Putting a vacuum on an older larger propane tank (used)?

[Hammer]

I have an 84 gallon propane tank that is in good condition, but I know that I need to put a vacuum on it before I can get it filled.
It had propane in it a long while back, as evidenced from the smell if you burp the fast fill port.

SO, how can I safely put a vacuum on this tank that still has some propane vapors in it?

I even though about taking the valves off and making SURE the inside it clean, might get it clean enough to not worry about it and just have the normal places put a vacuum on it.

Btw, non of the places remotely near me will put a vacuum on it if it isn't BRAND NEW. They don't have the vacuum pumps that are not prone to 'blowing up' ;)

[DRM]

Hell, the local RV park here will fill pretty much anything you bring to 'em :p

[DSW]

It's been several years since I worked with older propane tanks. I used to take them to the hydro shop we delt with and had them change out the valves to the new OPV valves. They also updated the test certs on the tanks. I forget if they vac'd the tank but believe they charged the tank with nitrogen when they tested the tanks. I know one filling place had asked about that before they would fill. You might give a place like that a try.

Around me propane fillers are kind of quirky. One place wont touch some tanks but will others for no apparent reason, another doesen't seem to care as long as its got an OPV and a good cert. One place will still fill the old non OPV valve tanks if the look like they are for commercial use, tar heaters and so on.

[Hammer]

Hell, the local RV park here will fill pretty much anything you bring to 'em :p
A tank with no vacuum, but has normal air in it, will take a LOOOONNNGGG time to fill when most places do it.

IF I can do it myself, I can do it fairly fast, but it wastes a bit of propane the first time.
When I worked for the local cement plant / forestry place, they had their own LARGE propane tanks with fill station. When I filled old tanks, smaller 7 gallons, it would spit lots of 'mist' out along with the air, etc.
But I could fill it in about twice the time it would take to fill a normal tank. Not bad, but I can't find any place that will fill it like that for me.


Hmm, I can ask around for the closest place to recert the tank. They should be able to do this, it would only make sense.

[pendy]

Call me crazy---

Run a vacuum line to a gasoline powered vehicle? Maybe a reducer inline? It will burn the vapors as it takes it in the intake. No worse then when guys used engine vacuum to draw vacuum on the A/C system and made mustard gas out the tailpipe. Mustard gas or BOOM! Well maybe BOOM is worse.

Flame away:flipoff2:

[groundloopdog]

have the propane co purge the tank {put 15# of vapor in blow it out they do this 5 time} then fill it . its a nfpa code aproved way to do it

[Ed ke6bnl]

my guess not an official answeris to use one of the air compressor vacuums pumps I have it creates a vacuum with the venturi effect off your air compressor anything with electricity is a no no. Ed

[GA_ZUKI]

WTF,…. Did I miss something or what? Why do you need to pull a vacuum on it? When Ace Hardware purges new grill bottles all they do is put just a lil’bit of propane in the tank and let it vent out. Then they repeat it again and then fill. While filling it they leave the vent open and when the air starts spitting and turns to liquid it FULL with forklift bottles same thing. I have emptied the tank completely and swapped the fill and draw ends and converted a liquid draw forklift tank to a vapor draw tank. It’s like 2 grill bottles in 1. I personally have never had a tank purged the reason is because I don’t see the point. Fill vent fill vent and on the last fill leave the vent open until it’s full.

[Hammer]

WTF,…. Did I miss something or what? Why do you need to pull a vacuum on it? When Ace Hardware purges new grill bottles all they do is put just a lil’bit of propane in the tank and let it vent out. Then they repeat it again and then fill. While filling it they leave the vent open and when the air starts spitting and turns to liquid it FULL with forklift bottles same thing. I have emptied the tank completely and swapped the fill and draw ends and converted a liquid draw forklift tank to a vapor draw tank. It’s like 2 grill bottles in 1. I personally have never had a tank purged the reason is because I don’t see the point. Fill vent fill vent and on the last fill leave the vent open until it’s full.

Well, places I check on in Oregon won't touch the damn thing, especially the cheapest place ($2.30/gal last time I was there. Compared to over a dollar a gallon more here.

Maybe I will just put some propane in it myself and vent it a couple times.