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Tips, Techniques, and Questions -- Technical questions or tips

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  #1  
Old 2013-08-10, 12:37am
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Lisi Lisi is offline
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Default Can a propane tank be defective?

Well, I know they can, because anything can be defective. The reason I ask is because I replaced my regulator and my torch is still doing that intermittent "breathing" thing every 20-45 seconds or so. Sometimes it's okay and it doesn't do this weird thing.

About the tank: it's an exchange tank, and I got it last month but I haven't torched much since I hooked it up, so it's still pretty full. I got it for my outdoor tabletop propane stove (it's a real stove, not a Coleman), and what was weird is that I couldn't get it to light. It has a brand new valve and brass fitting on it, so I assumed this was the reason. The tank I use for the torch ran out about the same time, so I went ahead and hooked up the malfunctioning tank to the torch, and it seemed fine. When hubby went to exchange the other tank so I could hook one up to the stove, I reminded him to make sure they gave him one that didn't have the brand new shiny valve/brass fitting. The one he brought home had fittings that looked somewhat older, and it worked fine for the stove.

I don't think the breathing is the generator because when I watch the candles, they are not surging oxygen, I don't think. It seems to be surging propane. Is this because of the new fittings?
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Last edited by Lisi; 2013-08-10 at 12:41am.
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  #2  
Old 2013-08-10, 6:28am
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Can you switch out tanks to try the one currently on the stove?
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Old 2013-08-10, 6:50am
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Have you tried draining your hoses, I do it every once in a while. I hope you figure this out, my torch just started doing the same thing.
Bob
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Old 2013-08-10, 6:56am
boroman boroman is offline
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They certainly can be. My Dad spent a week in the U of M burn center because of a faulty tank.
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Old 2013-08-10, 11:45am
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Eileen View Post
Can you switch out tanks to try the one currently on the stove?
I'm going to go do that right now, but it is such a PITA. lol
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Old 2013-08-10, 12:17pm
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Same thing, it won't work on the stove. No gas coming out at all. We are going to take it back to exchange.
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Old 2013-08-10, 4:35pm
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I believe this is a concentrator issue. My torch looks like it is surging propane but it is actually the concentrator delivering less quality oxy.
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Old 2013-08-10, 5:36pm
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I am going to be torching for about 7-8 hours tonight so I will find out. I put the new exchange on the stove and it is fine. I'm using the half full one that was for the stove for the torch now. Everything should be okay.
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Old 2013-08-11, 7:43am
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I remember a few years ago I had a tank that I swear was rusting on the inside, the whole time we used it it was shooting lots of red sparks from the tip of the torch, we figured it was the torch dieing but after we swapped tanks it was just fine again. Glad you got you issue sorted out, that is a bunch of crap getting a tank that wont even release gas...isn't that what is supposed to make exchange so easy is that they test the tanks for you? lol
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Old 2013-08-11, 10:06am
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There was a thread about the advantages of getting a tank filled vs exchange.
In summary, exchange tanks are less than full and the quality of propane was suspected to be less than from a refill station.

I go to my local welding shop for refills. I try to support local small businesses when I can.

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Old 2013-08-11, 2:18pm
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Yay!!! It worked!

I have the half-empty tank hooked up to the torch and I worked for about 3.5 hours last night. No problems! I thank God and my lucky stars above that this problem wasn't my $2400 oxygen generator. If it was, the sieve beds alone are around $1000 to replace, and I have never had to repair anything on this machine in 11 years. I was told they can last for 15 years or more. If I had to get a concentrator, I don't even have the $350 to do that. You have no idea how lucky I am that it wasn't something terribly expensive. I have to keep making beads to keep the internet paid and food on the table, so I really can't afford weeks or months of down time.

Well, I have an extra regulator that I didn't need to buy, but it's best to have at least two of everything anyway.
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Old 2013-08-11, 4:30pm
losthelm losthelm is offline
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It may have simply been the tolerance on the tank valve.
There was a tread that mentioned the connector not engaging properly with the tank valve.
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Old 2013-08-11, 5:17pm
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As long as my husband exchanges tanks for the ones with the older looking valves, we're okay. Those really new ones might be a problem, I don't know. But I have had this happen before with a new looking valve set-up on the tank and it would not work on my stove, but it was fine with the torch.
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  #14  
Old 2013-08-12, 10:24am
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My propane tank will do this whenever they overfill it. After I use some of the propane it stops. I now have them under-fill it by a half pound or more.

With exchange tanks they may all be more or less filled to capacity which might intermittently cause this issue.
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