of the bottle volume being liquid, same as the OFD does in the newer cylinders to keep hot pressure/expansion within structural limits... Also watch the bottle condition on the small bottles. Scratched/dented and rusted bottles are weaker than new/clean ones...
I made an adapter with a hose, as well. But put a brass ball valve in the middle of the hose. Connect the hose, with the ball valve closed. Then you can turn on the big tank, and leave it on. Flip the big tank upside down. Now you are turning the flow off and on with the ball valve. Connect the 1 pounder. Set that on a set of scales. Now you can control how much propane goes into the small tank, by weight. Just subtract the original weight reading from the final. If you really want to hold the smaller bottle at the perfect angle, to keep the overflow at ten oclock position, make a cradle for it that sets on the scales.
Short, and to the point! Excellent. And no stomach turning hand held video shots! Thank you. I'm a subscriber now!
I am from Romania. Back here the tank is thiner and taller and you can't find colleman ones but it's the same tank only different shape. I went to UK for 12 months and there you could give your old tank and receive one full which was also not brand new and it was around 1.5 GBP back in 2008 or so. Now i have tanks but i only found out about the adaptor. Thank you an all the best to you! Sry of bad englis, not my native tongue. Your new subscriber Cristian from Romania.
Hi Cristian Coleman is a brand name they just happen to be the biggest MFG. of the small one pound tanks if you are having a problem finding the refill adapter they can be found on line on Ebay. There are smaller in height but fatter tanks out there and they do sell the adapter for those to they have what looks like a air valve for a tire instead of the larger one found on the 1 pound tank as shown in the video.
Cristian Mares Your English is fine sir.
Cristian, I would be very proud of myself if I could write and speak Romanian as well as you do in English. All the best to you from New Rochelle N.Y.
That's why I couldn't get the relief valve to work. I was pushing it. Was trying to figure it out on an empty. Going to be buying the adapter soon. Thank you so much for the how to.
That was great Wheelie Pete. Thank you for taking the time to show us how to improve our camping equipment.
Very well done and it explains the process and issues on filling the tanks for those who did not know. Using the graphics you used really added a nice touch to the video.
This is by far the best articulated, best filmed, and best tested method and video I’ve seen on this subject on the tube. Well done, sir! Keep up the good work.
Just wanted to say thanx for the vid! I bought the coupler a few years ago but I couldn't get a good bottle to save my life, after seeing this video I'm confide I can refill my empty 1 pounders! Thanx again!
Thank you for this! Very informative, and by far the best presentation of how to do this I've seen.
propane has similar refrigeration properties to r22 refrigerant and can frostbite so wearing gloves may be a good idea while working the relief valve because the liquid can spray.
propane is used in commercial refrigeration units and great care needs to be taken when working with those systems as propane is flammable even when used as a refrigerant.
This process for refilling 1 lb propane bottles works great. The bottle can be overfilled and a scale should be used to confirm fill amount, but after doing several bottles, I was able to figure out exactly where to position the relief valve so that when propane exited, the bottle was filled correctly.
+Karen Andrews If you can get a consistent position on the upright tank and the tightness of the adapter valve then you can figure out where to position the relief valve. The 10 o'clock position is a good starting point and then it sounds like you were able to pinpoint it from there for your particular tank and adapter. Good Job!
This is one of the BEST how to videos I have ever seen! I even went back and watched the full commercial so you might get credit. Thank you SO much for producing this video. SUBSCRIBED! Well done!
Hands down the best 1LB propane refill video I've watched on UA-cam & I've sifted through a lot of Darwin Award nominees.
My thanks.
This is the best instruction for refilling I have seen yet. Thank you.
You can also fill the 1 pound bottle without pulling a relief valve OR heating/cooling anything: Just invert the big tank, and leave everything connected overnight, with the valve open. The higher top-level of the liquid in the big tank will exert pressure on the gas/liquid mix in the 1 lb bottle, and the vapor inside will condense to liquid. The process takes a while, but after some hours, that bottle will be completely full.
...The other thing: It's a good idea to set the bottle outside in the sun after filling. If the bottle is over-filled, this will allow the safety valve to release the excess outdoors, so there is no problem. If the garage gets too warm, you don't want an overfilled bottle to release its excess indoors!!
...Really good video, by the way!
Steve c5088 I was thinking the same thing, there's a larger surface area in the 5 gallon tank than the Coleman tank, it would just take a bit for the gas to condense. You could speed this up by having the big tank in the sun and small one in the shade.
I haven't gotten a tank to completely full yet, but I admit its my fear of having to explain to ER nurses that I shot my face off with propane and propane accessories that makes me have to fill up twice as often. I was brave enough to try it at all because this video made it seem almost foolproof. The forceps really do make it simple. My wallet thanks you for posting this video!
Remember, the object isn't to get the small tank full to the brim, but just to put a "full" 16oz of liquid propane back into the small tank that was designed to hold 16oz of liquid propane. The absolute most fool-proof way to do it is to just make sure the big tank is warmer than the small tank and hook them together like in the video and just let the smaller one fill for a minute or two.
Just bought a Mr. Heater buddy and am really feeling sticker shock feeding it $3.57 bottles of propane every 3-5 hours. I'll buy the little refill adapter and a set of forceps. Thanks for the vid!
a better way is get the hose and adapter to hook heater up to BBQ or large LP tank.
Absolute Best Carpet Care That's what I do. I think the hose and adapter cost around $20 at Lowes. Probably cheaper on Amazon.
Carl Newton just be sure you have that larger bottle outside.
akbychoice my thoughts exactly. The small bottle probably doesn't have enough propane in it to suffocate you if there were to be a leak in your tent, but the big one definitely does.
I tried filling tanks for the first time over the weekend, and have to disagree that chilling bottles will still not allow a complete fill. I put them in the freezer (because I didn't have forceps) and filled 4 bottles from empty. The total weight of a new Coleman bottle is 1 lb 14 oz. I easily filled all four of mine to this weight, in fact the first one I left on too long and it filled to more than 2 lbs. I immediately attached it to a propane heater to bleed of the overfill.
Having said all that, I do like this idea of the forceps and not having to chill the bottles...and possibly avoid overfilling by waiting for the white mist to escape and knowing when exactly to stop. Filling chilled bottles (after overfilling the first one), I started to stop halfway and check the weight, then continue to fill. Not a big hassle but still took longer.
Great video!
In response to Lanc Mac's question about anti tip-over valve causing it to stop flowing. I think you're talking about OPD (Overfill Protection Device) equipped tanks. As of April 1, 2002 all four- to 40-pound propane tanks must be equipped with an Overfill Protection Device valve if they are to be commercially refilled. This is a new valve that replaces the one on existing tanks. The new valves are marked with "OPD" to designate their compliance with the state law and have three-lobed valve handles, rather than the five-lobe type found on older propane tanks. The OPD valve is simply a protective device that, as the name implies, prevents overfilling of a propane cylinder. The OPD valve does NOT prevent you from flowing liquid when the tank is on it's side or inverted. The tank in this video is a newer tank and is OPD equipped. I find no information on a true tip-over valve installed in the common BBQ tanks. There are valves in the hook up fittings to BBQ equipment and camper/motorhomes that prevent fast flow in case lines are cut to prevent the free-flow of gas/liquid in an accident, but those fixtures also usually have regulators/mixers to deal with liquid propane.
+WheeliePete Agreed. There is no such thing as an anti tip safety on D.O.T propane cylinders. The OPD valve is actuated by a float. When inverted the valve will stay open till the liquid level is low enough to allow the float to close the valve. Hence, you will probably never get all the liquid out of a OPD equipped cylinder.
EDIT: I said that backwards. You will get all the liquid out. You cannot fill an inverted cylinder that is empty but if it is partially full then you could fill it 100 percent. DON"T TRY IT!!!!!
i just figured out why this damn thing will not fill. it is the OPD valve. because the float on the OPD, in the tank, must leak. when i turn the tank upside down, the float must fall over and shut the valve. they fill these big tanks by weight where i go and underfill the ones at those exchang cages at stores .they would never know it that float ever works unless they tried to overfill it which they don't . or by turning it upside down and see if it shuts off. like my full crap tank from the exchange.
WheeliePete THANK you for helping me to stay FRUGAL!!!
There is propane tanks that do have a valve that cuts off the flow. I believe it's called low flow cutoff. Anyway these tanks can still be used, just barely crack the valve on the big tank. Turn it too far and you hear a loud tick noise and stops flooring
Flowing damn. Lol
Now I got to re-accumulate all those empty bottles that I threw away because I was sick of the chilling and them not getting full! Great info!
Thank you for the info on re-seating the propane bottle valve.
Great video thanks for taking the time to make it and share Only thing I would add if I may, is the reason for not overfilling The fuel needs space in the top of the tank above the liquid level To evaporate into a gas before it can be discharged for use Again great video informative clear concise and to the point Thanks again
Holy cow! The first person that I've seen do it right.
Best instruction refill video on UA-cam. much appreciated
Have been doing this for years also. I will dumpster dive for the little greenies at campground trash collection sites. Almost worth their weight in gold.
Finally a video who knows they're stuff. I've filled hundreds this way. I use a longer hose with a ball valve. Works great!
Just an awesome video all-around. From the necessary instructions, to the added tips you included, I felt adequately informed and confident enough to try my hand at it. I truly appreciate the time you took to make this video really concise and just plain great. Thanks! Note : You really should consider hiring your voice out to others on UA-cam who don't quite have a tolerable one! You actually reminded me of the great Mutual of Omaha and Disney wild nature shows I grew up with in the 60s.
Thank you so much. Only video that actually shows how to release that valve thanks again happy camping from Tahoe
Freezer method for me. Comes within 3 or 4 oz. of full, easy and close enough.
If you want to get a complete fill just re-freeze and fill again. Beware that doing this will let you dangerously over fill it.
@@DonziGT230 I found out that overfilling the 1lb green "Coleman" propane tanks causes them to BULGE. I had to get a scale, wait till the green tank was absolutely empty. Place it on the scale and note the weight (tare scale if possible). Then when I filled it, I could check to see that I had only replaced exactly 1lb in the tank. Works great.
@@daveybernard1056 Exactly what I was thinking!
@@daveybernard1056 i do the same harbor freight scale
@@derekduchamp4603 weighing is smarter and safer
I have to say that was probably the most informative video about this I've ever watched ,good job, awesome , I appreciate it helped thank you!!!
Thanks. You really explain things well.
My thoughts also.
Appreciate the info and brief safety talk. Watched another video prior to this one which was just a bit inaccurate. You have proven that the truth is easier to follow and understand. Thank you sir!
Great tips. Very clear audio is greatly appreciated.
by far the BEST video on how to refill your own canisters. well done!