What do you do with empty one pound propane tanks?


 
The refilling Is very easy.
Nice day setup outside get your digital scale( which we use for cooking also) place your 20 lb bottle close or raised so it is easy to work with. Pick your bottle look it over for damage if good use a small Allen wrench or screw driver to push down on thec scrader vale to remove all air, fitt the adapter to your 20 lb tank then screw on your 3 lb bottle snugly .
Open valve slowly listen for the gas transfer, after a couple minutes close large bottle Unscrew small bottle and weight if it is around 2.5 purge the Schrader again reattach the 3 lb and charge it again only takes about 45 seconds to a minute and the transfer will stop. Remove and weight if 2.8 to 3.3 lbs you are good to go.
On to the next bottle. As stated there are several videos on U Tube that show you step by step. Much cheaper than 5 dollars a bottle.
 
Well I am usually against needless regulations but the ban on 1lb disposables makes sense to me. I have tried refilling them with "adapters" that have often leaked during the refilling process to the point that I think they are dangerous. So I switched to using small 5lb refillables with a an adapter hose for my devices and grill designed to run on 1lb disposables. The 5lbers work great, the gas is much cheaper than in the 1lb disposables and are really not much trouble to car camp or tailgate with. The 5lb refillables are available for about $40 to $50. High initial cost but you quickly make the cost difference back because the gas is much cheaper in the refillables than in the disposables. I haven't bought a disposable in 5 years and don't miss them.
 
BFletcher said:
Great question. For now, I have several empty bottles but I bought this adapter, thinking I can use it to refill them: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M06EXZD/?tag=tvwb-20

But I have yet to use it, so I'm curious about others' feedback and recommendations.
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Just ordered one from Amazon. I've got two 20 lb. cylinders that I no longer use, one full and one ~2/3 full. I use the 1 pounders for my propane torch, used mostly for lighting smoke tubes, so will be refilling them.
 
BrianO said:
Well I am usually against needless regulations but the ban on 1lb disposables makes sense to me. I have tried refilling them with "adapters" that have often leaked during the refilling process to the point that I think they are dangerous. So I switched to using small 5lb refillables with a an adapter hose for my devices and grill designed to run on 1lb disposables. The 5lbers work great, the gas is much cheaper than in the 1lb disposables and are really not much trouble to car camp or tailgate with. The 5lb refillables are available for about $40 to $50. High initial cost but you quickly make the cost difference back because the gas is much cheaper in the refillables than in the disposables. I haven't bought a disposable in 5 years and don't miss them.
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I live in northern CA so the upcoming ban on the 1lb disposables does make sense. I have 6 of these and have refilled them once. The possible leakage is a concern so won't be doing this again.

I'm down to my last full bottle so when that runs out, it'll be time to switch over to the refillable 5 lb tank and adapter hose.

It'll be worth it for reasons mentioned already.
 
For those of us that use the gas assist in our charcoal grills who also keep the 20lb. Propane tanks for other uses, refilling the 1lb tank and re-attaching it to the grill should alleviate the leakage concern?

Is there any significant leakage just by refilling a 1lb “disposable” tank?

I am thinking the actual gas assist system doesn’t really leak propane in itself, but I could be wrong.

And I know there are legions of charcoal grillmasters who downplay the gas assist for whatever reason- I happen to like it.
 
John_NJ said:
For those of us that use the gas assist in our charcoal grills who also keep the 20lb. Propane tanks for other uses, refilling the 1lb tank and re-attaching it to the grill should alleviate the leakage concern?

Is there any significant leakage just by refilling a 1lb “disposable” tank?

I am thinking the actual gas assist system doesn’t really leak propane in itself, but I could be wrong.

And I know there are legions of charcoal grillmasters who downplay the gas assist for whatever reason- I happen to like it.
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I check the weight of refilled bottles. I write the weight on them after they have stabilized a day . Then I can check if I have one with a loose valve.
 
Kevin L (NKY) said:
I check the weight of refilled bottles. I write the weight on them after they have stabilized a day . Then I can check if I have one with a loose valve.
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Thanks Kevin, good to know.

I have one 1lb. propane tank that was already attached to a used Summit Charcoal grilling station I recently bought.

I was hoping to just refill it and reattach it to the gas assist fitting on the grill, and that would alleviate any leakage issues.

I have used these small propane tanks before, camping stove and lantern, sweating copper pipe in my home, and it did seem like a waste throwing them away.

Now our camping lanterns are rechargeable electric, and I have switched to shark bite fittings around the house- my 30 years handyman special home is pretty much (but never completely) done, lol.

I like the idea of reusing the 1lb. cylinder.

I have a few 20lb. cylinders- gas grill and propane fire table, so it’s available gas and less expensive than buying and disposing of new cylinders.
 
I have not used a full one pound tank lighting the fireplace and smoker I probably five years, I think if I had fifty of them, I’d knock the valves out and make up a high temperature ”wall” around the next hillbilly hearth. Like folks used to do with bottles. No pressure to build up so, no explosive concerns, drill (or shoot) a hole in the bottom line them up and cement a wall!
Personally, I'm not going to do this but, if I had a carload, maybe!
 
Timothy F. Lewis said:
I have not used a full one pound tank lighting the fireplace and smoker I probably five years, I think if I had fifty of them, I’d knock the valves out and make up a high temperature ”wall” around the next hillbilly hearth. Like folks used to do with bottles. No pressure to build up so, no explosive concerns, drill (or shoot) a hole in the bottom line them up and cement a wall!
Personally, I'm not going to do this but, if I had a carload, maybe!
Click to expand...
www.heinekencollection.com

The story behind the WOBO :: Heineken Collection Foundation

Alfred Heineken’s creative spirit went well beyond marketing and publicity; he also had progressive ideas about re-cycling, the inspiration for which came from a visit to Dutch Antilles in the early sixties, where he had been amazed at the amount of casually discarded garbage that he saw on the...
www.heinekencollection.com

1964

The story behind the WOBO​


Alfred Heineken’s creative spirit went well beyond marketing and publicity; he also had progressive ideas about re-cycling, the inspiration for which came from a visit to Dutch Antilles in the early sixties, where he had been amazed at the amount of casually discarded garbage that he saw on the islands. Some of that waste was his beer bottles.
 
John_NJ said:
www.heinekencollection.com

The story behind the WOBO :: Heineken Collection Foundation

Alfred Heineken’s creative spirit went well beyond marketing and publicity; he also had progressive ideas about re-cycling, the inspiration for which came from a visit to Dutch Antilles in the early sixties, where he had been amazed at the amount of casually discarded garbage that he saw on the...
www.heinekencollection.com

1964

The story behind the WOBO​


Alfred Heineken’s creative spirit went well beyond marketing and publicity; he also had progressive ideas about re-cycling, the inspiration for which came from a visit to Dutch Antilles in the early sixties, where he had been amazed at the amount of casually discarded garbage that he saw on the islands. Some of that waste was his beer bottles.
Click to expand...
Very interesting John!
 
I bought the refill valve assembly for the disposable tanks on Amazon. Tried to make it work but it kept leaking during the fill. I decided to go with a 20lb adapter for my performer and portable Q. Haven't looked back. I did get a 10lb refillable tank for tailgates with the Q. A little easier to carry. My state is banning the disposables and I will not miss them.
 
Some of the new ones come with a plastic venting cap when you are done you push it in and throw it in recycle.
 
DanHoo said:
I have this one https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077SP5BJP/?tag=tvwb-20

They are probably all made in the same place and branded slightly differently.
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Dan- I bought that attachment and used it for the first time over the weekend.

The one pound cylinder on the Summit Charcoal ran out and I refilled it.

Just fired it up for tonight’s grilled chicken dinner and it works as expected.

Thanks for the link, and @Bruno - thanks for the thread
 
John_NJ said:
Dan- I bought that attachment and used it for the first time over the weekend.
Click to expand...

Glad to year it works well for you.

I feel compelled to again share the link that says this should not be done, and to share a reminder that these are never to be transported after refilling.

STOP! Never refill 1 lb. propane bottles | PHMSA

Video Summary: The U.S. Department of Transportation, cautions the public to never refill DOT 39 cylinders, such as the 1lb. cylinders used for camping.
www.phmsa.dot.gov www.phmsa.dot.gov
 
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