Propane Refill Kit
 

Anybody use these? I hate buying those little bottles, but also hate carrying around a 20 lb tank for small stuff. $20.85 delivered on ebay. Seems like a good thing to have. SilverJeep

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The MacCoupler makes a welcome addition to any camping gear, RV enthusiast, outdoorsmen, or home owner that needs to use a 1 lb. propane tank but doesn't want to spend all that money replacing them. Now you can safely, easily refill those tanks with the MacCoupler. Simply attach the MacCoupler to your 20 lb. tank, then attach the 1 lb. tank you want to refill and in less than a minute your tank is filled and ready for use.

Convenient, Economical, and Environmentally Safe, with the brass MacCoupler you can refill small propane cylinders in 1 minute or less! Works with new style OPD valves.
The MacCoupler allows you to refill 14.1 and 16.4 ounce propane cylinders typically used to fuel lanterns, heaters, stoves, barbecues, foggers, torches, and other items from 20, 30, and 40 pound tanks for about 30 cents. By using the MacCoupler to refuel these small propane cyclinders, you can help keep discarded cyclinders out of already crowded landfills.
Additionally, if one of your larger 20, 30, or 40 pound tanks runs out of fuel, you can utilize the MacCoupler to reverse fill from a 14.1 or 16.4 ounce cylinder. Over 100,000 MacCouplers have been sold to environmentally and economically conscious consumers in the U.S. and Canada! Since the MacCoupler is manufactured from the finest brass, you'll typically need to purchase only one to last through many enjoyble barbecuing and camping seasons.

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Yup, they work but you need to either chill the little bottle first or leave it on the big bottle for a while to get a decent fill.

Just scored a 250 gallon LP tank with a liquid drain valve ... that was unusual.

Now I can fill the 20lb bottles too.



f

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

What's a liquid drain valve ? One on the bottom ?

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Nope, its on the top, you'll see what appears to be two fill valves.

If your tank has only one the other port is blocked off (pipe plugged).

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

I guess that means it has a down tube.

I've always wondered about filling the one pound cans with a larger tank. It seems you would have to hold the larger tank upside down to get a complete fill.

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

I have one, you can also buy them at Northern tools if you have one near you.
The instructions do say to chill the little bottle, it creates a lower pressure
and allows for a more complete fill.
I've saved about a dozen little bottles over the years.
It's much easier to carry a few bottles if you are going camping for a couple of days than to carry a big 20# bottle with the adapter hose.

I also have a Big Buddy heater, and if I ever need to use it in my house,
I'd feel safer using the little bottles inside and keeping the big tanks out in the garage.

Peace
TLM

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

I've got some friends down the road that run a sawmill/pallet operation....they have several propane forktrucks, and a tank they refill the FT tanks with.....I keep meaning to go down and investigate their set up and see what the big tank looks like.

I know when I take 20 or 100lb bottles to town to fill, that place has a big tank and runs a pump to fill mine....but I'm thinking the sawmill doesn't have a pump because I don't think they have electricity out there where the tank is located.

I'll try to get by there one day and look.

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Great, now we're going to have a shortage of little exploding targets. :s15:

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

I haven't moved the tank to my property yet, when I pick it up I'll take a couple picture for ya'.

The manifold has what looks like two seperate fill valves with the yellow cover caps on them.

The normal fill valve has a float/check valve - propane goes in but it won't come out.

The other valve was used in the older tanks to drain the tank before transporting (it was a DOT requirement).




h

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Reason I asked about the bottom drain was I have a OLD ( data plate say Made in 1953 ) propane tank in my basement I use for water storage from my heating system. It had a 2" NPT top fitting and the same on the bottom near one end of the tank....sort of comes off at a 45 degree angle.....which made it perfect for me to plumb hot water in the top and take cooler water off the bottom to return to my fireplace loop.

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

When you say "chill", do you mean; put in the fridge for an hour, or put in the deep freeze overnight?

SJ

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Linky to the item at Northern tools...

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...70_11829_11829

m

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Anybody good with a brazing torch and who has a bunch of misc brass plumbing plus propane tank fittings can make a filler rig to fill from 20 pounders to one pounders.

Set up your riggings so the 20 pounder is upside down and the one pounder is lower in elevation and standing right side up. Check as the filling is proceeding that the one pounder is not 100% full. You need some expansion area above the liquid because propane is one of those liquids that expands and contracts with temperature changes. If you go off and leave it for more than about 20 minutes, the small bottle will be 100% full and you need to either burn some off or store it outside in a safe area and not in sunlight. Or perhaps store it in a freezer until you are ready to use it.

I have a liquid line on my big tank too...

A bit of uncommon sense applies. Propane sees the tank with the colder temperature as having less head pressure. If you had the big tank setting in full sun and you plumbed the wet line to another tank setting in full shade, all of the propane in the warmer tank would migrate to the tank in shade - even if the cooler tank sat at a higher elevation. [add that gas pressure varies, but at cool temperatures is still about 160 pounds per square inch - use very good quality lines]

Beware of accidental breakage of a joint or line. The boiling liquid drops are minus 45 degrees ( pretty close at degrees F or C to same) and will give you instant frostbite which is pretty much like third degree burns. Not to mention the explosive potential.

A pound of propane in a house released suddenly will blow the house apart at the first spark...

Carver

Re: Propane Refill Kit
 

Gallon bucket of water with ice, allow it to sit in there for a couple of minutes and you're good to go.