Self serve LPG? Update; link added
Read an article that the new Menards being built in my town will have a self serve LPG filling island in the parking lot. The article described it as if you will connect and fill your own cylinders. ...
Forum Discussion
Many many lunas ago, I brought down a POL to disposable bottle adapter **** valve, scale, yadda.
Was ensconced on the far end of a beach called Zipolite. Fellow asked me one day "Where can I find one pound disposable cylinders for my stove?
Here? Like no place.
I ended up doing him a favor with an inverted 5 gallon pot GRAVITATING LPG down into the disposable. By weight - exactly 1.0 pounds net tare. Checked for leaks. Charged him a dollar.
Next thing I knew my poor folding table was crowded with cylinders. The whole danged beach it seemed like wanted gas for their stoves and lanterns.
I had to fire up my Dometic FC-140 chest freezer to freeze the empties. About eight or so in ten turned out to be refillable. The other one point five leaked and were returned to their owner. I leaked checked them first with pure gas not liquid. Then screwed them into a fitting that emptied them to air pressure. Into the freezer they went. The next morning, I could fill a one pound cylinder in about six or seven seconds. But I throttled down by using an orifice so I would have better control.
I did seventy cylinders the first day. At the time, I had a Superior school bus with a pair of 83 gallon Manchester motor fuel tanks. So I refilled the pot out of the motor fuel tanks. I had so many people bugging me, I finally robbed one of the thirties I had set aside for the chest freezer.
I became swamped as people ditched their white gas stoves and lanterns and went back to LPG. So I raised my price to 2 dollars. Didn't slow the flood down at all. It seemed like everyone came with a dozen cylinders.
At that time, gas was about nineteen cents a gallon. Cost me a nickel per cylinder.
The new business was ruining my prime time. So I only filled cylinders twice a week.
But with disposables the cylinders had to look like new and regardless had to be leak checked twice. Some I could reset the stopper in the cylinder and stop the leak. Other times no. If I ran a little heavy the fitting open to the air was permanently mounted under the table. Screw the bottle in a few turns and spin it back off.
I drove away with pockets jingling several hundred dollars heavier. I spent something like nine dollars to fill everything up which including gas for my own use. More than a few people asked "Gee will we find you here next year?"
Was ensconced on the far end of a beach called Zipolite. Fellow asked me one day "Where can I find one pound disposable cylinders for my stove?
Here? Like no place.
I ended up doing him a favor with an inverted 5 gallon pot GRAVITATING LPG down into the disposable. By weight - exactly 1.0 pounds net tare. Checked for leaks. Charged him a dollar.
Next thing I knew my poor folding table was crowded with cylinders. The whole danged beach it seemed like wanted gas for their stoves and lanterns.
I had to fire up my Dometic FC-140 chest freezer to freeze the empties. About eight or so in ten turned out to be refillable. The other one point five leaked and were returned to their owner. I leaked checked them first with pure gas not liquid. Then screwed them into a fitting that emptied them to air pressure. Into the freezer they went. The next morning, I could fill a one pound cylinder in about six or seven seconds. But I throttled down by using an orifice so I would have better control.
I did seventy cylinders the first day. At the time, I had a Superior school bus with a pair of 83 gallon Manchester motor fuel tanks. So I refilled the pot out of the motor fuel tanks. I had so many people bugging me, I finally robbed one of the thirties I had set aside for the chest freezer.
I became swamped as people ditched their white gas stoves and lanterns and went back to LPG. So I raised my price to 2 dollars. Didn't slow the flood down at all. It seemed like everyone came with a dozen cylinders.
At that time, gas was about nineteen cents a gallon. Cost me a nickel per cylinder.
The new business was ruining my prime time. So I only filled cylinders twice a week.
But with disposables the cylinders had to look like new and regardless had to be leak checked twice. Some I could reset the stopper in the cylinder and stop the leak. Other times no. If I ran a little heavy the fitting open to the air was permanently mounted under the table. Screw the bottle in a few turns and spin it back off.
I drove away with pockets jingling several hundred dollars heavier. I spent something like nine dollars to fill everything up which including gas for my own use. More than a few people asked "Gee will we find you here next year?"
