Low Pressure from Portable LPG Tank

[Craig P.]

I keep a 2.5 gallon LPG tank in one of my outside storage compartments for use when my extend-a-hose isn't long enough, or when I want to fire up my campfire in a can. I fired up the campfire in a can recently and the flame output was much lower than normal, even though the LPG tank was nearly full. I hooked up the tank to my BBQ to see if the same low pressure was present, and it was.

Knowing that there is an OPD float inside of the tank, I wondered if the float had become stuck, restricting gas flow. I held the tank over a nice thick grassy area of my lawn and dropped it on it's side a couple of times from about three feet, to loosen the float, if in fact that was the culprit. It worked! I hooked it up to my BBQ again, and whoa-la...nice even flow of propane.

I was only comfortable doing this since my thick St. Augustine grass padded the fall of the tank. I would never strike the tank with anything or drop it on a hard surface.

Just thought I'd pass this along.

Craig

[Craig P.]

I keep a 2.5 gallon LPG tank in one of my outside storage compartments for use when my extend-a-hose isn't long enough, or when I want to fire up my campfire in a can. I fired up the campfire in a can recently and the flame output was much lower than normal, even though the LPG tank was nearly full. I hooked up the tank to my BBQ to see if the same low pressure was present, and it was.

Knowing that there is an OPD float inside of the tank, I wondered if the float had become stuck, restricting gas flow. I held the tank over a nice thick grassy area of my lawn and dropped it on it's side a couple of times from about three feet, to loosen the float, if in fact that was the culprit. It worked! I hooked it up to my BBQ again, and whoa-la...nice even flow of propane.

I was only comfortable doing this since my thick St. Augustine grass padded the fall of the tank. I would never strike the tank with anything or drop it on a hard surface.

Just thought I'd pass this along.

Craig

[Moder2]

Craig,

With the OPD's it is quite common they stick once in a while...

Last winter I spent some time as a Workcamper in Tampa... Part of my responsibilities was pumping propane. When we got a tank that wouldn't flow, or take propane, we would just turn it upside down and "gently" tap it on the ground.

John

[Gary RVRoamer]

I never heard of an OPD valve that would not let LP gas flow out. When the float goes all the way up and sticks, it prevents filling as John says, but gas should still flow out.

A more likely explanation is that the excess flow feature of the tank was shutting off the gas supply. Everybody knows about "OPD" but few realize the same valve also shuts off the gas flow if the flow rate exceeds a predetermined rate. Basically it says that a flow above a certain rate must be a leak and it shuts down. I've seen the excess flow device trigger when it should not and also when the Acme or POL fitting does not seal quite right and either leaks or blocks the excess flow port. Reportedly the excess flow will trigger on a hot day if you hook up an empty line to a tank and open the valve quickly - the quick rush of high pressure gas looks like a leak and it cuts off. Closing the valve for a minute and then slowly opening the valve sometimes cures it.

[Ray,IN]

Yes, What RV roamer said. Propane 101 explains it in detail. As an aside, Propane Technicial Information and propane safety are good links to bookmark.

[Inalabama]

As an additional thing to look for... the coupling from my gas grill that goes to the tank... wore out the seatin the plastic knurled piece that tightens the coupler to the tank. The brass coupler wouldn't seat deeply enough to allow enough flow. I took it all apart and found another plastic part on a grill someone was tossing out.

[Erich]

I had just the opposite on 2 of the QD connectors, I tighten the big black ring as much as possible until it won't turn anymore, both still leak. One of the other fellows at the camp has the same as yours, tighten as much as you want, it won't go in far enough to let the LP flow. I went back to the old connectors and a monkey wrench.