Filling 1 pound propane bottles

deanmc · #1 02-08-2009, 08:44 AM

Does anyone here fill them? I tried to order the adapter online but never found a site that would ship to Canada. Can anyone point me in the right direction. Thanks.

Cal · #2 02-08-2009, 09:35 AM

I dont think your supposed to fill one pounders, that being said I know a few people who do and would do it myself if I used them more. The addapters I've seen used are all homemade contraptions, they dont look that hard to make. One thing to watch for is that sometimes the valve may not seat propperly after refilling, a good precaution to take is to store them screwed tightly to whatever gaget they are going to be used for.

Cal · #3 02-08-2009, 09:37 AM

Heck, if you cant find one I'll build you one and send it to you.

honda450 · #4 02-08-2009, 09:44 AM

Why not just buy an adapter hose to fit a 20 lb bottle. Thats what I did.

Walleyes · #5 02-08-2009, 09:46 AM

The price of three 1 pound propane bottles at Canadian Tire = $5.00
The price of a new face after exploding 1 pound propane bottle = priceless

Come on buddy for $10.00 you can buy enough 1 pound propane bottles to last you the winter,, why take a chance trying to save a couple dollars.

slingshot · #6 02-08-2009, 09:47 AM

A friends dad got one from cabelas I guess it does not fill to capacity but half bottles seem to last me when cooking dos in the ice hut

Mhunter51 · #7 02-08-2009, 09:49 AM

Cabela's have them for about 14 or 16 bucks. Work great. Put your Ilb cannister in the freezer for about 20 minutes beforew you fill it and it works much better. As stated above you have to be carefull of any valves that are not perfect. Any rust or dirt, chuck them.

redneck posse · #8 02-08-2009, 09:51 AM

what type of bottles do you have? if you are trying to fill the green one pound disposables i can't help you. but if you have the blue ones from sweden i have the adapters for both male and female bottles. come to think of it they might work on the green bottles also. if you want them ship me a pm and i'll send them to you.

Big Red 250 · #9 02-08-2009, 11:40 AM

I bought mine from Cabela's. They ship to Canada no problem. All the one lb tanks I see in the stores run about $4.50 to $5.00 each. I use a lot of them each year in my hunting, camping, fishing pursuits. By the time I'd paid duty, shipping it cost me around $25.00. you only fill for 1 minute or a little less.

Hoser42 · #10 02-08-2009, 05:28 PM

I bought mine on ebay. Works great and has paid for itself many many times over. I put the 1 lb cylinders in the deepfreeze and I keep the 20 lb cylinder at room temp. I always weigh the 1 pounders after filling just to make sure they aren't drasticly overfilled. A properly filled cylinder should weigh between 900-950 grams. I have some cylinders that I've refilled over 10 times.

deanmc · #11 02-08-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walleyes

The price of three 1 pound propane bottles at Canadian Tire = $5.00
The price of a new face after exploding 1 pound propane bottle = priceless

Come on buddy for $10.00 you can buy enough 1 pound propane bottles to last you the winter,, why take a chance trying to save a couple dollars.

You may have a point

But here at crappy tire they are 12.96 for three. That is approx $1.50 for propane and $11.46 for the bottles.

Quote:

Originally Posted by honda450

Why not just buy an adapter hose to fit a 20 lb bottle. Thats what I did.

I have that hose too. But it is so much nicer to carry three small bottles. And I dont have much room for the 20 lb in the tent. As you know they dont perform well cold so the heater I have is much better if the propane bottle is not -35.

Thanks to everyone with the info. I am a mechanic and already have a plan to build one. I was hopeing to buy a commercial one so I have instructions. The main thing I need to know before I feel confident to make my own is the actually process to fill them. Is the pressure in a one pound the same as in a 20 pounder? I had assumed the commercially produced adapters have a built in pressure regulator but if it is as simple as allowing a free flow from tank to tank i can easily build my own with parts I already have. I was trying to avoid what walleye was talking about. I love mythbusters but not enough to inspire the "Exploding Propane Bottle" episode.

big zeke · #12 02-08-2009, 10:33 PM

It seems you are set on being able to do this...I'm not sure if there is a point in trying to talk you out of it.

Nonetheless, the energy contained in any bottle of compressed gas (like propane) is amazing, I've seen the aftermath if one bursts...like I say, amazing. Please keep in mind there is specific training for bottle filling at gas stations and this includes bottle inspection, overfill protection etc. If you're doing the filling yourself (with this little kit from Cabelas or ?) make sure you are equally equipped for the safety side.

They sell bottles as small as 5 lbs that have the 10 yr validity (just like the 20#ers), if weight or size is a concern this might be the way to go. If it's a cost thing, the savings are there as long as you don't blow up yourself or your house in the process.

The 1#ers are referred to as disposable for a reason.

Just my $0.02
Zeke

deanmc · #13 02-08-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big zeke

It seems you are set on being able to do this...I'm not sure if there is a point in trying to talk you out of it.

Nonetheless, the energy contained in any bottle of compressed gas (like propane) is amazing, I've seen the aftermath if one bursts...like I say, amazing. Please keep in mind there is specific training for bottle filling at gas stations and this includes bottle inspection, overfill protection etc. If you're doing the filling yourself (with this little kit from Cabelas or ?) make sure you are equally equipped for the safety side.

They sell bottles as small as 5 lbs that have the 10 yr validity (just like the 20#ers), if weight or size is a concern this might be the way to go. If it's a cost thing, the savings are there as long as you don't blow up yourself or your house in the process.

The 1#ers are referred to as disposable for a reason.

Just my $0.02
Zeke

NO not set on it. I am asking for advice because I am seriously considering what is the right thing to do. i was unaware of the 5 lb bottles. I will definitely look into that sounds like the best option to me so far. Thanks for the $0.02.
Do you remember where to find the 5 lb ones?

Not so sure about the wife but my kids want me to stick around. I am not sure how I would run the ice auger with one arm missing.

HILLYBILLYBARRY · #14 02-08-2009, 10:47 PM

i have a 10lb propane bottle i use for BBQ and liteing when i go camping its small and lite weight last a long time too with the adpater hose ya can run anything.

big zeke · #15 02-08-2009, 11:05 PM

Check with a few of the propane specialty stores or anyone that specializes in BBQ parts. In Calgary I think Rons propane is still around, not too sure where you're located. Pretty much everyone that used to do vehicle conversions should have access to these small bottles.

If you get ahold of these guys, they may occaisionally have recert bottles, a fair bit cheaper and every bit as useable as the new ones.

Sorry to hear about the wife, having your kids like you is important. Running an auger with one hand would be tough, so would tying your shoes, gutting a moose, netting a salmon and running the remote control while feeding yourself.

Zeke

Cal · #16 02-09-2009, 07:42 AM

As far as compressed gas gos propain is pretty safe, never heard of anyone getting hurt filling 1 lbrs. Its also not as flamable as lots of people think, I use it in my cutting torch on one my work truck. It is WAY less volatile than acetalene, not sure what its compressed too but I know can't be that much as the tanks are welded togeather and not drawn like oxygen tanks. I used to work in a shop where superior propain rented the yard. Because they can not ship tanks that are filled over 80% they were always bleeding off over filled tanks, huge ones, not fork lift bottles. You could always smell it right in the shop lots of the time. Even with all that propain floating around a welding shop it never lit, like I said way les volitile than people think.

Hoser42 · #17 02-09-2009, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deanmc

NO not set on it. I am asking for advice because I am seriously considering what is the right thing to do. i was unaware of the 5 lb bottles. I will definitely look into that sounds like the best option to me so far. Thanks for the $0.02.
Do you remember where to find the 5 lb ones?

Not so sure about the wife but my kids want me to stick around. I am not sure how I would run the ice auger with one arm missing.

I saw a few 5 lbers the last time I was at crappy tire.

Walleyes · #18 02-09-2009, 08:47 AM

I usually keep my eye open for a sale at either Walmart or C.T. You can pick up a case of 12 sometimes for around $15.00 - $18.00. I keep a big Rubbermaid contaner full of them on hand most of the time and just keep re-stocking it as they come on sale.

8Lander · #19 02-09-2009, 07:39 PM

Its to bad those smaller refillable cylinders are $45.00, twice as much as a 20LB'er. I get the whole "demand" thing but there's also a shipping thing and a less material thing?