does anyone fill their own 1lb lp gas canisters?

[ptooti]

is it safe? or hard to do?
just thinking of getting this to use with my blackstone grill that takes 1lb canister LPG
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075PPH651/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1IAMHA0TENA9Z&psc=1

[chuckster57]

I have a refill adaptor from Harbor freight. There is a warning on the 1lb cylinders stating NOT to refill. There are a couple of “tricks” if you decide not to heed the warning.

Freeze the 1lb cylinder for 10-15 minutes. Turn the “supply” tank upside down so you transfer liquid not gas. I only transfer propane for about 30 seconds not the 1 minute in the included directions.

Use at your own risk..been doing it for over 5 years for my torch in the garage to heat stuck stuff when I wrench on a car.

[sourdough]

My thoughts: why in the world fill a little 1 lb. bottle? They cost nothing. I carry about 6-8 of them for various things and they go in the trash when empty. Trying to fill? No.

The Blackstone? Which I just bought? Well, I'll probably use the little bottles when on the road. Right now it's hooked to a regular BBQ tank. The little bottles aren't worth the effort of trying to refill...IMO.

[socoinc1984]

is it safe? or hard to do?
just thinking of getting this to use with my blackstone grill that takes 1lb canister LPG
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075PPH651/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1IAMHA0TENA9Z&psc=1
Seems like a dangerous hassle for saving a few bucks...

[Plumbtrician]

My thoughts: why in the world fill a little 1 lb. bottle? They cost nothing. I carry about 6-8 of them for various things and they go in the trash when empty. Trying to fill? No.

The Blackstone? Which I just bought? Well, I'll probably use the little bottles when on the road. Right now it's hooked to a regular BBQ tank. The little bottles aren't worth the effort of trying to refill...IMO.

x2. Agree with above.

[ken56]

Agree its not worth the effort. Convert it to hook up to a regular 20lb tank. I converted my baby weber Q because those 1 pounders were not worth hauling around. Works so much nicer.

[zippersbs]

YES, I do it all the time, it's about as dangerous as hooking up your little green bottle to your grill, IF you do it as instructed. There's a couple reasons why I do it - 1) Why throw away a perfectly good bottle when you can recycle it? If they had a place they could be recycled, I would be more than happy to take them there instead of just throwing them in the trash, my opinion. 2) It never fails, I always run out when I'm using my grill & my hose is not with me, 3 minutes my bottles filled & back to cooking. 3) $5.00 for a little green 1lb bottle, $12.00 for a 30lb cylinder, just makes dollar sense to me, again my opinion. Happy RVing everyone

[Javi]

is it safe? or hard to do?
just thinking of getting this to use with my blackstone grill that takes 1lb canister LPG
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B075PPH651/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A1IAMHA0TENA9Z&psc=1

http://propanegear.com/blackstone-17-22-griddle-quick-connect-adapter/

[Hodgy]

.

Yes been doing it for 40 years. Works for me.

I used to have a F350 with a 460 that was converted to propane. Had a 80 gallon tank in the box and I filled 20 pounders off of that. At the time I was paying 30-35 cents a gallon for auto propane. I could fill the 20's for a fraction of what it cost retail.

.

[Voyager]

I fill them too, use the freezer method and listen for it to stop running, never a problem. I hate throwing them in the trash and don’t want to pack a 20 pounder around.

[xranchflunky]

Yes, it is done. That said, this retired fireman shudders a tad when I see folks refill carelessly. As an alternative, Flame King makes a legal, refillable 1 lb cylinder that IMHO, is a lot safer to use. Remember, some these one lb disposable cylinders might be quite old and not the safest to refill, especially multiple times.

[sourdough]

Yes, it is done. That said, this retired fireman shudders a tad when I see folks refill carelessly. As an alternative, Flame King makes a legal, refillable 1 lb cylinder that IMHO, is a lot safer to use. Remember, some these one lb disposable cylinders might be quite old and not the safest to refill, especially multiple times.

I think the highlighted words say it all; these are marketed as disposable, and I have no doubt they are built to that level. Regular, refillable propane tanks are highly regulated due to the risks of using them - l pounders are not as far as I've found....because they're supposed to be thrown away it appears (don't they state they are non refillable on the side? - I don't have any near me)...IMO

http://www.propane101.com/propanecylinderrequirements.htm - just for informational purposes.

[xranchflunky]

Yes, except for Flame King

[MerlinB]

My thoughts: why in the world fill a little 1 lb. bottle? They cost nothing. I carry about 6-8 of them for various things and they go in the trash when empty. Trying to fill? No.

The Blackstone? Which I just bought? Well, I'll probably use the little bottles when on the road. Right now it's hooked to a regular BBQ tank. The little bottles aren't worth the effort of trying to refill...IMO.

Haha, they don't cost "nothing." They are severely overpriced. I refill them all the time. It's not dangerous, just pay attention to what you are doing.

[DVPete]

Living near Seattle, I'm shocked that the city hasn't figured out how wasteful it is to throw these single use bombs away and outlawed them or added a tax to their sale with proceeds helping the homeless.

[sourdough]

Haha, they don't cost "nothing." They are severely overpriced. I refill them all the time. It's not dangerous, just pay attention to what you are doing.


Well, "nothing" may have been a little inaccurate if speaking literally; I was talking about "in the scheme of things", they are virtually nothing ($2-$3 each). Not only that they aren't legal to refill as far as I know and aren't MADE to refill. Now if we were talking about this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/1-lb-Refillable-Propane-Cylinder-16-4-oz-Ships-Empty/686215165 it would be a different story and something I might use....but not the non refillable bottles. Refilling the cheap propane bottles is like dropping a 20k trailer on a mini pickup with 13" tires....it'll probably roll for a while but something is going to give - to each his own but I have provided those that do it a link to something that is safe and legal - buy 3 or 4 and "always be prepared":D.

[notanlines]

A 77-year old Polk County woman was killed Saturday morning when a small propane tank her husband was filling ruptured, igniting an explosion that collapsed the garage of their home around them. The accident happened near the Town of Range, just west of Turtle Lake.

Stanley Johnson and his wife Nancy Johnson were in the garage Saturday morning. He was filling 1-pound propane cylinders from a 20-pound cylinder to take out to the heater in his ice fishing shack, said Captain Steve Smith of the Polk County Sheriff's Department. While being filled, a 1-pound cylinder ruptured, causing a small explosion.

At 9:31 a.m., the emergency call came in, said Captain Smith. The Polk County Sheriff's Department, the Apple River Fire Department, and Turtle Lake Fire Department responded.

Nancy Johnson was pulled from debris, Smith said, and was pronounced dead at the scene by Polk County Medical Examiner Jonn Dinnies.

Stanley Johnson was transported to Amery Regional Hospital for treatment of burns sustained in the explosion, Captain Smith said. He was later airlifted to a burn unit in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area, said a hospital spokeswoman.
This article was copied from the Barron News Shield, 2012.
Fill at your, and your loved one’s, risk.

[travelin texans]

I've added a T to my 30lb bottle with a 20-25' hose made by a propane dealer, I place my Weber grill just about anywhere I choose & no worries of blowing anything up.
Personally I worked operation/maintanence on a LP pipeline the last 15 years before retirement, if the bottles say "nonrefillable" throw them away. Just because you've done it for years doesn't make it any safer, actually every time you refill that nonreuseable 1lb bottle you've just improved your odds to an accident.
And there's no way I'm putting one of those used bottles in my freezer & risk contaminating a freezer full of food for a $3-5 bottle of propane.

[Pull Toy]

B-O-O-M...... Really for a cheap adapter... really?

There is a reason they weigh 20'# or 30#ers! at the fill-up to make sure the got it right! You gonna' trust CHINESE cr*p adapter to save 3 bucks for two pack?

Not me!!!


Good Luck,

[Pull Toy]

B-O-O-M...... Really for a cheap adapter... really?

There is a reason they weigh 20'# or 30#ers! at the fill-up! You gonna' trust CHINESE adapter to save 3 bucks for two pack?

Not me!!!


Good Luck,

[CarGuy]

I will not do it for the same reason given to not use empty freon tanks for air tanks. These bottles are not strong enough to refill. Every time a tank is pressurized it expands a little then when pressure is released it contracts. This causes the metal to flex and continued flexing of metal causes it to weaken. It may work most of the time but it only takes one failure to cause a bad day/month/year/life.

[sourdough]

So here's the deal to me, to the folks that are going to "cheat the curve" and save $1 on a disposable bottle....really? And refill it when it is fully understood that it is 1) illegal, and 2) extremely dangerous. Doing stupid things don't always result in the terrible ways they should. Some times you just get lucky and things just play out....until, stuff happens, and you get what you should have got for being dumb. In the example Jim gave it wasn't the idiot paying the price while filling the little bottle...it was his wife. I, and any of you, should not condone, or have time for, folks that would skimp out, go cheap, look for excuses to reuse these bottles; they may be camped next to you. You can either afford to have an RV and do it full tilt, or..get a tent. Cheap, is for those that shouldn't be RVing. JMO

[travelin texans]

For those "that have been doing it for years" if you take anything away from this thread make that #1 - never do your refill indoors, #2 - do it as far away from me, & everyone else, that I'd just barely see the smoke.

[Bolo4u]

For those "that have been doing it for years" if you take anything away from this thread make that #1 - never do your refill indoors, #2 - do it as far away from me, & everyone else, that I'd just barely see the smoke.


Then how could we record it for Live Leak??

[WNY Bullet]

I do not refill them. Actually I stopped using them altogether. I bought a fillable 5lb tank that I use strictly for my grill. Where I get my propane filled, they charge by the gallon, so it is the same price per gallon as I pay for my 30lb tanks. The tank itself was not cheap, but for the convenience it was worth it for me.

[flybouy]

Big dollar truck, big dollar trailrt, big dollar grill, all that plus personal safety on the line for a couple of dollars saved? To me this just does not compute. In years past before the on board quick disconnects I to used a 5 lb. tank. It took very little space and typically lasted a full season.

[larryflew]

Although it is MUCH cheaper to refill at near $1 it is a bit of a pita. Did it for years but recently converted 3 things to use larger bottles. Still do it for 2 torches but that doesnt happen often. Very easy and safe to do. I would recommend you use soap bubbles after filling to make sure everything reset and there are no leaks. Have had 2 leakers out of maybe 100 (which equals approx $400 savings). Doesnt matter if stored in open area but could if stored in closed in spaces.

[SkiSmuggs]

You can buy refillable 1lb bottles. They pay for themselves quickly. But a hose from a 20 gal tank is my favorite for using my Blackstone. I use the small ones in case I need Mr Heater.

[MrEnto]

I bought a little 1 gal propane cylinder a long time ago and love it for the grill. Initial cost was a bit pricey but it’s easy to handle and rarely needs refill. Stores well in my 5th wheels propane tank compartment with the dual 30’s.

[NHcamper]

Simple solution and no need to recycle. Get a small refillable propane tank. can get ones that are 1 Lb., 5 Lb etc. easy to fill, safe and LIGHT. example. https://www.amazon.com/Worthington-281149-1-Gallon-Cylinder-Prevention/dp/B000SKX63U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1531670723&sr=8-3&keywords=small+propane+tank

[JRTJH]

A few years ago I bought a disposable canister refill adapter on one of the Amazon Lightening Sales for $2. When it arrived, I read the instructions and thought, "No way am I going to turn a 20 pound propane tank upside down over a hole between 2 cinder blocks with a 1 pound disposable bottle hanging off of the adapter.... It all sounded good on the description, but reviewing the instructions, it just didn't seem like something I wanted to do in my back yard. So, I put it in the "junk drawer" in the trailer, thinking that if I ever ran into an emergency in the woods, I'd try it. So far, it's still in the "junk drawer" in the aged, yellow bag that it came in. I suppose when I do my next "trailer weight reduction survey" it'll probably get moved to the "seldom used tool box" in the pole barn......

Some things just don't add up to a savings when I can count the disposable propane bottles I've bought in the past 5 years on my fingers (without taking off my shoes)........

[Uncle Dougie]

2019 Passport Elite 19RB/$20,000, 2009 F15 lariat/$15000, Your Life/priceless! To risk all of these to save $2 on a bottle of propane just does not make sense. Our hardware store refills propane cylinders and I sometimes shutter at the risk some people will take. If you must save a few bucks, please, PLEASE invest in a refillable 1lb cylinder and let someone properly trained refill it for you.

[yubacamper]

You can fill them but you take a chance on wasting propane if they leak. I went with reusable bottles by FlameKing. I don't use their refilling adapter, I made my own. Takes about five refills to pay for themselves.

[mcomeaux]

I adapted my Weber Q1200 to hook up to my external LP fitting outside my trailer.
Not sure as mentioned earlier make it so you can use a larger bottle at home use.
Those little bottles are a pain in the A@@ and costly....

[rdemore]

I gave also refilled for years with the freezer method with no issues. I always store them outside (back of truck) and discard when they start to look bad. It takes about 5 minutes to do several. I think the cost to refill is about $.50.

[captcolour]

The Flame King's had a recall about a year ago. Better check what you are using.

[HammerToe]

There is no such thing as ‘SAFE’. There are only DEGREES of ‘safety’ and its inverse ‘risk’. In the context of this specific issue - is it ‘SAFE’ to refill and use small 1 pound propane cylinders, the ‘short answer’ is ‘YES’ - it is ACCEPTABLY ‘safe’ as long as you use the gift that God gave you encased in your skull and located between your ears. You have to understand the risks and how to take precautions to minimize them and if you do, it will be (almost universally agreed by people who understand this) as ‘SAFE ENOUGH’.
Rules and tips:
• Do all the work outdoors.
• Use only ‘Good’, ‘Undamaged’ and ‘Not Too Old’ propane cylinders. (When you acquire any, you might want to write the date – YYYY-MM-DD - on it with a black marking pen and discard it when it is, say, over 5 years old. ‘Me’ - I do this but maintain a current stock of newer ones by picking up new and discarded ones at campgrounds left behind by departing campers).
• Have a brand-new and full 1 pound cylinder around for reference, OR at least know the weight of a brand-new and full 1 pound cylinder, ideally in grams. (For this purpose I own and use one of several digital, high precision kitchen scales that way in grams).
• Obtain the weight in grams of a full, new 1 pound cylinder from ‘somewhere’, weighing one if necessary.
• Before using any adapter/connector warm up the 20 pound tank and ‘really cool off’/you can even ‘freeze’ the cylinders you want to fill.
• Take the small cylinder out of the fridge/freezer after (say) ½ hour or so, connected up to the adapter connected to the big tank, invert the tank (if it isn’t already inverted), open whatever valves may need to be opened and ‘let ‘er rip’. (You won’t blow up the small tank; propane will stop flowing into it once the pressures equalize between the big tank and small tank).
• Close whatever/any valves you may need to close, disconnect the small tank from the adapter, WEIGH IT and, if it weighs more than a brand-new and full 1 pound cylinder, bleed off some excess propane by depressing the Schrader valve pin. Basically, get its weight down to no more than the weight of a new and full 1 pound cylinder.
• THEN: carefully test the refilled 1 pound cylinder by submerging it in more or less room temperature water and watch for leaks/BUBBLES emerging from either the main connector or the Schrader valve.
• If you don’t got no bubbles/signs of leakage, you are okay to go.
Note: always store propane tanks of any size in a well ventilated area. Even if they might have leaks, almost invariably they are so small that as long as there is adequate ventilation, particularly on/at/THROUGH the bottom of the storage container/compartment, it will disperse and you will not have any problems.
Why should you go through the trouble of refilling small 1 pound propane containers?
Well, I’m with those folks who don’t like paying 4 or $5 for a single cylinder AND I don’t like the idea of all of these things winding up in landfills. Plus, I ‘go through’ a fair number of them. I own and use a ‘Big Buddy’ catalytic heater and while I could, I suppose, connected up to an external (say) 20 pound propane tank or even ‘plumb it in’ to the low pressure side of my trailers propane distribution system, I prefer to just swap in refilled one pounders as necessary. ‘No big deal’.
Again – bottom line – use your head. Learn HOW to do it safely/learn and follow the right procedures RELIGIOUSLY. And the risk of anything going wrong is EXTREMELY SMALL. And I mean ‘EXTREMELY’.
There is no such thing as ‘Safe’.

[Hodgy]

.

HammerToe spoken like a true Toban.

A year a go I bought brass screw on caps for my 1 pounders, I could not find the exact ones but here are some the same.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pack-of-10pcs-Brass-Propane-Bottle-Caps-Refill-1LB-Gas-Tank-Cylinder-Sealed-Caps/391972003328?hash=item5b435a1e00%3Ag%3A9XEAAOSw05t acFPG&_sacat=0&_nkw=10pcs+solid+brass+cap+1+lb+propane+bottle+cap s&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

They are better than the black plastic ones the the bottles come with. They seal with the rubber gasket and protect the thread on the bottle.

.

[mfifield01]

While on the topic. Is there a good quick connect to 1lb adapter? My TT has the quick connect for a grill on the back. You could just utilize the tanks you are already carrying.

[MerlinB]

While on the topic. Is there a good quick connect to 1lb adapter? My TT has the quick connect for a grill on the back. You could just utilize the tanks you are already carrying.

The problem with that idea is the gas coming from your RV's quick connector has already been regulated down to the pressure (11" w.c.) required for the burners in your stove, refrigerator, water heater, etc. Your grill has a built-in regulator where the 1 lb bottles attach and probably will not pass the low pressure gas coming from your RV. You have to bypass that regulator some way.

[MattE303]

While on the topic. Is there a good quick connect to 1lb adapter? My TT has the quick connect for a grill on the back. You could just utilize the tanks you are already carrying.

you mean like this?

DozyAnt 4 Feet Propane Adapter Hose 1 lb to 20 lb (https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Replacement-Connects-Portable-Appliance/dp/B06Y5XFF6F/ref=pd_sbs_86_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06Y5XFF6F&pd_rd_r=86ab4a8d-8933-11e8-8c43-8bf4bd0474d3&pd_rd_w=XEClp&pd_rd_wg=ewe2I&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=5825442648805390339&pf_rd_r=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB)

[MerlinB]

you mean like this?

DozyAnt 4 Feet Propane Adapter Hose 1 lb to 20 lb (https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Replacement-Connects-Portable-Appliance/dp/B06Y5XFF6F/ref=pd_sbs_86_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06Y5XFF6F&pd_rd_r=86ab4a8d-8933-11e8-8c43-8bf4bd0474d3&pd_rd_w=XEClp&pd_rd_wg=ewe2I&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=5825442648805390339&pf_rd_r=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB)

No, that is not what he is asking about. This device allows you to connect a full size propane tank to the grill but it still utilizes the regulator that is built-in to the 1 lb bottle connection.

[MattE303]

No, that is not what he is asking about. This device allows you to connect a full size propane tank to the grill but it still utilizes the regulator that is built-in to the 1 lb bottle connection.

ah, I see what you mean. We use that adapter to connect the grill to one of the RV's tanks directly, so the RV's regulator isn't an issue.

[mfifield01]

I really don't want to carry another 20lb tank. Right now I carry 4-5 of the 1lb bottles for a Dyna-glo heater. The idea was to use what I already carry. I could connect directly to one of the 20lb tanks.

[Frank G]

.

Yes been doing it for 40 years. Works for me.

I used to have a F350 with a 460 that was converted to propane. Had a 80 gallon tank in the box and I filled 20 pounders off of that. At the time I was paying 30-35 cents a gallon for auto propane. I could fill the 20's for a fraction of what it cost retail.

.


Could not resist hijacking the thread, sorry, attached is a picture of our first DRW f-350 460 automatic, dual fuel gas/propane. They pulled completely different on propane, I know there was a loss of HP but I thought they pulled the hills better, great at lugging, the RPM's would drop but it just continued to pull.



No, I don't fill 1lb bottles.

[travelin texans]

you mean like this?

DozyAnt 4 Feet Propane Adapter Hose 1 lb to 20 lb (https://www.amazon.com/Converter-Replacement-Connects-Portable-Appliance/dp/B06Y5XFF6F/ref=pd_sbs_86_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06Y5XFF6F&pd_rd_r=86ab4a8d-8933-11e8-8c43-8bf4bd0474d3&pd_rd_w=XEClp&pd_rd_wg=ewe2I&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=5825442648805390339&pf_rd_r=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=GYN78PN8BEFFHYZ4Y3NB)

You can go to your local LP distributor, maybe your local rv parts department & they can fix you up with a T, hose of any length you chose & the fitting for your grill to connect directly to your onboard bottles without any concerns with removing removing regulators, been using mine this way for years.
NO WAY am I refilling 1lb bottles, my life/limbs are worth far more than a $5 (even if it was $500) bottle of LP.

[haywire17]

I brought the hose for blackstone adapted it to trailer... no more little green bottles for me.

[Howie]

the refill adapters are $7 on Amazon if that is the way you want to go. I hate throwing the cans in the trash is why I do it.

[Ken / Claudia]

Nowadays I use them up at about 1 every year of two and they go into the recycle can. About 30 years I was going through more and my dad said to save them as he had a refill device. I saved up about 10 and refilled them. On One or two of them the safety valve opened and drained them. The valve never closed on those again. The next day all but a couple where empty from leaking. From reading the last few pages I realized I must have not done the refill correctly. Refilling any now, no thanks.

[Hodgy]

.

I bought brass screw caps like these in the Spring when I was setting up the TT. I paid $18 for them, appears they have gone up since then.


https://www.ebay.ca/itm/Set-of-10-Propane-Bottle-Caps-Brass-Refill-1-LB-Gas-Tank-Cylinder-Sealed-Cap/263357270676?hash=item3d51510a94%3Ag%3AwKgAAOSwB3B aKkj2&_sacat=0&_nkw=10pcs+Solid+Brass+Cap+1+LB+Propane+Bottle+Cap s+Gas+Tank+Cylinder+Caps+24mm&_from=R40&rt=nc&_trksid=m570.l1313

.