Maintenance & Restoration

Legacy Posts · 01-16-2003, 07:32 AM

All my after Christmas catalogs came in. gagets galore in everyone of them.
the one that caught my eye was this self propane bottle filler.

<img src=http://www.fiberglassrv.com/board/uploads/3e26b374853c3filler.gif/>

Has anyone tried this? if it works, sounds like the thinging to get for my new Buddy heater. those little bottles have got to cost but don't know that I want a line strung to the big tank.

Legacy Posts · 01-16-2003, 07:56 AM

Jana ... some folks use these ... others feel refilling disposible propane bottles is dangerous.

I think it's dangerous ...

In my experience, about the third or fourth time you screw on a disposible bottle onto a device (say a camp stove or lantern), the seal on the disposible bottle gets "iffy" and starts to leak a little bit.

Now, I realize, with the Buddy Heater, most folks attach the bottle and leave it attached ... but the same "leaking valve" scenerio would hold true after you refill the bottle a couple of times.

But, as I said, some folks use the refill valve and love it.

Legacy Posts · 01-16-2003, 08:25 AM

but it's mainly the leaking on the heater, not the filling part, that you look out for?

Legacy Posts · 01-16-2003, 09:56 AM

Nope ... biggest problem is the bottle leaking during the "transportation" portion ... like inside your tow vehicle when you are between campgrounds ... or in a storage compartment of the trailer.

Propane can build up slowly ... but ignite with even the littliest spark.

I once had a bbq grill and 20 lb bottle of propane catch on fire on our back deck. I was absolutely amazed at how fierce the flames became so quickly and was running around yelling at my wife to call the fire department. I grabbed the burning bottle of propane to try to toss it off our wooden deck, but burned my hand in the attempt. My son (much quicker thinker than me) turned on the hose and doused the flames before the fire department arrived.

That was years ago ... but I remember it like it was only yesterday. And as a result, give propane a healthy dose of respect.

Legacy Posts · 01-16-2003, 10:37 AM

as clumsy as I am, I better stick to new bottles. I've always been afraid they would blow up when I move them. Now I know why. Glad your son was there to save you, Charles.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 04:17 AM

Jana wrote:

<<don't know that I want a line strung to the big tank.>>

Jana--

If you have a stove, you already have a line to the tank. You could easily "Tee" off that line to give you a separate one for your heater. I did that w/o any problems for ours.

Jack Thomas

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 04:20 AM

Hi Jack--What kind of heater you got.:wave

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 04:29 AM

Quote:

Orginally posted by Thomas and Janifer

Has anyone tried this? if it works, sounds like the thinging to get for my new Buddy heater. those little bottles have got to cost but don't know that I want a line strung to the big tank.

JJ & CBW,

The last step in the directions for refilling a disposable bottle is to leak test the valves on the bottle. You should also leak test every time you make a propane connection.

We carry a 4 oz (120 ml) spray bottle full of water with a few drops of dish washing detergent. Each time you make a connection and open the valve, spray the connection and watch for bubbles. [b]ALWAYS do this.

The disposable bottles are a special case. The self sealing valve frequently fails, usually after unscrewing the bottle from an appliance. It's probably a good idea to leak test the valve after disconnecting the bottle. This is true whether the bottle has been refilled or not. I've had them leak the first time I disconnected a new bottle from an appliance. Sometimes if you screw it back in and unscrew it again, it will seal.

I have a small 10# (4.5 kg) bottle I carry for my outside appliances but I have no hose connection inside the trailer. I have to use the disposable bottles if I use Mr Heater inside.

I plan to buy an adapter for refilling the disposable bottles. At US $3.00 a bottle, that's expensive propane.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 06:18 AM

I can't believe that we in Canada actually have something the same price as or cheaper than the US. Morgan says the small propane bottles are $3.00 US. Thats what they are here regular price and are about 2.00 Canadian on sale. Amazing!

JJ
We had a brand new bottle leak. First use was on the Coleman stove while we had the BBQ hooked to the big tank. When we unscrewed it from the stove it just kept on loosing proplane. Luckily we could hear it leaking or else it would have gone back in the cupboard in the trailer.

Nancy

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 09:17 AM

>>I plan to buy an adapter for refilling the disposable bottles

No problem Morgan! As I said, some folks use the refill valve and love it!

Like you, I also carry a 10 pound cylinder of propane and a hose with fittings to use in lieu of disposible bottles. If we're setting up camp for any length of time, I'll use the larger bottle. Otherwise I use the disposible ones.

>>US$3.00 a bottle

I usually wait until Walmart or somewhere has a two-pack of disposible bottles on sale for under US$4.00 a twin pack and stock up.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Orginally posted by Jack Thomas

Jana wrote:

<<don't know that I want a line strung to the big tank.>>

Jana--

If you have a stove, you already have a line to the tank. You could easily "Tee" off that line to give you a separate one for your heater. I did that w/o any problems for ours.

Jack Thomas

Jana,

The lines you already have in your trailer are low pressure regulated propane. Mr Heater Portable Buddy requires high pressure propane (it has its own regulator).

I know the manual for Portable Buddy says don't use low pressure propane. I don't know what the consequences might be. It probably just wouldn't operate very efficiently.

Jack,

Your heater may use low pressure gas and not have its own built in regulator.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Orginally posted by Charles Watts

>>US$3.00 a bottle

I usually wait until Walmart or somewhere has a two-pack of disposible bottles on sale for under US$4.00 a twin pack and stock up.

Charles and Nancy,

I buy mine on sale at US $2.00. Maybe I should try spending some of my Canadian currency. :o

Even at $2.00, that works out to be over $8.00 per gallon. I pay just over $2.50 per gallon to fill my tanks. A large savings.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 11:15 AM

Keep in mind that every disposable bottle I have (Colemand and American Camper) say right on the bottle, "Do not attempt to refill this bottle". Now, that obviously doesn't mean that it can't be done, as evidenced by those of you who do. But, it does mean that it's risky, as evidenced by those of you who have had them leak. If you pull it off and leak test it, and it passes, don't assume that it won't start leaking when the bottle gets warmer, and the internal pressure increases. And realize that if you refill a bottle that says not to, and have a fire, nobody at your insurance company is likely to feel much pity...

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 03:43 PM

If plumbed to the Casita propane bottle, it'll work off the 'low pressure', but I've had trouble getting the Buddy to light when the bottle is low.

In this photo it's plumbed into the 'hi side' with a shut-off valve and quick disconnects at each end.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 03:46 PM

Interesting modification Don!

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 03:55 PM

That is a very nice set up there ,Don. does it work from either bottle that way? and I don't know what you mean by hi-side.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 05:55 PM

Janifer:

Yes, I unscrew the quick disconnect (male) fitting in order to use a disposable bottle.

The 'hi side' means the heater plumbing bypasses the 'Casitas' regulator. In the photo the line comes from the propane bottle, to the 'tee' before it gets to the regulator. If the 'tee' were on the other side, downstream of the regulator, it'd be on the low pressure side.

Legacy Posts · 01-17-2003, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Orginally posted by Thomas and Janifer

That is a very nice set up there ,Don. does it work from either bottle that way? and I don't know what you mean by hi-side.

JJ,

In Don's picture, the tee is in the line from the driver's side tank to the regulator. It's before the regulator, so it's the high pressure side of the regulator. It will only work from that one tank.

PCD,

Neat set-up. Did you have any problem running Mr Heater from the low pressure propane other than it not working when the propane was low? Have you ever pressure tested your built-in regulator?