Big Buddy Heaters

[jeffrey929]

Do you still need to attach a fuel filter to a Big Buddy if you are connecting it to a 20lb bottle?

[Elchinodiablo]

I do

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[dodgeboy1979]

i never have

[Avidhuntr]

you should I've had nothing but problems from not using one, atleast i think that what it was

[Tigger72]

I do ..... never had any issues.... princess auto....

[NSR_RAT]

I do, just to try to keep everything clean.

[EZM]

I use one as well - it a cheap and an easy precaution. I leave it screwed to the heater and it still allows the canister door to close nice and neat.

I'd hate to screw up, or reduce the life of a heater because of dirty propane, for a few bucks.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/like/282323331416

Best $ 14 insurance policy you could buy.

[JohninAB]

I use one as well. Got mine at Home Hardware for $11.99.

[jeffrey929]

Thanks guys!

[wellpastcold]

I agree with all other previous posters. Great insurance policy. I've been a gas fitter for 26 years doing lots of service work. I've seen lots of issues from dirty propane. May not happen to you but why take a chance?

[Pickrel_jigger]

The filter is prevent plasticizers in the hose from clogging the offices and burners from what I have heard. The propane is cleane but it reacts with the hose apparently. Mr heater sells a plasticizer free hose to, I have ran mine without a filter but when I heard the filter prevents plugging the burner due to the hose I bought one because the hose I have is one I have had for a long time. Propane is clean if it wasn't they would tell you to use the filter with the 1lb bottles to.

Just found this thread on iceshanty.com
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing...89224.30;imode

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Pickrel_jigger

The filter is prevent plasticizers in the hose from clogging the offices and burners from what I have heard. The propane is cleane but it reacts with the hose apparently. Mr heater sells a plasticizer free hose to, I have ran mine without a filter but when I heard the filter prevents plugging the burner due to the hose I bought one because the hose I have is one I have had for a long time. Propane is clean if it wasn't they would tell you to use the filter with the 1lb bottles to.

Just found this thread on iceshanty.com
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing...89224.30;imode

Keep in mind the propane they fill (inside a controlled environment when manufacturing the 1lb tanks) are under temp/contamination/water condensation controlled conditions with likely some filtration and other precautions. The temperature change (and condensation) in filling gas (as we all know) that is created when moving gas in or out of a vessel is the biggest issue. Water is not good in any gas. They control these in the factory to maintain good quality of product.

Bulk propane is a different story - it has been transported, transferred and trans loaded a bunch of times - so I would think that there is more junk in there. It also goes thorough condensation cycles and is pumped full of hydroquinone (HQ) to try and keep water out of it.

But yes - I'm sure the hose doesn't add anything good to clean up the propane and it seems plausible it would add to the contamination, although, I think the bigger issue is bulk gas versus clean source gas.

[Bemoredog]

One other reason to use the fuel filter is if you're the type that refills their 1 litre bottles from a 20 lb cylinder. I've heard (not verified myself) that due to tipping the 20 lb on its head, residual petroleum can get into the 1lbers and then pass into your heater.

Not sure how much I believe this, but the idea is that the propane isn't 100% pure and contains some residual petroleum. It usually sits at the bottom of the 20 lb tank and isn't a problem, but turning it on its head means that some can wind up inside your 1lb bottle.

Can anyone confirm or deny?

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Bemoredog

One other reason to use the fuel filter is if you're the type that refills their 1 litre bottles from a 20 lb cylinder. I've heard (not verified myself) that due to tipping the 20 lb on its head, residual petroleum can get into the 1lbers and then pass into your heater.

Not sure how much I believe this, but the idea is that the propane isn't 100% pure and contains some residual petroleum. It usually sits at the bottom of the 20 lb tank and isn't a problem, but turning it on its head means that some can wind up inside your 1lb bottle.

Can anyone confirm or deny?

I got Google bored ....... and was curious myself. Here's the Cliffnotes version of what I read .....

In a nutshell - the "standard" HD 10/HD 5 propane you find purchased at your local gas station only requires that the product is 90% propane. It will vary in propylene content from 5% up to 10% (propylene is a cheap, combustible and readily available to be used as a filler) and is perfectly fine in common appliances like BBQ's and stoves, heaters etc... however the propylene, when at higher content levels will gum up stuff over the long run.

The balance of "what's in your bulk propane" (minus the common propylene filler gas) could be butane, iso-butane, methanol or whatever meets the combustion criteria for the bulk gas as sold.

There is also propane grades all the way up to "instrument grade" which is 99.9% - but, of course, that's likely too expensive (and not really required) for most propane burning appliances.

so - what I can't find anywhere is the purity of 1lb bottles versus this bulk stuff. I will surf some more when my next bout of boredom hits.

[wellpastcold]

Originally Posted by Bemoredog

One other reason to use the fuel filter is if you're the type that refills their 1 litre bottles from a 20 lb cylinder. I've heard (not verified myself) that due to tipping the 20 lb on its head, residual petroleum can get into the 1lbers and then pass into your heater.

Not sure how much I believe this, but the idea is that the propane isn't 100% pure and contains some residual petroleum. It usually sits at the bottom of the 20 lb tank and isn't a problem, but turning it on its head means that some can wind up inside your 1lb bottle.

Can anyone confirm or deny?

I have worked on propane systems where we actually found oil residue accumulating in the piping systems. This would cause all kinds of problems,especially when you add in using the propane in cold weather. Depending on the supplier you will get a wide variation in the purity of propane. Your comment re inverting the 20 lber to refill small bottles is spot on. It is highly unlikely that you will ever have an issue with impurities in original gas from a 1 pound bottle. It is dehydrated and filtered prior to being charged into the bottle. As EZM stated bulk propane passes through a number of vessels, rail cars and trucks between where it is produced, processed and transported to the place you purchase it from.