How To Refill 1lb Propane Tanks

[Chewie]

Works like a hot damn. Something I like to do, not really necessary but I like to weigh them full and empty so I know how much to put in them. You can throw the 1 pounders in the freezer and the 20 pounder in warm water or something similar to get a little more in there.

I never seem to get more than 1/2lb for some reason. I now use angled forceps to pull up in the vent valve. Works better and no need for freezing. The downside is the valves sometimes stick and you lose gas while seating it again.

I weigh the empty bottle with a kitchen scale , let’s say it’s 14 ounces, that’s your tare weight. Add 16 ounces for the propane =30 ounces, that’s your net weight.
Fill the one pounder with as much as it will hold and weigh it again. I find like Steelco that it’s somewhere around a half pound. So would be roughly 22 ounces. Now here’s what I do. I get an Allen wrench that will fit into the hole on the top and with the bottle upright I press on the valve and release some air. After filling a few bottles I’ve found that when you feel the bottle getting cool, stop.
Hook up the bottle again and fill. When you can’t hear anymore sound of the bottles equalizing pressure, unhook and weigh again. 30 ounces is the goal. For myself if it’s a bit under it doesn’t matter. If you let to much pressure off it will be a bit overfilled and if I’m not going to use it right away I will take the adapter off of the 20 pounder and with the 1 pounder upside down and pointed in safe direction with no danger of spark although a spark would turn it into an awesome flame thrower,,, just guessing. Screw the adapter on slowly and blow off a bit of liquid, reweigh. Rinse and repeat until you’re happy.
I never could see the point in freezing the bottles because by the time spent in handling them while filling and weighing they would be warmed up enough you would lose what you were trying to gain. I also never felt comfortable puliing on the safety valve and disturbing the seat and having it stick open as mentioned.
I have emptied 2 twenty pound bottles and have yet to have a problem of any kind. I found an adapter on Amazon that has a hose with valve in it that can shut off instead of always having to tip the 20 pounder back to turn the valve off and on all the time. Works great.