I want to use a propane heater on a hose with a quick disconnect. Can I use a standard quick disconnect or are there special ones for propane.
Special ones for propane www.bestmaterials.com in Phoenix good luck
Technically you should use specialty disconnects. Practically speaking though, as long as you're on the low pressure side of the propane,
any good self sealing disconnect that uses O rings for the seal will work. I like these from McMaster-
http://www.mcmaster.com/ page 281 iso B series, use brass ones.
Go to the link and type 281 into the search window....
Hi Lin,
Just from lots of expierence, I will never use quick disconnects on LP connections, hi or low psi sides in enclosed compartments...!
Bottom line, they don't always make a perfect seal. I had two close calls in the past and there's no room for a third.
Please be carefull and use common sence when planning your LP set-up.
Good Luck
Nick-
While I have no actual experience with the quick disconnects, I agree with Nick! I was on a produce dock once waiting for them to load my truck. While waiting I watched all the action of at least a half a dozen forklifts running in and out of 12-14 trucks at once! Well one of the forklifts ran out of fuel in a trailer a few doors down from me. The operator came out of the trailer carring the empty tank, and in a few minutes reappeared with one that seemed to be much heavier (as I had no idea if it was full or what I could tell that he was straining slightly to carry it!). He went in the trailer and put it on, and I heard him try to start the forklift! At the same time it cranked there was a very loud KABOOOOM and a flash of fire blowing out of the trailer. Needless to say everything came to a standstill for a second! Then it was people running around like mad. Well the guy in the trailer was badly hurt and burned and the trailer was badly damaged. After the ambulance left the firemen were making sure the fire was out and the "captain" or fire marshall (whoever he was) was questioning everyone on the dock and of course that included me! So I told them what I'd seen and heard. Then I asked "just what the heck happened in there!?" He told me ask far as he could tell "the quick connectt was faulty and had been leaking, but when the guy changed it in the closed trailer, then fastend the tank in place and went around to start it. It had, had enough time to build up enough fumes to blow when it had a spark when he tried to start it!"
I don't know for a fact that that is what it really was or not. But from that day on I have been plenty over cautious of propane use!
FWIW BK
The only way I would use a quick disconnect on propane is with a shut off valve up stream from the disconnect.
I never use any thing on propane that is not UL approved for propane certain O-rings and propane don't mix well I have a quick disconnect on the bus for a BBQ grill and it has never been a problem but I would not go to AutoZone or Lowes and buy one the extra money for the right stuff may save your life.you can pay $5.00 for one at a box store or $20.00 for a UL approved it's your choice good luck
I had one that I bought from a propane supplier on my last bus. There was no problem in the 9-10 years it was in place. I was just wondering if that would have been different than the common ones around. I am not sure that there is any basic mechanical difference or not, but apparently the ones that are propane rated are at least better quality and UL listed. The guy at home depot, which does not have them except as part of there grills, said they are OSHA approved too. Thanks for the information. I will definitely look for the right unit.
Yike....They're not cheap...over $20
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306159_200306159
http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=15776
Whatever you do...make sure the male end is free of dust or dirt and attach on the accessories side. If you already knew this...great, but others read this post may not.
FWIW
Sojourn for Christ, Gerald
I sometimes taken for granted that we all knows the true safety suggestion that keep your self and any bystander from the forgotten or unexpected danger.
A email reminder from a friend suggested that disconnect and/or hose should be outside of living area or compartment with at least one side or bottom wide open for vent. We all (almost all) know that cold propane gas is heavier than air we breath. Many more facts...read on the following:
Everything (almost) about propane you want to know as well its safety suggestion: (interesting how it got started)
http://www.countrycomfort.org/pdf/Facts_About_Propane.pdf
Facts about propane igniting temperature & etc:
http://www.pmak.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5&Itemid=2
Very good safety program in PowerPoint presentation:
http://www.propanesafety.com/Pages/default.aspx
FWIW
Sojourn for Christ, Gerald
Quick disconnect Safety:
With my suggestion above, I make many assumptions about your "safety intellegence" in using ANY quick disconnect fitting , for example one such assumption would be that that you are smart enough to turn the tank off prior to disconnecting the fitting...
Even though a quick disconnect fitting might close and seal itself, it should not be considered a shutoff and it would not be safe to do so.
For what it's worth, I've been using ISo B style quick disconnects for propane, both high pressure and low, water, hydraulics, and steam for almost 30 years and never had a problem.
To that end I've always been conscious of cleanliness, keeping the O rings properly lubricated and maintained (and making sure they are made of the correct material), making sure the connector itself is made of the proper material (ie don't use steel connectors for water) and in general, not being stupid about my usage of these connectors.
Regardless if you use a connector specifically designed for propane or not, lack of attention to any of the above will get you into trouble.
Paying close attention to the above will keep you safe. This goes for use of quick disconnect devices anywhere- hydraulics, air, water, propane, or etc.
An example given in an above post is forklift quick disconnect connectors. There are literally millions of them in use every day with perfect safety records, and these are on the high pressure side of the tank. There will be accidents, mostly due to stupidity and/or lack of proper maintainance. Just be smart about your usage of QD's and you'll be ok. If you don't understand what you should, ask a pro first.
To be noted in BK's story is that they actually knew that the disconnect was leaking and continued to use it.
If your propane heater is the portable type that uses a one pound can or can be hooked to a hose it is automatically closed at the heater end when disconnected as I remember. I may be wrong about this but I think the hose end has the same auto shutoff as the small cans.
I use a 20 lb bottle in the baggage bay with a hose going through the floor to my portable LP heater and have had no problems. It can also be shut off at the bottle.
The thing I like about this BBS is the never ending stream of good information that flows by our eyes here. I had never really thought about the risk of connecting a propane line in a closed bay. We have a spigot for propane to feed the BBQ that is located inside my tool bay. The hose stays attached to the BBQ and enters the bay through an access hole in the bottom of the bay but that leaves the connection inside the bay and really no ventilation. I have a shut off valve above the quick connect so that's not an issue but a leaky connection could still be a problem.
Its a trivial matter for me to change the hose around so that the hose stays attached to the spigot with the quick attach at the end of the hose where it connects to the BBQ. But I would never have thought it was a potential problem if I hadn't seen it here.
The other thing I like about this BBS is the never ending stream of work that it creates for me whenever I read it. >:( :( :-[ :-\