RetiredGuy
Texas
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I haven't had ours filled at a place that weighs the tanks in years. The places I get ours filled meter the amount in gallons. Some places will fill the tanks while they are in place. The reason many won't do this is that there isn't enough room to maneuver a rig close to the refill point and the hose isn't long enough to reach. There are MHs with tanks that are not removeable.
While some safety experts will tell you not to transport tanks that are supposed to be used in a vertical position horizontally (there are tanks designed to be used in a horizontal position), these are the same guys who tell you to only carry a pair of scissors when they are in a case, never use a hammer unless you are wearing full body armor, and always wear both a belt and suspenders. Transporting a filled tank horizontally from where you get it filled to your RV (normally no more than a few miles at most), is way down the scale of safety concerns. You are more at danger of transporting it upright, having it fall over, knocking the top off, and having a major propane fire in the back of your truck.
Robert
'09 International DuraStar 4400 (Snowflake)
'07 HH CE 35 CKQG Plan 2 (Carpe Diem)
"Being retired means waking up with nothing to do,
. . . and going to bed with half of it done!"
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thomasmnile
Deltona, Fl.
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PopBeavers wrote:thomasmnile wrote:PopBeavers wrote:stageline wrote:They will need to be removed and taken to a place that fills propane bottles. They will be put on scales to be weighed so not to be overfilled. I have never seen them weigh a propane cylinder. This must be for certain states only.
Standard practice for the "portable" cylinders (5 lb, 20, 30, etc.) A balance beam-platform scale is usually found right by the fill station. The empty weight of each sized cylinder is a known quantity, weight of a gal. of propane is a known quantity. The cylinder is filled to 80% of the tank's capacity. When the weight of that 80% fill quantity is reached,while the tank is on the scale beam "balances" and the operator shuts the pump off, closes the tank valve, purges the fill hose, & Voila! Horizontal, fixed mount tanks, such as those in motorhomes are obviously weighed when filled. The tank plumbing is different, as is the fill procedure.
Everywhere I have been in California the dial gauge displays the number of gallons dispensed. You pay by the gallon.
How would you fill permanent tanks in a MH or propane truck? Weigh the entire truck?
Forgive me Pop. I left out "not" in the sentence I wrote regarding filling of an LP tank on a motorhome and how they are obviously NOT weighed. And for everyone else that jumped my butt about weighing portable tanks when filling: Yes, the fuel is dispensed from a metered pump. If you're bringing a partially filled tank, how do you determine what's in the tank before filling if it's not weighed? Maybe weighing the tank is old technology, but I want to know I have the appropriate vapor space in the tank so the safety device functions properly if needed,instead of the tank spewing liquid. If the tank is filled w/ liquid top to bottom and vents, a given volume of liquid expands in a gas state to a volume 270X the volume it occupies as a liquid. If that little old cloud is within its flammable limits when it finds an ignition source and you're standing in it............... As for transporting a vertical cylinder horizontally; the operation of the safety device on the valve is predicated on the tank being in a vertical position. I don't pretend to be smarter than the engineer that designed it, but hey, this is America...........................
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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This is an interesting thread. I have never had a tank weighed. I have only removed tanks because of convenience before. As mentioned getting close to some fill stations is an issue. I have had to replace tanks that do not have the OPD device. Could have had valves replaced but the tanks were old. On my TT's you could turn the tanks after disconnecting them but did not have to lift them off.
None of my MH's have had removable tanks.
Of course I live in Kalifornia and have only filled once East of the Sierras.
H/R Endeavor 2008
2007 Hummer H3 toad
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Butch50
NW Montana
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thomasmnile wrote:PopBeavers wrote:thomasmnile wrote:PopBeavers wrote:stageline wrote:They will need to be removed and taken to a place that fills propane bottles. They will be put on scales to be weighed so not to be overfilled. I have never seen them weigh a propane cylinder. This must be for certain states only.
Standard practice for the "portable" cylinders (5 lb, 20, 30, etc.) A balance beam-platform scale is usually found right by the fill station. The empty weight of each sized cylinder is a known quantity, weight of a gal. of propane is a known quantity. The cylinder is filled to 80% of the tank's capacity. When the weight of that 80% fill quantity is reached,while the tank is on the scale beam "balances" and the operator shuts the pump off, closes the tank valve, purges the fill hose, & Voila! Horizontal, fixed mount tanks, such as those in motorhomes are obviously weighed when filled. The tank plumbing is different, as is the fill procedure.
Everywhere I have been in California the dial gauge displays the number of gallons dispensed. You pay by the gallon.
How would you fill permanent tanks in a MH or propane truck? Weigh the entire truck?
Forgive me Pop. I left out "not" in the sentence I wrote regarding filling of an LP tank on a motorhome and how they are obviously NOT weighed. And for everyone else that jumped my butt about weighing portable tanks when filling: Yes, the fuel is dispensed from a metered pump. Maybe weighing the tank is old technology, but I want to know I have the appropriate vapor space in the tank so the safety device functions properly if needed,instead of the tank spewing liquid. If the tank is filled w/ liquid top to bottom and vents, a given volume of liquid expands in a gas state to a volume 270X the volume it occupies as a liquid. If that little old cloud is within its flammable limits when it finds an ignition source and you're standing in it............... As for transporting a vertical cylinder horizontally; the operation of the safety device on the valve is predicated on the tank being in a vertical position. I don't pretend to be smarter than the engineer that designed it, but hey, this is America...........................
You asked "If you're bringing a partially filled tank, how do you determine what's in the tank before filling if it's not weighed?" What difference does it make? If they are using a meter and they hook up and open the vent and turn on the pump they will measure the gallons and tenths of gallons going into the tank before it starts spitting liquid out the vent. You can only put in so mmuch gas before it spits out the vent and the meter will measure that amount. The vent tube is set up to only allow 80% full before it spits liquid gas out. When liquid spits you are at 80% and this 20% headway allows you propane gas to turn to liquid before it goes to your regulator.
Butch
2006 F550 CC 4X4 Lariat PSD/Torqshift Dark Shadow Metalic Grey
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hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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thomasmnile wrote:PopBeavers wrote:stageline wrote:They will need to be removed and taken to a place that fills propane bottles. They will be put on scales to be weighed so not to be overfilled. I have never seen them weigh a propane cylinder. This must be for certain states only.
Standard practice for the "portable" cylinders (5 lb, 20, 30, etc.) A balance beam-platform scale is usually found right by the fill station. The empty weight of each sized cylinder is a known quantity, weight of a gal. of propane is a known quantity. The cylinder is filled to 80% of the tank's capacity. When the weight of that 80% fill quantity is reached,while the tank is on the scale beam "balances" and the operator shuts the pump off, closes the tank valve, purges the fill hose, & Voila! Horizontal, fixed mount tanks, such as those in motorhomes are obviously weighed when filled. The tank plumbing is different, as is the fill procedure.
That may be standard practice where your from. In CA its metered and sold by the gallon. Where I get mine filled they fill until the OPD valve shuts it off and then charge by the meter. Some have a min like 3 gal. When I take in a tank its bone dry as the fire goes out before I change tanks. Even in CO when I have had them filled it was by the gallon. He had a scale but he didnt use it. Just filled it until the OPD cut it off. I have a tank that the OPD valve is either broken or stuck. If I dont watch the guy filling you can actually put almost 6 gal in a 20# tank.
hpk
2000 Ford F-350 SRW 4X4 PSD Jayco Super Lite 29.5RKS (31') 5th wheel 50 gal X-ferflow in the bed tank. Banks big exhaust and Stinger kit.
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ol Bombero-JC
USA
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Ditto - the metered gallon & spitter.
Must have missed (didn't need refills) in states that use a scale.
~
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newk
Gillette, WY
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I have mine refilled at three different places in town -- Flying J or one of two different Farmer's Co-ops. Each one always uses a scale. On the small bottles for the grill they charge a flat fee; for the larger bottles they charge by the gallon. I've been getting bottles refilled for 40 years and have never seen one filled without a scale.
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chili7
Colorado Springs, CO
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Back to the original OP - I have a question: Why are you on only your 3rd trip and you need LP already? The dealer should have filled both tanks (assuming you have two) and they should last quite a while. I think most 5'vers have two 30 lb tanks and that usually lasts ~2 seasons here in CO. Have you asked them if they were topped off when you picked it up? Maybe I missed some info here.
Also, in CO, every tank is filled on a scale. I've never seen it done any other way.
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hotpepperkid
Chino Hills CA
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chili7 wrote:Back to the original OP - I have a question: Why are you on only your 3rd trip and you need LP already? The dealer should have filled both tanks (assuming you have two) and they should last quite a while. I think most 5'vers have two 30 lb tanks and that usually lasts ~2 seasons here in CO. Have you asked them if they were topped off when you picked it up? Maybe I missed some info here.
Also, in CO, every tank is filled on a scale. I've never seen it done any other way.
Well I have. I had one fill in Pagosa Springs in June of 08 and he metered it not scaled.
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