Propane Cylinder Fill: Error?

beemerphile1 wrote:
I'm just shocked that the OP has a place that exchanges 30# bottles. I've never seen any exchange places with anything other than 20# bottles.

The exchange place is a large welding supply company. They carry a bunch of different size cylinders for exchange. If you have fixed storage, O2, No, LPG, etc, they will come fill your ASME tanks.
This is where I was having the original problem- finding someone relatively close to home to get my expired ones certified and brought up to date without making 2 trips to the vendor. They would not check them while I waited.

Oops you caught me Chris. Thanks for straightening out my error. We don't have OPD down here and none of the LPG plant fast fill adapters can push the OPD safety open - therefore no fill. Again, thank you.

I'm just shocked that the OP has a place that exchanges 30# bottles. I've never seen any exchange places with anything other than 20# bottles.

red31 wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:
Thankfully the Excess flow valve did what it is designed to do and prevented just that.

The spring load shut off valve that works in conjunction with a thermal bushing in the ACME worked, designed to SHUT OFF if the thermal bushing melts from fire and prevent propane flow unless something is attached. Nothing to do with Excess flow feature.

A little confusion going on

OPD Valve Portable Cylinders are all inclusive
*Service/Vapor Valve-----manual shut off valve
*Overflow Protection Device.....internal float that shuts off liquid propane flow at 80% when FILLING
*Liquid Level Bleed Valve....needle valve used to indicate liquid level (80%)
*Spring Loaded Shut off Valve.....prevents ANY vapor flow OUT if nothing is attached to OPD (shut off valve has to be forced open against spring pressure)
*Safety Relief Valve.....Opens on high internal pressures roughly 312#


ACME Nut
*Center 'stub' that forces OPD Spring Loaded Valve open when Nut is tightened.
*Excess Flow Device----Ball Bearing that will CLOSE when pressures on each side of Ball Bearing are NOT equalized. Light spring 'centers' ball bearing inside the ACME Nut. If downstream pressure drops then Higher upstream pressure will force Ball Bearing Closed limiting flow of propane
*Thermal Bushing.....if exposed to high temps/fire it will melt allowing the OPD Spring Loaded Valve to push 'stub' into ACME Nut and CLOSE stopping ALL propane vapor flow out of cylinder


ACME Nut Center 'Stub'


ACME Nut Excess Flow Device


ACME Nut Thermal Bushing ----OLD Style Type I


NEW Style Type I Thermal Bushing

wa8yxm wrote:
Thankfully the Excess flow valve did what it is designed to do and prevented just that.

The spring load shut off valve that works in conjunction with a thermal bushing in the ACME worked, designed to SHUT OFF if the thermal bushing melts from fire and prevent propane flow unless something is attached. Nothing to do with Excess flow feature.

Interesting. I just had two 20lb cylinders filled yesterday at a RV dealer because they are so close. They too left the valve open. When I mentioned it he said the internal valve kept the fuel from escaping. I closed the valves anyway as I always do.

Most likely the tank valves were opened by vandals, not an error but an intentional act, The Vandals were hoping a cloud of propane would form and a spark and a good show (Not realizing that if that happened it might be the last show they ever see in this life, joke follows) Thankfully the Excess flow valve did what it is designed to do and prevented just that.


The joke
Pump jockey class is reviewing the written class Instructor is reading the question and answers.

Question: WHat happens if you get the right mix of propane and air and there is a spark

Before any student could answer (They were holding class in the internet room) Piped up with "You land two countys over" And once the class stopped lauging the instructor said "Exactly".

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Cluck - cluck - cluck. Call me chicken. I screw one of these into the POL port whenever the pot is disconnected from the regulator...
Marking it harder for a malfunction to occur is much different from making it next to impossible for a malfunction to leak LPG.

That's the wrong thing to do, you are defeating the built in safety of the OPD valve.

I get the empties refilled at UHaul, it is a hop, skip, and a jump up the street. 5 minutes in and out. The issue earlier was finding someone to recertify my outdated cylinders. I called around and only found one place. They were the ones wanting me to drop them off and return to pick them up. I found the other place by accident that would do exchange on 30# cylinders. Everyone has 20# in stock. Now all my cylinders are current and I can refill at my choice of locations. I just thought odd the valves would have been left open on the shelf for sale.

Cluck - cluck - cluck. Call me chicken. I screw one of these into the POL port whenever the pot is disconnected from the regulator...
Marking it harder for a malfunction to occur is much different from making it next to impossible for a malfunction to leak LPG.