Posted: 7/14/2004 7:45:53 AM EDT
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Bought a new stainless Makers Mark grill from Sams this spring, and it has been working like a champ. Went through the first bottle of gas in a few weeks time period. Took it to be refilled, and got less than 3 hours of operation out of the second tank full. I was just going to put it in the truck to have it filled again when I noticed that it wasn't empty. You can still feel the liquid sloshing around inside the tank, but no gas comes out when you open the valve. What the heck is going on here? |
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I have the bottle disconnected from the regulator on the grill right now. When I open the valve on the bottle, should gas come out of it? I was thinking that a regulator may have to be screwed in before it would let any gas out. I stuck a screw driver in there trying to feel for something that pushed in to open the flow, but nothing physically moved. That has me thinking that gas should flow if the top valve knob is opened. Am I wrong? I despise doing the Blue Rhino trade out program at $20 a pop, but may have to go that route this time in order to get a fresh bottle. Just have to be careful not to get one of their tanks that has the proprietary refill system built into it. Otherwise, you won't be able to get it refilled anywhere else for $9 a pop like I normally do. |
Just so happens, I took in on trade 840 rounds of LC tracers not too long ago. Old as dirt, but still in the original brown boxes. Could be wrong, but don't believe they are re-manufactured. I'll have to incorporate a round or two into plan B mentioned above.  (If they will still even trace that is.)
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Well the damn thing should let gas out when attached to the grill then. I always just turn the bottle on, then use the grill controls from that point on. Kinda whizzed me off this weekend when I had to cook a ribeye on the George Foreman electric grill. |
operating pressure for propane is about 200psi, they work great for air tanks but don't scrap them just because they have old valves, they can be replaced with new valves and recertified |
new valves will have a check seal in them where they are only supposed to let out gas when there is a fitting attatched to the valve. if theres liquid sloshing in the tank it has gas in it. check and make sure the connection is tight. if that doesnt work the float MIGHT be stuck in the tank, take the sonofabitch and shake it a little bit, that usually does the trick. |
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Two things to try-- 1 Sometimes the float in the tank gets stuck. Disconnect the tank and bang the bottom of the tank on the ground a couple of times . Hard --but not so hard you dent it. 2 The valve can become vapor locked. Disconnect the tank and with the valve closed open the small bleeder screw on the side then reconnect it and try again. |
Local Wally-World does a blue rhino exchange fo like $13 Exchanged my old style valve tanks for new type with no charge! Tall Shadow |
we charge 17.50 + tax for a new 20# valve and recertifying, worth it if your tank still looks good, if not sams club should have brand new 20#ers for about $30 100#s are nice, and exempt from the bullshit OPD valve, should cost you about $100-$125 for one of those |
absolutely not, propane tanks must always be upright unless the application is specifically for running on propane liquid (i.e. forklifts et. al.). bbq pits and fryers and all normal applications run on propane vapor. |