5LB propane tank?

[finspat]

I got a brand new 5LB from sporting goods store.

I treid to use my Mr. Heater (sunflower type)

And it does not work, I hear the normal hissing of gas and smell gas too. I put the heater on a 20 pound tank and it works like it should. So I returned the tank to the sporting goods store they gave me a new on,filled that one up, and same thing the darn thing does not work!

Anyone else experiencing this problem?

Any idea?

Any info would be greatly appriciated

Fins

[crappie todd]

was the new tank purged.? Because if it was not done before the new tank was filled. then there might be moisture in the gas and your heater will not work. So, question is, did they purge either one of the tanks before filling it.

[fivebucks]

Purging is the key here. Any reputable place that fills tanks will notice the sticker on the valve of the tank and know it is new and will tell you it needs to be purged. If the sticker was not there it was removed somewhere along the way and you would need to tell the filler that it needs to be purged. I would be sure that Crappie Todd hit this one correct.

[Hookmaster]

I recently purchased a new 11 # tank. The sticker was there and I also told the guy it was new and needed purging. I asked him what the purging does and he said it creates a vacuum in the tank. Since the valve is open in the store on new tanks, purging sucks out all the air so only the propane is in it after it is filled. I've used a small sunflower directly on the tank and also the heater/cooker through a hose with no issues.

[picksbigwagon]

Yep, you need to purge it but I have also found that if I cover one of the air inlet holes on the sunflower stem, the heater glows orange in about 30 seconds, unlike lighting it and letting it turn orange in 5 minutes......the 5# tanks take a long time to get a sunflower going, unless you cover one of those holes

[nluchau]

ditto

[finspat]

Can I get it purge if the tank is full?

[Jeremy airjer W]

How long could a five pound last, and how stable could it possibly be? I would think that most people would use at least an 11 pound pancake style tank.

Purging a tank is the simple task of filling a tank with a small amount of propane gas and then venting the gas out of the tank. This is repeated 3 - 5 times. Purging with propane gas is the key. The object is to remove air and moisture from the inside of the tank (its almost impossible to remove the moisture in winter). If the tank is filled from the bulk tank, liquid propane will enter the new tank and freeze all the moister to the inside of the tank.

One other point. If the person filling your tank tells you they are purging the tank by turning the little set screw on the side of the valve, they are 80% right. The screw on the side of the valve is the vent for the straw that extends into the tank a couple of inches. this is the 80% full indicater. When the tank is 80% full liquid will come out this opening instead of gas. If you use it to purge you only remove 80% of the air/moister. I would never recommend filling a tank using this vent only!!! The straws can and do come off. If its off and you try to fill it you will be grossly overfilling the tank!!

And lastly, there is not a special gas for purging. If they tell you they are all out of purging gas there full of it. they just don't wan't to do it. Purging is done with propnae and nothing else.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Yes. You can do it yourself. Bring the tank with the heater attatched OUTSIDE in a wide open space. Open the valve on the tank. Press the valve button like you would if you where going to light it. Hold that button in for 2-5 minutes. This will allow the propane which is heavier than air to push or vent the air out. Wait a couple of minutes to let the propane dissipate from the area and then try to light.

[finspat]

Thanks for the info, I called a few places,

they tell me to take the tank back, one place said

"purge your tank? thats done at the factory!"

I really appriciate, your info, thanks again.

Is there any formal training for people to dispense propane?

You would think so.

Thanks again

Fins

[dirtking]

Is there an attachment to fill a 5lb tank from a 20 or a 100 - I have a 5lber and it is great - just dosent last more than 2 full days

[Jeremy airjer W]

Most propane jobbers/supplies (ferrel, suburban, lakes) will have training classes. When I started it consisted of a twenty minute video, a short test, and a hands on. I'm the only one at work now that has had any training. I have been there for 6 years and have only seen our Rep. once! When I started they where doing alot of things wrong. I put a lot of pressure on my store manager and our propane Rep. to get things straightened out. Most of this was done by fax and phone.

So to answer your question, NO.

In fact I see people filling these improperly all the time. I'm not afraid to tell them so and I'm not afraid to call there supplier to let them know what is going on. Most of the time they just didn't know any better.

[finspat]

Geesh, that is scarey

[1luckydad]

Quote:

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and lastly, there is not a special gas for purging. If they tell you they are all out of purging gas there full of it. they just don't wan't to do it. Purging is done with propnae and nothing else.

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This is what’s so great about this forum. You learn something new everyday. Now I will be prepared if ever told they are out of purging gas. I will merely say I don’t need to hear about there personal problems and then ask if they at least have a bucket of steam to sell so I can stay warm.