Propane tank into a water fire extingusher

[carcajou]

I was asked to show how i make these so here goes.

Start with a decent EMPTY tank, remove the valve and paint if needed. Here's one ready.
You will need the following pieces. The Boiler Valve is a 3/4"NPT male. Pex fitting is 1/2 NPT to 1/2 pex. The rest should be obvious in this pic
While you are scrounging grab a Clothes washer hose (double female) and a good quality garden hose and hand nozzle, they will be needed later.

Take a 1/2 NPT tap and run threads into the boiler fitting as shown.

Assemble pieces as shown, you will have to grind the shoulders of the hex on the pex fitting slightly too allow it to fit into the 3/4 tee. Do this after you thread the tee onto the boiler valve. Drop a piece of pex tubing in the tank and cut it off 2 inches above the opening m/l then attach it to the pex fitting.

It should look like this now.[/ATTACH]

To fill, attach the washer hose to a garden hose and fill about 3/4 full. The ball valve must be open to let the air out when filling. Close the boiler valve and attach your air hose and fill till your compressor cuts off. (mine cuts out at 140 psi. No need to go higher as the will empty the tank easily. Add a PSI gauge if you want.

Attach the garden hose and nozzle to the boiler valve.

To Use simply open the boiler valve and spray down whatever you need to with the hand nozzle.


I may have missed something, if so any questions. Have fun building one.

 

[toolmuchtool]

Thanks carcajou, great project that I have to put on my list to try make.

 

[healing]

Whats the best way to get rid of the smell of the propane fumes from the tank?

 

[kerrynzl]

Whats the best way to get rid of the smell of the propane fumes from the tank?

Water!
The propane smell is just an odour added to propane for safety [ which is odourless ]

 

[kerrynzl]

I was asked to show how i make these so here goes.

Start with a decent EMPTY tank, remove the valve and paint if needed. Here's one ready.
You will need the following pieces. The Boiler Valve is a 3/4"NPT male. Pex fitting is 1/2 NPT to 1/2 pex. The rest should be obvious in this pic
While you are scrounging grab a Clothes washer hose (double female) and a good quality garden hose and hand nozzle, they will be needed later.

Take a 1/2 NPT tap and run threads into the boiler fitting as shown.

Assemble pieces as shown, you will have to grind the shoulders of the hex on the pex fitting slightly too allow it to fit into the 3/4 tee. Do this after you thread the tee onto the boiler valve. Drop a piece of pex tubing in the tank and cut it off 2 inches above the opening m/l.

It should look like this now.[/ATTACH]

To fill, attach the washer hose to a garden hose and fill about 3/4 full. The ball valve must be open to let the air out when filling. Close the boiler valve and attach your air hose and fill till your compressor cuts off. (mine cuts out at 140 psi. No need to go higher as the will empty the tank easily. Add a PSI gauge if you want.

Attach the garden hose and nozzle to the boiler valve.

To Use simply open the boiler valve and spray down whatever you need to with the hand nozzle.


I may have missed something, if so any questions. Have fun building one.

It doesn't show clearly in your pictures, but do you have a syphon tube to the bottom of the tank?

 

[carcajou]

It doesn't show clearly in your pictures, but do you have a syphon tube to the bottom of the tank?

Yes that's the piece of pex tubing that attaches to the pex fitting.

As for the Mercaptan smell, that goes away after a couple of tanks of water are run through as you mentioned.

 

[kerrynzl]

Yes that's the piece of pex tubing that attaches to the pex fitting.

Thanks for that ,I can see quite clear in photo 4 now.

How much pressure drop does it have when down to the last 1/4?

I'm looking at something similar but maybe with wheels and handle from an old compressor [I cut up]

I'll probably add some sort off weight to the bottom of the pex tubing so the it can still operate "on it's side".

I believe some "Forklift" propane bottles use a weighted tube in the same manner.

10/10 for the idea mate!

 

[garboui]

Thanks for that ,I can see quite clear in photo 4 now.

How much pressure drop does it have when down to the last 1/4?

I'm looking at something similar but maybe with wheels and handle from an old compressor [I cut up]

I'll probably add some sort off weight to the bottom of the pex tubing so the it can still operate "on it's side".

I believe some "Forklift" propane bottles use a weighted tube in the same manner.

10/10 for the idea mate!

If a 1/4 of the space is pressurized to 140 than at empty there will be 35 psi at empty.