I’m not sure if this is something you’ve quoted or something you’re saying, but as noted above, when there is any amount of liquid in the tank, the pressure is only dependent on temperature.
I just keep two (well actually three) tanks on hand. When one runs down, I swap it for the full one and then exchange it my convienence.
Everything i put in italic is from a web site, and i posted a link to the site for that .
[Quote]
(http://ww2.bluerhino.com/br/TankExchange/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/index.html)
That site is the most informative i have found on the web.
Additionally, I did some calls to local propane services and here is what i found.
A. Yes there are valves(OPD) that have a very reduced flow rate. some refer to them as early model valves. But don’t let that mislead you to think all valves will be ok from now on. My source stated that with the valve in hand, one can tell by the size of the shut off wire from the float if the valve is a higher flow. the cheap one will have a smaller diameter wire. These cheap ones are still found in the marketplace. Also this source told me he can tell by the rate of filling the cylinder. This is something he has the experience in doing.
B. As to the information on the BlueRino site pertaining to 17lbs , This source stated that “yes you can fill a tank to 20lbs” (Makes one wonder)
C. The OPD valve (overflow Protection) is 4 valves in one.
-
overflow float that stops the filling process before the cylinder is filled past the 80% Max. This float is also designed to stop flow in the event the cylinder is tipped. A tipped cylinder w/o the OPD would dispense liquid and is a very dangerous situation.
-
Is a over FLOW check, this is in reality a velocity fuse, and is incorporated in the valve(opd) to stop the gas flow from cylinder in the event of a major leak. an example of this would be a blown hose, or a hose burned off by a fire. This is the feature that gives us problems when we open the tank valve to fast, and is recommended by some to only open the valve 360 deg, or 1 full turn then adjust your ned for more heat by opening the tank valve more. I myself have elected to make it a practice of opening the tank valve very slowly the 1st turn, then open it fully from there.
-
Is the discharge check, This feature prevents gas from being dispensed from the cylinder without having a device hooked to it. This feature can cause low flow problems if the connection isn’t fully seated(tightened properly), or it might have the wrong seal ring on it preventing full opening of the discharge check.
-
This of course is the manual on-off hand wheel
So is there any wonder we experence problem with these new valves?
Therefore it is so very important to keep the protective caps on these valves. If your cap is missing don’t wait to have it replaced by the tank vendor, just wrap a piece of aluminum foil around valve connection, or bag it.
This thread reminds me why I need to get off my ass and invent a device that will measure the amount of propane left in a tank and convert it into Burnerhours ™, i.e. how many hours of grilling left at 1, 2, 3, or 4 burners on high. (So 4 Burnerhours left would mean you could grill for one hour with all four burners or four hours with just one burner). I think I would be a millionaire!
Too bad I’m not an inventor and wouldn’t have a clue where to begin :smack:
It would be different from grill to grill, but perhaps you could put a tank on a scale. Let one burner run on high for an hour and check the new weight. Do some simple math and there you go, your very own burnerhour meter.
Then don’t forget that you forgot to turn it off after you left it on to cook clean.
I could go with a timed turn off :dubious:
Around here, you pay by the gallon.
That would be great, but here its like $16.00 for a fill, and it doesn’t matter how many gallons. But it is suppose to be based on 20#'s. They say it keeps the anal-retentive from driving then Bonker’s .
Blue Rhino is a cylinder exchange. You swap your empty tank for a full one, pay and drive away. Blue Rhino sites don’t have the equipment to fill your tank. Tanks are cleaned and filled offsite. So there is no such thing as a partial tank. Yes, you pay a little more, but in my town of 20k people, there are at least 10 places where I can go at 6pm on Sunday, when my tank runs out, and get an exchange in about 5 minutes. It’s all about the convenience.
I have disassembled a OPD valve assembly, and some of the information i received from a propane service center doesn’t check out.
I will do some Lab work on flows and fittings, as the fittings connecting to the OPD valve are a big factor in the malfunctions i was posting about.
Respectfully,
Gbro