Filling my own 20lb LP tanks

[5Cent]

First is it legal? I have a 500lb and I'm tired of paying to have my grill/garage heating tanks filled when I have that big SOB in the yard


I know if they see any new connections they will want to do a leak test. Anyone ever do this?

 

[boiler7904]

Depends on laws in your state but I doubt it. Can't do it yourself in Indiana.

Is your house on a basement? Are there gas lines close to where you want to use the grill? You could extend the gas line from the kitchen to the exterior wall that the grille is closest to and have a permanent wall outlet for the gas. Then it's a matter of getting a hose to connect the grille to the house. A few of my neighbors have a similar setup for natural gas. Works real well without the hassles of a 20lb tank.

 

[jmack]

Agree with boiler. I own my 500lb LP tank that is buried in my front yard, but i wouldn't be messing with it trying to fill a 20lb tank.

You probably have a manifold/splitter (not sure what it's called) in your basement where the tank line comes in and distributes to all the LP appliances in your house. Have a technician run a line from that, out to the back wall of your house. Then you can just hook a hose up to that for the grill. Or even trench the line from there if you are trying to achieve a permanent setup (like grill in an island sort of thing).

Just paying the 1-time cost to have the lines run will save you the hassles of the 20lb tanks.

 

[walrus]

First is it legal? I have a 500lb and I'm tired of paying to have my grill/garage heating tanks filled when I have that big SOB in the yard


I know if they see any new connections they will want to do a leak test. Anyone ever do this?

You can't do it without a pump

 

[5Cent]

Kind of what I figured, but worth asking.

I don't want to hardline the grill as I use it in mutiple places throughout the year depending on the weather. Nothing beats grilling in the middle of the winter!

 

[BigChevy80]

First is it legal? I have a 500lb and I'm tired of paying to have my grill/garage heating tanks filled when I have that big SOB in the yard


I know if they see any new connections they will want to do a leak test. Anyone ever do this?

As far as I know, you need to use the LIQUID outlet port on the tank to do this. Maybe someone else with better knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong. I've always refilled the little camp stove bottles by tipping my 20LB cylinders upside down so the liquid flows into the tank being refilled.

 

[v8garage]

You can't do it without a pump

Not so. My dad and my father in law always filled their own. Also filled John Deere Propane tractor. Never had a pump.

 

[mmg440]

As far as I know, you need to use the LIQUID outlet port on the tank to do this. Maybe someone else with better knowledge can correct me if I'm wrong. I've always refilled the little camp stove bottles by tipping my 20LB cylinders upside down so the liquid flows into the tank being refilled.

Yes big chevy 80 is right, The goal is to transfer liquid in the tank you would be refilling. The large tank outlet is vapor. So without alterations to your large tank it would not happen without addition equipment that would make it impractical.
Not worth messing with for the cost and safety as well as laws and questions from your propane supplier. But you could run lines to run the appliances that you were using the 20lb tanks on as others have already suggested. That what I plan to do when I get to it.

 

[D KRAGER]

Not so. My dad and my father in law always filled their own. Also filled John Deere Propane tractor. Never had a pump.

You can fill them, I do it all the time. But you must have liquid hose on your tank... 99% of all home tanks do not have a liquid hose. They make a special fitting that goes on where the truck fills the tank. It pushes down a plunger that is on the dip tube to the bottom of the tank, thus getting liquid out.
You do not need a pump, you open the spitter with a screw driver. This blows off valor in the air, lowering tank pressure. By doing this the small bottles pressure drops lower than the bulk tank. This causes the liquid to move to the lesser pressure tank.

We used to have lp tractors on the farm. We actually had a liquid hose that attached to the bottom of the bulk tank. Then you have a fitting that screws on the vapor side of the tractor that blows the vapor in the air.

Can't say it's legal, but I never pay to have mine filled. With the new opd valves you can't overfill them, so there is no real danger. But if you have the old style tank or a 100# bottle, be very careful no to overfill. You have to leave vapor space for expansion.

 

[must8657]

I asked my propane guy about it a while ago and he said he can set me up with the pump and everything. so, that lends me to believe it is legal in il, or he doesn't care if it is. I started researching on getting the equipment myself and what i have come across disagrees with D KRAGER (although i don't know for sure). the info i found is all tanks have what is called a wet leg. this line goes down into the bottom of the tank. it is used by the propane guys to empty a tank before moving. the fitting on the outside of the wet leg is a special adapter. I haven't been able to find one yet (haven't tried to hard, i want to buy my own tank instead of lease first). if you do find one, let us know. this is a good write up: http://yarchive.net/car/rv/propane_refill.html

 

[D KRAGER]

I asked my propane guy about it a while ago and he said he can set me up with the pump and everything. so, that lends me to believe it is legal in il, or he doesn't care if it is. I started researching on getting the equipment myself and what i have come across disagrees with D KRAGER (although i don't know for sure). the info i found is all tanks have what is called a wet leg. this line goes down into the bottom of the tank. it is used by the propane guys to empty a tank before moving. the fitting on the outside of the wet leg is a special adapter. I haven't been able to find one yet (haven't tried to hard, i want to buy my own tank instead of lease first). if you do find one, let us know. this is a good write up: http://yarchive.net/car/rv/propane_refill.html

You are correct, What I meant was that 99% of all tanks don't have the liquid hose installed on them. Yes all tanks have the tube, you just have to buy the hose and that fitting or special adaptor you are talking about.

Sorry about the misunderstanding......

Also why the extra cost of having a pump? Unless you are filling bunches of bottles a year. A 20# bottle will fill in like 10 minutes without a pump.

 

[D KRAGER]

Must8657....... That adaptor that goes on the tank is like a valve, you screw on where they fill the tank, then there is a plunger that goes down and opens up the dip tube to let the liquid come up into the hose.

You most likely will have to buy it from your propane supplier. I work for a company that sells propane, although I'm not in that dept. but I have the catalog and can order such parts.

 

[must8657]

D krager, well i haven't asked my propane guy to sell me the adapter because he wanted to sell me the pump and all the other stuff. he was talking about getting me a pump, because i was thinking of converting my truck to propane. i would just assume do it on my own. I haven't bought anything yet, because i wanted to buy my own tank so i didn't have to worry about damaging any of their tanks. i just found this and think this is the parts: http://www.teecoproducts.com/Catalog/A33.htm is this correct? i am no longer looking to use propane for my truck, but we use 100lb bottles for our generator when we go hunting. since you work for a propane company, why do they charge so much more to fill 100lb bottle that i bring in compared to coming to my house and fill my big tanks. currently i pay ~1.90/gal and they want 80 to fill 100lb tank. i was told about 22 gals for the 100lb so that works out to ~3.60. Are there any company rules or laws that would prevent you from selling adapters to the customer?
thanks
jason

 

[must8657]

D Krager,
after reading your post again, i see were i confused what you meant by liquid hose. i also am sending you a PM.
jason

 

[5Cent]

Yep, I think you're all correct on this. I got to talking with one of the CNC programers today and he said they do it on their farm also. He called his dad and he told him that he bought it from his propane supplier, and they lease the tank from them. Looks like I will be calling my supplier tommorrow.

 

[walrus]

I'd be interested in what your propane supplier says

 

[mmg440]

Not so much different info as terminology still looking to get the liquid propane. nice to know the tanks most likely have provisions.


QUOTE=must8657;369232] I started researching on getting the equipment myself and what i have come across disagrees with D KRAGER (although i don't know for sure). the info i found is all tanks have what is called a wet leg. this line goes down into the bottom of the tank. it is used by the propane guys to empty a tank before moving. the fitting on the outside of the wet leg is a special adapter. [/QUOTE]


QUOTE=D KRAGER] They make a special fitting that goes on where the truck fills the tank. It pushes down a plunger that is on the dip tube to the bottom of the tank, thus getting liquid out. [/QUOTE]



Opps: I should of read further. I see this already was discussed and worked out. My bad.

 

[bookman51]

I used to have a propane tractor. I had what they called a wet line (cost a little more than $100) to connect from the 500 gallon tank to the tractor propane tank. Now the tractor propane tank had a vapor valve that one opened to release pressure to allow liquid propane from the 500 gallon tank to go into the tractor tank. When liquid propane started coming out of the vapor valve, the tank was full. Took about 10-15 minutes.

I don't know how they fill the 20 gallon tank, but the local propane supplier sold me the hose and showed me how to fill the tractor. Probably not inherently any more dangerous than filling a tractor with gasoline (which means one better be careful), but more time consuming. Also, I could not take a five gallon container to the field when one ran out of propane, although one could slowly take propane from a 20 gallon container and hose it into the tank. Fortunately, I never has reason to try that, but I did pull the tractor in a couple times when I misjudged the tank level due to a faulty gauge.

Also, once the tank is filled, in the process of removing the hose, one has to release the propane under pressure in the hose. That is a bit of a thrill the first time as the vapor shot out 20 feet or so. One hopes there is never a spark around, but that is also true with gasoline vapor.

My 2 cent. You have to decide if it is worth it.

Bookman

 

[walrus]

Also, once the tank is filled, in the process of removing the hose, one has to release the propane under pressure in the hose. That is a bit of a thrill the first time as the vapor shot out 20 feet or so. One hopes there is never a spark around, but that is also true with gasoline vapor.

My 2 cent. You have to decide if it is worth it.

Bookman

You'd have to spill alot(or have large surface area) of gasoline to get a vapor cloud like you get from the release of that propane line.

 

[bookman51]

Walrus, Yes, you are right. Got my attention when the propane supplier did it the first time. Of course, gasoline vapors leading back to a five gallon can of gasoline probably would get my attention also.

Bookman

 

[jmack]

Kind of what I figured, but worth asking.

I don't want to hardline the grill as I use it in mutiple places throughout the year depending on the weather. Nothing beats grilling in the middle of the winter!

I also grill year-round, so I;'m not sure why a hardline wouldn't work for you. Doesn't your grill just stay on the deck or patio out back? Are you moving it inside your garage to grill in the winter or something?

 

[5Cent]

I also grill year-round, so I;'m not sure why a hardline wouldn't work for you. Doesn't your grill just stay on the deck or patio out back? Are you moving it inside your garage to grill in the winter or something?

Yep, the grill gets moved depending on where I'm working. If I'm in the house then it gets used on the back covered patio. If I'm working in the garage, it gets moved to the driveway/sidewalk

All depends on where the action is and how much precip. has fallen.

 

[D KRAGER]

Jason here is pic of the adaptor that I have, for older style tank valves. Towards the bottom of the fitting is the plunger, the handle towards the right opens the plunger, towards the left is 3/4" pipe thread to a hose. Facing up is the bleader for removing the fitting from the tank.

Also read the pm I sent......

 

[5Cent]

Well my propane supplier says I have to buy the tank, then I can install one but they don't recommend it. I started laughing when I asked how much for a tank!

 

[must8657]

buy a used tank. i see them for around $300 for a 500 gallon.
jason

 

[D KRAGER]

Yea for buying a tank... check out old farm sales..... you can usually find one. And if there is a plug in the bottom of the tank it makes it really easy to install a hose.

 

[5Cent]

Yep, I will be looking for a use one. We just bought the home 3 months ago, so in due time.

 

[walrus]

If you buy a used tank make sure they will fill it. Don't they have to be Hydro'd every so often? Should be a date code on it somewhere. Not sure when it has to done.?

 

[D KRAGER]

The regulators on the tank and house are the big deal now. Regulators have to be changed every so often, and pressure test the system. I've never heard of someone not filling a tank because of it, but depends on company and state regs. I'm not sure on the hydro test. I know on our anhydrous wagons they have to have the data plate on them or they have to be tested and re-certified.

Just have to check with your lp supplier....

 

[kevan66]

in ill u can.

 

[BigChevy80]

Yeah here in IL you can find plenty of companies who will come fill your tank reguardless if it's theirs or yours. When we used to live outside of town with propane it was a tank that was owned by the company. I got tired of dealing with their BS and one time even ran out of fuel because they didn't come fill it. Then they wanted to charge me $40 for a leak test since the tank had run dry.

I told them to F*** off and come pick up their damn tank. Bought a used one from a friend who had a couple extras. Called around and found the best price and used that company from there on out.

 

[oldgoat]

A friend of mine has a wet leg on his tank and fills the 20lb bottles plus when he had a camper filled the propane tank on it. He bought his own tanks because he got tired of being gouged on prices. Now he can call around and fill up from the best price place. He bought and moved in his own 2nd tank so that when he fills up he has enough to almost last a year.

 

[Pritch]

You know, I think it's fairly cheap and simple to take the test and be a licensed tank filler. Our company had all us take the test a few years ago so we could fill our small bottles at our construction sites from the big tank that was supplying the temp. heaters.

 

[normieg]

since I've known someone who filled the little tanks from a 20 lb, I find it hard to believe you need special equip. But, perhaps the "bleader" on the little tanks makes it easier.