Refilling propane tanks

surprised that CARB has not stopped venting while filling pissantable cylinders
http://www.lpgasmagazine.com/lp-gas-contentfugitive-loose/

Exchange cylinder fillers use weight since they are under DOT jurisdiction (commerce).

Using weight limits most of the fugitive gas release from filling, using low emission/low loss filling nozzle nearly eliminates all fugitive gas from filling 20lbers

There is nothing dangerous about a propane tank slowly bleeding off (it does not spew!) in hot weather, so long as there is no open flame close by.
I wonder if Doug knows that if he was to lite a cigar while he was filling his gas tank, that that would be much more dangerous than a propane tank bleeding a little as it heats up on a hot day ?
Does Doug know that all of us will likely make it thru this life by using a little common sense. Sometimes he sounds like he doesn't have any, which I'm sure is not the case.
I'll repeat,....It is not dangerous to fill propane by OPD/bleeder valve, that's why they made it law that all tanks have then now.
Any safety device can fail, but does that mean we should quit living a normal life. Maybe Doug should think twice before ever gets on the road again, after all he or any other driver could make a mistake and kill him. There is much more chance of that than a failed OPD killing me,.....I promise !
I many times, fill those little 1# bottles too full (I have filled thousands) and have had them slowly bleed off,....had to stop driving, go find the bottle and bleed a little off. Is that dangerous ? I refuse to answer,... decide for yourself ! :)

I guess I better make a trip to Texas whenever I need propane.

We need a definition of 'safe'. Since nothing is 100% safe, what percentage of propane mishaps occur using weight vs. volume? I doubt it's even measurable.

dougrainer wrote:

enblethen wrote:
Try to clarify filing of tanks.
The OPs profile does not specify what type of rig.
MHs have a permanently mounted tank and only needs to be shut off before filling.
Some fifth wheels have the tanks in the front compartment and are suppose to be removed to refill.
Travel trailers normally have their tanks mounted to the tongue areas in open air. They may need to be removed if filling stations requires it. Some do and some don't.

The ONLY SAFE way to fill DOT portable RV LP cylinders is by WEIGHT. That means they must be removed to correctly fill them. NOT filling by weight regardless of where they are is dangerous. ASME tanks on Motorhomes are filled with the tank in place. Doug

Really!! Where are my boots

vic46 wrote:
OP! You need to clarify your post. Is the propane vessel(s) permanently affixed to the RV or are they removable? If removable, are the bottles time expired? There is a expiration date on the collar of removable bottles. If expired they need to be either recertified or replaced.

The date stamped on the collar is the manufacture date, they need to be re certified after 12 years.

RJsfishin wrote:
Quote:
NOT filling by weight regardless of where they are is dangerous.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe a word of it.
I been fillin dot cyls for 50 yrs, and I ain't found a place yet in CA or OR, or AZ that even has a scale. Its all done in gallons, or should I say the OPD, or the bleeder valve or both. So what, every filler in 3 states is wrong or illegal, or dangerous ?? Get real.

To answer your question. Just because something is NOT illegal does not mean it is SAFE. IT IS DANGEROUS. If you have been "fillin" DOT cylinders for 50 years, you should have rudimentary knowledge of LP. Since you obviously do NOT, I will enlighten you. I have been licensed by the state of Texas for 36 years in Dispensing AND Repair. In Texas, you MUST be licensed to Fill and Repair LP systems and appliances. OPD devices do NOT always stop the fill at the SAFE 80% level. Also, IDIOT fillers will also keep filling when the OPD fails to shut off at the correct level but stop a few seconds after a safe level. IF you have the 80% valve open and are dumb enough to fill by OPD, you STOP when liquid spews out the 80% valve. NOT WAIT FOR THE OPD TO SHUT OFF. WEIGHT filling means that you always get the CORRECT liquid level in the Tank. The OPD is there in case your scale is off or you did not set the scale correctly. BUT you ALWAYS open the 80% valve and STOP when it spews liquid. The danger of overfilling is this. You fill at 60 degrees ambient and the idiot overfills your DOT because he did not use weight as the fill method. You then take your Tank to a hot 95 degree area. Guess what happens once that tank starts to react to the 30 degree rise in temps? It then spews LP because there is no room for the LP to expand in the tank. It is NOT illegal in most areas to Text and drive. But it IS dangerous for them and YOU. Doug

Two answers:
Motor homes with "Mounted" Tanks..
Pull up to the Propane island at your local Flying-J or ACE hardware or Propane Distributor or Gas Station or RV dealer (Have visited all the above at one time or anotherl. NOTE: Not all gas stations or Ace Hardwares have propane, but most all Flyin-Js do and most RV Dealers and of course ALL propane distributors, Story follows). Oh, Many RV parks have Propane pumps as well (Tend to be expensive).

Trailer with removable tanks.. Take just the tank to one of the above.

Short story: Was headed back to MI for the summer a few years ago and due to needing to go to our registered home I came up I-69 instead of I-75 Spent the night in Coldwater and called ahead to Tekonsha (Yes, Home of Tekonsha Engineering) To a propane dealer I knew of.. Ask if they were open on Saturday (AM Only) She wants to give me directions to the tank farm.. Which 50 years ago was a dairy farm.. I told her I thought I could find it.. She insists it's hard to find.. Finally I told her my name.. She understood I could find it.

You see. I grew up on a dairy farm.... Same farm.

dclark1946 wrote:

RJsfishin wrote:
Quote:
NOT filling by weight regardless of where they are is dangerous.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe a word of it.
I been fillin dot cyls for 50 yrs, and I ain't found a place yet in CA or OR, or AZ that even has a scale. Its all done in gallons, or should I say the OPD, or the bleeder valve or both. So what, every filler in 3 states is wrong or illegal, or dangerous ?? Get real.

Most real propane dealers I have used open the bleed port and fill until they get a lot of vapor coming from the port.

Dick

That just happened to me when we were on the road the tech opens the bleeder screw and filled the tank till stuff came out!

Didn't seem very safe to me.

Here in NC my 3 local propane distribution sites fill by weight. When the scale hits a certain weight it shuts off the propane flow.

Ron W.

Because of expansion versus weight a scale is the ONLY way to get accuate measure of what went into the tank. Gas at 100F weighs a hell of a lot less per volume than gas at 32F

Most yard pumping personnel can't count past ten. Refer to government regs dealing with TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION for dispensers. Fill to the 15% level then quit. Some sloppy OPDs stop the music at 82%. Whaddya gonna do? I believe OPDs go to 40lbs and rare 50 lb tanks are exempt. Quicksilver had an 83 gal. Motorfuel tank.

Down here, OPDs do not fill and a Fast Fill fitting is the hot setup.

RJsfishin wrote:
Quote:
NOT filling by weight regardless of where they are is dangerous.
---------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe a word of it.
I been fillin dot cyls for 50 yrs, and I ain't found a place yet in CA or OR, or AZ that even has a scale. Its all done in gallons, or should I say the OPD, or the bleeder valve or both. So what, every filler in 3 states is wrong or illegal, or dangerous ?? Get real.

Most real propane dealers I have used open the bleed port and fill until they get a lot of vapor coming from the port.

Dick