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Quick-connect propane tank

MelissaH

By MelissaH
in Kitchen Consumer

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MelissaH

MelissaH

Posted
Posted (edited)

We got our Weber gas grill the spring of 1999. At the time, Weber was equipping their grills with quick-disconnect regulators, which could be attached to suitable tanks without tools. (This was the old-style quick-disconnect where you pushed the connector, not the new style of regulator that has a QCC1 connection, a plastic nut large enough to turn with your hand.)

Fast forward to this spring. For some reason the grill wasn't working well. (Of course, this was just after we'd refilled the quick-connect tank. :wacko: ) We were able to trace the problem to the regulator, which we replaced with the QCC1 variety. Once we did this, and used our other two "normal" propane tanks with the grill, it once again performed beautifully. But we now have an "orphan" quick-connect tank, nearly full.

Fast forward again to two nights ago. I opened the tank's valve, turned the grill burner on, hit the igniter, watched the blue flame leap down the burner...and then sputter and go out. Empty tank. The *second* tank was also empty. This left us with propane in only the quick-connect tank. My husband swapped regulators again, but the old regulator is still not working properly and we couldn't get things hot enough. The burgers got cooked indoors on a beautiful night.

My question: Is there anything we can do with this nearly-full quick-connect tank? We don't have any other quick-connect appliances, but we do have a filling adaptor. Failing that, is there any way to get the propane out of this tank safely, so we don't bring a bomb to our transfer station?

Thanks,

MelissaH

edited to add valve proper names

Edited by MelissaH (log)

MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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lancastermike

lancastermike

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I'll bet that there is some way for you to be able to do this, but it is beyond me. I would not care to mess with this to much. It would not make any sense to buy another regulator just to empty this tank. If all you want to do it bleed out the gas you can do so outside. It is signifigant to remember that propane is heavier than air. Thus it is best to bleed slowly on a day with some wind and not in a low lying area and away from any flame. I had an old tank I wanted to dispose of that still had some gas in it. I just cracked the valve and let it empty.

There just has to be some neat, and highly dangerous, way to use this up. I can't think of it, but I'll bet someone can.

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toweringpine

toweringpine

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Up here in Canada older tanks with the old style valves have been outlawed for several years. All filling stations have a diagram showing which tanks can be filled and which are no longer accepted. I am not sure what the rules are in Pittsubrgh but here they never would have filled it. Do you go to the same place all the time for your propane? Maybe the people there could help you by taking the old tank off your hands and creditting you with a fill up of your new proper style tank. If not then maybe just forget it. The cost of the gas isn't much and it is too dangerous to try to transfer the gas from one tank to another without specialized equipment.

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SundaySous

SundaySous

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What ever you do don't store the old one in house, garage or shed. There is a reason they changed the fittings. I would drain it and change the fitting. I'm sure you could sell it and recoup any expense.

"And in the meantime, listen to your appetite and play with your food."

Alton Brown, Good Eats

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MelissaH

MelissaH

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Just to clarify:

We know the problem with the grill's regulator wasn't, in fact, a problem with the tank because we put a quick-disconnect adaptor on one of our "normal" tanks, plugged it into the grill, and still had a problem getting the grill to heat. When we put the new regulator on and tried the *same* tank, things worked fine.

The old tank has an overfill protect device (OPD) and as such is legal here. It's still got another four years before it hits its 12th birthday and needs to be recertified. The only problem with the tank is the quick-disconnect, which is incompatible as it stands with any of our other propane-powered appliances. I'd just like to be able to somehow adapt the tank and use the propane.

The tank did come with an adaptor that allows it to be filler with the standard nozzle. The adaptor pops on to the tank, and provides the tank with threads that the filler nozzle screws into.

MelissaH

MelissaH

Oswego, NY

Chemist, writer, hired gun

Say this five times fast: "A big blue bucket of blue blueberries."

foodblog1 | kitchen reno | foodblog2

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FistFullaRoux

FistFullaRoux

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The safest thing to do would be to take it to a shop or facility that specializes in such a thing, let them reclaim the gas, and just get another tank.

Let's put it this way, you have the makings of a pretty spectacular bomb. I wouldn't want to modify that. Not worth it.

Screw it. It's a Butterball.
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