LP tanks & hoses woes

dtcerrato · November 11, 2018, 06:11:19 PM

The flow protection you're referring to is in the hose, not the valve. The valve knows what kind of hose is on it! The color of the hand spin nut determines how much gas can flow through the valve. Don't get me wrong, I'm no pro at this crap but been doing a lot of reading lately on the LP BS. The dark green hand spin nut will let more volume of LP flow than a different color. Not sure how many colors there are but the amount of safety that has rather recently been built into the New OPD valves & hand tightened color coded spin nuts will boggle the mind. The OPD valves have several safety features built into them the most important being the absolute prevention of overfilling a cylinder. (under 40 lbs.) Larger cylinders are exempt (until there's enough fatalities related to larger cylinders to enact legislation. I made a LP tank valve wrench today using an old 2" x 3/4" drive socket. Saw one on Ebay for $39 just a piece of pipe. To keep the tank from spinning when tightening the valve - stand 2 tanks side by side with a piece of rubber sheet between them then double ratchet strap the tanks together. Makes it a breeze to change out tank valves. Ebay sells a four pack 30 lb. OPD valve set for $67, beats $65 per tank!

luvrbus · November 11, 2018, 06:27:41 PM

I had 2 -40 lbs tanks filled today since we have a cold snap (in the 60's) Mesa told me they charge $15.99 for the valve installed per tank and $10.00 per tank for re-certification for 5 years my valves were good so it only cost me for the certification plus the propane @ $1.57 a gal I can live with that

dtcerrato · December 03, 2018, 07:00:00 PM

Got two of the 30 lb. tanks (that were empty) outfitted with new valves & hoses. The other two tanks are full so staying with the old hose style on those two until they empty then I'll change out those two valves & will be running all new hoses (no wrench plastic turn nuts).

Lin · December 03, 2018, 09:08:58 PM

My two 30# tanks were due for re-certification, but both OPD valves did not fully self seal when they were opened unconnected. I saw an add on Craigslist from a guy nearby that was selling a one year old, full 30# tank for $30. He said it just needed a new O-ring. "I've got lots of O-rings," says I, and bought the tank. That's when I learned that it is not really an O-ring, but a more specialized circular seal that was needed. Nobody will sell me one. The propane company said it is a liability issue and said the valve has to be replaced. The local hardware places, including Tractor Supply, gave me the same info.

I did put an O-ring in the valve to make it usable for now but would much rather have the right part. I know Clifford said he can get the rings from his propane company or Tractor Supply. If anyone knows where I can get one online, that would be very useful.

luvrbus · December 04, 2018, 04:47:55 AM

I'll check my guy today for you Lin if he has it I can get it for you

Lin · December 04, 2018, 04:34:47 PM

That would be great, Clifford. By the way, it really seems your birthdays come around pretty often. I hope that mine are a bit slower.

dtcerrato · December 04, 2018, 06:30:52 PM

Lin it wouldn't surprise me if Clifford could get the "orings" for you but I must caution you - from what I've researched IF you could get the O ring out, you may not get it back in. This could be just a scare tactic built in with the LP industry which wouldn't surprise me either. There are adapters available to remedy your problem of the O ring not sealing. I could have went that route but I decided to change to new valves. Good luck.

Lin · December 05, 2018, 11:47:05 AM

Dan, do you have any information on the adapter you mention? The tank is just a year old and has 9 years left to re-certification, so I would like to use it. The real o-ring I put in it works for now, but if I grab the hose and yank it back and forth I can get it to leak a bit. I'd prefer that it would not.

luvrbus · December 05, 2018, 03:19:09 PM

Lin,my propane guy needs the # on the valve he says it located on the side opposite the bleeder he may or may not have it but will check

Lin · December 05, 2018, 06:13:29 PM

It looks like it say, "OPD 76A3". Maybe the A is actually a 4. Anyway, the valve is female and require a wrench removal unlike most I see online that are threaded on the outside and are to be hand tightened.

I sent you a PM.

dtcerrato · December 05, 2018, 07:20:24 PM

Lin I'm not sure of your exact hose to tank configuration for the proper adapter so lets start with the one I think you need.
https://www.amazon.com/DOZYANT-Propane-Adapter-Converts-Regualtor/dp/B01N8TY9NZ/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1544065789&sr=8-9&keywords=lp+adapter+hose
This adapter compensates for crushed O rings in tank valves by incorporating an O ring on the adapter. Be ever so careful on trusting a connection with an issue that doesn't leak. In fact try to get it to leak like you mentioned while leak testing it (soapy solution) otherwise if it decides to leak without your presence - catastrophe could prevail. There are all sorts of successful adapters - I personally like to plumb (anything) with the least amount of fittings. I get that from my Dad being a steam fitter... Good luck - keep us posted.

dtcerrato · December 05, 2018, 07:26:22 PM

Lin don't know if you picked it up in the post but I have 4 fairly new 30 lb. cylinders (over 6 years of certification left) and when I upgraded to newer style hoses (large plastic hand turn nut vs smaller wrench tightened reverse thread nut) they all leaked because I continued to use older style wrench tightened nut on the new OPD valve O rings - & they get "crushed". FWIW

Lin · December 06, 2018, 01:27:19 PM

It seems that there was more to this subject than I understood. I will pass on what now looks to be accurate. The old pre OBD valves had a POL connection. That's female with left handed threads. Earlier OPD valves, like the ones on the tanks I want to replace had the same connector. Somewhere in the last decade or so (while I was, no doubt, asleep), the OPD valves have switched to the QCC connector; that's male with the very coarse outside threads.

This new tank I bought that needed the sealing ring has both types of thread. My pigtails are for the POL connector, so after being told it needed an o-ring, I put one inside, attached my POL pigtail and had a very small, intermittent leak. It turns out that the missing internal seal that they are calling an o-ring is really just needed if you are using a QCC connector. The POL connector does not need it. When I removed the o-ring that I unnecessarily had installed, the leak issue was fixed. It would have been nice if the technician I spoke to at the local propane supplier had told me that (if he even knew it), but I suspect that this stuff does not represent much of their business.

Anyway, Maybe this info will be of use to someone if there is anyone else who had not kept up on the evolution of propane connectors. The world is constantly making changes without informing me!

Geoff · December 06, 2018, 02:01:40 PM

If all they want is a recertification label, I know of people that make their own label.