Unfortunately the locker on my boat only accommodates the little 10 pound aluminum tanks, but if I could fit one, I'd be tempted to get one of those composite (see-through) tanks... no corrosion... easy to tell how much is left... cheaper than aluminum. I haven't ever seen them in the smaller sizes though. They sell the bigger ones at Amazon and also Defender though... way too much work to modify my propane locker though. I found a place that refilled my expired tank this season... (yes... buyer beware... I know)... but that solution isn't going to last me forever... so I'm likely going to end up tossing out a perfectly good aluminum tank soon and buying an identical replacement with a newer date stamped on it... frustrating at the prices they go for. The only concern I'd have with composite is whether it would melt in a fire situation... but It would have to be a pretty major fire before that happened on my boat, and by that point, the propane hose connected to it would likely have melted anyway. It's far enough from my galley and/or engine compartment (most likely sources of fire) that I'm comfortable with that minimal increase in risk.
Propane Tanks
- Thread starter IJB Hunter 36
- Start date
What you are describing is a actual safety characteristic of these tanks. They fail slowly releasing increasing pressures from the heat instead of holding the pressure in like a steel cylinder that fails ar higher, catastrophic pressures (BLEVE).
Good point... In that case... I see only advantages... either way, for me, the only reason I would (and likely will) go aluminum is the availability of sizes.
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I don’t know what your required tank dimensions are but both Worthington/Viking and Trident make 11lb composite propane tanks.
Good point... In that case... I see only advantages... either way, for me, the only reason I would (and likely will) go aluminum is the availability of sizes.
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Composites degrade from UV. I think their service life is specific unlike steel where as long as the tank meets spec its good to go.....some potential negatives.
Remove the valve, fill it with water then drain it, and recycle like any other metal.
Just get a cheap BBQ tank and refill them from that until you can get them recertified.
If you buy new, carefully check the dimensions of the tank. I bought a new tank few years ago and they had changed the design. Ended up being just a smidge too tall and the lid to the locker would not close properly. I ended up getting both my old tanks re-valved / certified for 12 years.
The problem with boats with factory propane systems is they always use the smaller nonstandard tanks. I've never seen one that used standard 20# patio grill tanks. Those are cheap and available and you can exchange with a new(er) full tank at darn near any gas station in the country. If you're exchanging them rust won't be a problem as they won't be on the boat long enough to rust badly.
So if you have a factory tank locker you're stuck with whatever it was built for. If you're building your own as I did, build it for the 20# patio tanks. You'll save a lot of money.
So if you have a factory tank locker you're stuck with whatever it was built for. If you're building your own as I did, build it for the 20# patio tanks. You'll save a lot of money.
Don't do this unless you know exactly what you are doing. Even then I woukd not leave them after without using a larger portion.
The propane. Propane is a liquid that expands when heated. The vapor space left in a tank that is designed to discharge vapor is not only for the generation of vapor but also space for the liquid to expand. This is why overfilling tanks is so dangerous and why OPD valves came along. Which by the way fail. So if you fill a tank with a transfer adapter that doesn't have a OPD and don't do it right you will probably overfill it. By immediately using it you will decrease the probability it will over pressurize the cylinder and activate the relief valve spraying liquid propane all over the place that will immediately vaporize and expand 270:1 (bad)
Ahh, I see what you are saying. Maybe its just, and I worked in the natural gas industry for 15 years, so I am comfortable working with gas, pressure, and over pressure protection. However, filling propane tanks isnt brain surgery. As proof in point, the clerks at convenience stores do it every day. I havent seen an LPG tank that that did not have over pressure protection of over fill protection in a very long time. Most of the time ‘recertification’ involves only putting lpg into the tank and using soapy water to check for leaks. Ridiculous.
Composites degrade from UV. I think their service life is specific unlike steel where as long as the tank meets spec its good to go.....some potential negatives.
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Maybe those are negatives for someone... but I (and most boaters) keep these things in propane lockers out of the sun... VERY little U.V. degradation risk... mine probably see 10 minutes of sunlight TOTAL over its entire lifespan. As for service life... if they won't refill my 12-year-old aluminum tank because it is "too old" I can't imagine the lifespan of the composite ones will be any shorter than that...
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I went through a similar ordeal get a set of these and redo the date on the tank yourself.
Wow, the amount of bad information in this thread is beyond scary. I was going to delete a few posts, but we do not moderate for mis-information. I've had my 5 lbs tanks overfilled twice. Both times they just froze the regulator on the bbq and I could not cook my burgers / steak. That was before I had them re-valved and certified and now only take them to the propane dealer to refill. Propane is not something you want to mess with and the regulations are there for a reason...... i.e. not to blow up your boat or you.
This triggered my memory of an attempt by Yachting Magazine to explode their Test Boat. It made for an interesting video.
Enjoy.
They are made by Worthington. Amazon has them, so does Lowes, Home Depot, Camping World, Ace Hardware. Google “Worthington 4.25 lb propane tank”. Best price I saw was $52.