Propane container not releasing propane?

[alanmikkelsen]

This is a new one for me. I took my propane bottles off the trailer and went to town to fill them and two other bottles. Hooked everything back up, turned on the bottles (30#'s), and cranked up the generator, started normally. Went around to the house tank, made sure everything was secure and went inside to light the stove and water heater. Nothing. Screwed around for an hour, nothing. finally went back outside and started at the tank to see if I had a line problem. Long story short, the propane tank itself was not flowing any propane. Pulled it out, hooked up another tank and presto, everything lit off instantaneously. But now I have a 30# tank full of propane with nothing coming out of it. The tanks were hauled in an upright position, everything should be normal. The tank is OPD. What's going on???

[Old-Biscuit]

wa8yxm wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:


By Federal Law POL valves were discontinued in 2000 and can no longer be refilled.

I took a POL tank into the propane service just a few months ago.. it came back Acme but it went in POL

Another thing.. The ACME fitting (OPD) has a valve inside the outlet that cuts off flow if no hose/device is attached.. OR if it's not firmly attached.. Some older POL fittings may not depress this valve (Though I have never heard of that)

Good luck.

They changed the POL Service valve (non approved) to the OPD Service Valve (which has threads for either ACME Nuts or POL fittings)

That is the only way to get a cylinder refilled that has a POL Service Valve......change it out and if out of date re-cert it.
Simple.

[wa8yxm]

Dutch_12078 wrote:


By Federal Law POL valves were discontinued in 2000 and can no longer be refilled.

I took a POL tank into the propane service just a few months ago.. it came back Acme but it went in POL

Another thing.. The ACME fitting (OPD) has a valve inside the outlet that cuts off flow if no hose/device is attached.. OR if it's not firmly attached.. Some older POL fittings may not depress this valve (Though I have never heard of that)

Good luck.

[Old-Biscuit]

If you have a black ACME nut, it is rated somewhere between 50-100k BTU/hr, green is 250k BTU/hr, red is 400k BTU/hr.

[CavemanCharlie]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
OPD......Overfill Protection Device. Basically an internal float that shuts off at 80% liquid level. Device is designed to help prevent overfilling of a propane cylinder
Doesn't stop flow of propane out of cylinder only into cylinder when filling.

ACME nut...large green nut on hose.
*Has a 'nipple' that opens a spring activated shutoff valve inside propane cylinder service valve. Propane will not flow out of cylinder unless hose is attached and nipple is holding spring loaded valve open.
*Has a 'thermal bushing' that will melt if temps exceed 240*F. When it melts the 'nipple' slips back about 1/4" allowing spring activated valve in cylinder service valve to close.
*Has a flow limiting device...excess flow. Basically a ball bearing that moves towards back of ACME nut when you open cylinder service valve. Then will move back to center position when downstream system is pressurized.
This excess flow device will close off if hose breaks...leak occurs.
(But if you open cylinder service valve quickly.....ball bearing may not return to center position allowing flow. Just close service valve...wait 30 seconds. Open valve slowly)

2 stage LP Regulator
1st stage reduces cylinder pressure to 15 PSI. 2nd stage reduces to 0.4 PSI.
Regulators are typically rated to flow 200,000 PLUS btu per hour...otherwise they wouldn't be able to supply enough propane flow for all propane appliances.
100% of propane devices should be in service to set regulator for 11"WC (can be done with at least 50%)

No flow from cylinder....
ACME nut not on properly...nipple isn't opening the cylinder service valve spring activated shutoff

OR

Opened cylinder service valve to quickly and tripped the flow device inside ACME nut.

Good answer. But, I have seen the nut on the hose be black in color and not green sometimes. It probably should not be but, remember it's all made in china

[wilber1]

I've had bottles not take gas a couple of times. Turning them upside down and giving them a rap on the ground has unstuck the valve. Not very scientific but it might work.

Never had one stick on a full bottle yet. Opening the valve too quickly has always been the culprit then.

[leeper]

Mine would not take gas in, it was only filled once. Gas company could not get it to work either. Said it needed a new valve. Cost and labor for new valve is more than a new tank. I got rid of it.

[A_hitch_and_hop]

Posts: 16141
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Diabetics Forum







Re: 1997 Tioga - propane won't flow after tank refill.

« Reply #7 on: February 11, 2009, 05:06:46 PM »



Not all Propane (Explosive gas) Leak detectors operate a safety valve.. Just so you know

The two most common issues are

1: First step in a refill is CLOSE THE VALVE on the tank. Last step is opening the valve but the technician almost never does that.

2: Some rigs have "Excess flow" valves.. Mine does (After market in my case)

The way these work is fairly simple.. So long as there is equal pressure on both sides of the valve it does nothing.. but if there is NO pressure on the outlet side, and tank pressure on the tank side. it Slams shut, FAST, to prevent the escape of propane from what it assumes is a broken line.

To re-set

Turn off

Using microwave or electric coffee pot make coffee or tea (NOTE: This step is "Kill time" in case you are not a coffee or tea person) this allows the valve to reset

now, Open the valve SLOWLY, when you hear it HISS STOP When it stops, open it a little bit more, and then a little bit more

When you no longer hear any sound.. Open it full and try the stove.
If you have two tanks, slowly turn on second tank.

[Old-Biscuit]

Dutch_12078 wrote:

Old-Biscuit wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Crazy Ray wrote:
People keep saying NEW OPD Valves, there not new became law Oct 1998. IS THAT NEW? JMO

Hey... I was made in 1950 So 1998 is NEW to me.

And there are still alot of POL tanks out there.

By Federal Law POL valves were discontinued in 2000 and can no longer be refilled.

POL only valves were phased out, but every externally ACME threaded OPD LP tank valve I've seen is also threaded internally for a POL connection. Even the valve on the 2015 manufactured 40# tank I purchased a few months ago.

Correct.....
POL service valves on portable propane cylinders were eliminated.
NOT the left handed connections.
That is why the OPD service valve has the double threads. Right hand outside for ACME nuts and left hand inside threads for POL fittings.

POL fittings were not banned just the POL style service valves....mainly due to ability to open the POL service valve and have propane flow without anything connected and being able to easily overfill cylinder (above 80% liquid level)

2 different components............POL service valve vs POL fittings/connections

[Dutch_12078]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

wa8yxm wrote:

Crazy Ray wrote:
People keep saying NEW OPD Valves, there not new became law Oct 1998. IS THAT NEW? JMO

Hey... I was made in 1950 So 1998 is NEW to me.

And there are still alot of POL tanks out there.

By Federal Law POL valves were discontinued in 2000 and can no longer be refilled.

POL only valves were phased out, but every externally ACME threaded OPD LP tank valve I've seen is also threaded internally for a POL connection. Even the valve on the 2015 manufactured 40# tank I purchased a few months ago.

[Old-Biscuit]

wa8yxm wrote:

Crazy Ray wrote:
People keep saying NEW OPD Valves, there not new became law Oct 1998. IS THAT NEW? JMO

Hey... I was made in 1950 So 1998 is NEW to me.

And there are still alot of POL tanks out there.

By Federal Law POL valves were discontinued in 2000 and can no longer be refilled.

[wa8yxm]

Crazy Ray wrote:
People keep saying NEW OPD Valves, there not new became law Oct 1998. IS THAT NEW? JMO

Hey... I was made in 1950 So 1998 is NEW to me.

And there are still alot of POL tanks out there.

[flyairam]

Thank you, Old Biscuit, for this great explanation. That's most likely why my propane grill has been giving me fits.
You don't know what you don't know.
Randy

[Bobbo]

Crazy Ray wrote:
People keep saying NEW OPD Valves, there not new became law Oct 1998. IS THAT NEW? JMO

New is relative.

Ronda, Spain has a DEEP gorge running right through the center of the town. There are 3 stone bridges crossing the gorge. The locals call them the Old Bridge, the Roman Bridge, and the New Bridge.

The New Bridge was built in the 1790's, but is still called the New Bridge. The Roman bridge was built 2,000 years ago by the, yep, you guess it, the Romans. The Old Bridge is even older.

[Old-Biscuit]

OPD......Overfill Protection Device. Basically an internal float that shuts off at 80% liquid level. Device is designed to help prevent overfilling of a propane cylinder
Doesn't stop flow of propane out of cylinder only into cylinder when filling.

ACME nut...large green nut on hose.
*Has a 'nipple' that opens a spring activated shutoff valve inside propane cylinder service valve. Propane will not flow out of cylinder unless hose is attached and nipple is holding spring loaded valve open.
*Has a 'thermal bushing' that will melt if temps exceed 240*F. When it melts the 'nipple' slips back about 1/4" allowing spring activated valve in cylinder service valve to close.
*Has a flow limiting device...excess flow. Basically a ball bearing that moves towards back of ACME nut when you open cylinder service valve. Then will move back to center position when downstream system is pressurized.
This excess flow device will close off if hose breaks...leak occurs.
(But if you open cylinder service valve quickly.....ball bearing may not return to center position allowing flow. Just close service valve...wait 30 seconds. Open valve slowly)

2 stage LP Regulator
1st stage reduces cylinder pressure to 15 PSI. 2nd stage reduces to 0.4 PSI.
Regulators are typically rated to flow 200,000 PLUS btu per hour...otherwise they wouldn't be able to supply enough propane flow for all propane appliances.
100% of propane devices should be in service to set regulator for 11"WC (can be done with at least 50%)

No flow from cylinder....
ACME nut not on properly...nipple isn't opening the cylinder service valve spring activated shutoff

OR

Opened cylinder service valve to quickly and tripped the flow device inside ACME nut.