Cheese
Most likely the Pressure regulator cant handle the high pressure of larger tanks.

That the main reason that I went with the small Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater. It can handle large tanks.

You may check into an adjustable regulator for a camper or grill like the one below to connect the hose to a high pressure tank.

Adjustable from 0 to 20 lbs.

{{gwi:321721}}

$25.00 would be better than blowing the shop up.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Cajun Shoppe

Unless someone else has a better reason, I'd say it's just something that was never certified to be connected like that. Propane fueled appliances such as that heater, are qualified for use only under a very small window of allowed methods. In your case, fueled with a small cylinder. It would probably work fine, connected as you want to do, but the manufacturers don't want to be held responsible in case someone modifies a product, and for some reason it creates a safety problem.

They will bend over backward to repair a defective product if you have a problem with any part of the gas system. I have a small portable gas barbecue that uses the small cylinders. The gas valve was allowing too much gas into the burner, and it would flare up at times. I wrote to the company, and they sent me a new valve at no charge, even though the thing was a few years old.

GG

That's what I was thinking, gooseberry_guy. The heater sits on top of the tank so if I hook a hose to it I guess it could be a hazard if I happened to be an idiot and didn't make a stand for it.

Are larger tanks really any higher pressure? I thought propane turns into a liquid somewhere around 200 psi, and pretty much any tank should be the same pressure up unilt the end. Is that not true?

The hose I have is designed to adapt most anything that uses small tanks to use the larger ones, but it doesn't have any kind of regulator. When I use it with my torch the flame is actually smaller than when hooked directly to a cylinder.

My 250 gallon pig at 20 percent shows a pressure of about 75 lbs. I don't recall that it's much more than that when it's topped off at 80 percent. The regulator will take it way down for gas service, and that will be just a few pounds. I'm not sure what the small cylinders would put out, but I would think it may be around 20-40 pounds,just for a rough guess.

One point of concern to hooking up to a bulk tank, you would likely have no automatic shutoff in case the flame should go out. That means that if that happens when you're not there, you would start dumping gas into your building. Not a good thing, having gas from a small cylinder leaking into your workshop, but much worse if it's hooked up to a 100 pound cylinder.

GG

I finally got a reply from coleman today.

"It was not design for bulk hook-up. It was designed to be used with the green cylinders only."

In other words, "we don't make as much profit when you don't buy our overpriced cylinders". :)

That is a good point about the propane not shutting off automatically. Does anybody make any sort of cheap timer that would shut off the gas automatically after an hour or so?

I don't know if it's completely them wanting the $$ for the throw-away cylinders.....I'm sure that's part of it though.

The main reason is probably that the manaufacturer is taking into account how much heating a person will be doing with that model. 1500 BTU's ain't much output, so they're probably envisioning the heater only being used in a tent or some other very small area. Why have a larger bulk cylinder taking up space in an area that's small enough for a 1500 BTU heater to be practical? Also, that model requires standing vertically while in use. Having to screw it onto the top of a throw-away cylinder makes the user stand it upright while in use.

I don't know of any timer that can be attached to shut the gas off. Typically, thermocouples are used to do that job. If the flame goes out, the thermocouple cools down and shuts the gas off autmatically. Don't know if this heater has one though.......

As a rule of thumb, pressure of propane is approx double the ambient temperature in F. regardless of container size. There isn't any reason you can't use a bulk supply. Another option is to purchase an adaptor that allows you to refill the 16 oz. bottles from your bulk container. About 10 bucks at a farm supply store or propane supply company. Also, the small bottles "chill" from the evaporation of propane during use and pressure can drop to "almost" useless. This is especially true in cold weather.

Mr. Heater markets a 12' and 5' hose with an assembly that allows any device with a small cylinder connection to use a 20lb. tank. I've been using one with several appliances for two years now and it connects to anything.

Here's an amazon page... sells for $19

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005LEXM/ref=pd_sim_hi_1/002-2945111-7431236?v=glance&s=hi&n=507846

I finally got around to hooking the heater up to my bulk tank. I'm using a 5 foot hose just like the link above. When I turn on the heater, no gas comes out. I hooked the same hose to my propane torch, it worked fine. Hooked it back up to the heater and got nothing.

Any ideas why??

Don't know.. the hose works well on my small heater and coleman stove and coleman lantern without a hitch... sorry I can't help.

Thinking of only one possibility > Your new hose has it's own regulator and you got one in the heater also > The one in hose is restricting preasure to low to allow flow through the regulator on the stove > No other ideas

Say it again..
Your heaters Pressure regulator cant handle the high pressure of larger tanks.

Coleman Lantern and Stoves, along with Propane Torches are designed for high pressure applications. Heaters such as the Coleman "SportCat" aren't.

These hoses are not pressure regulated.

You hook one to a 20 lb propane tank and then to a Coleman SportCat heater the pressure from the large tank will cause the safty valve to close to quick to think about.

You have three choices.
1. Buy a heater that can handle the high pressure from a larger tank, such as a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater.

2. Buy a an adjustable pressure regulator. Then set the pressure down to a level that the heaters saftey shut off valve can handle it.

3. Well it has to do with refilling the 14 or 16oz propane tanks. But that is both illegal and dangerous.

"3. Well it has to do with refilling the 14 or 16oz propane tanks. But that is both illegal and dangerous."

Is this what you're referring to??

Here is a link that might be useful: Propane refill kit

Found on every disposable propane tank..

Federal Law forbids transportation if refilled - penalty up to $500,000 fine and five years imprisonment (49 U.S.C. 5124)

You will also find a number like the one below for example,

DOT-39 NRC 2228/286 M1003 (M1003 = registration number of the manufacturer)

What about the DOT-39?
DOT-39 tanks are not heat treated like say a DOT 4BA tank.

As a result of the manufacturing process, the metal that tanks are made from is work-hardened and brittle. Heat treatment softens the metal and restores it's elasticity. Without this elasticity, the metal won't "give" and distribute loads evenly, instead concentrating them around flaws in the metal, dents, scratches, crappy welds, rust spots, or sharp bends. These high load concentrations fatigue the metal greatly - and more important, unpredictably - making reuse of a DOT 39 tank a gamble.

Woodsrunner55
Are you willing to bet a mans life that refilling a disposable propane tank is a 100% safe thing to do?

Not me.

"Are you willing to bet a mans life that refilling a disposable propane tank is a 100% safe thing to do?

Not me."
Not betting anyone's life on anything. Merely pointing out that refilling them is NOT illegal. Transport and resale, yes, but not refilling. And apparently the folks who manufacture and sell the refill kits feel it is safe enough that they are willing to risk it in today's litigious society.
As far as DOT-39, see the above. Besides, DOT regulations are intended for commercial carriers, businesses and corporations and not private individuals.
Back when I was working, I had to comply with DOT, NRC, TOSCA, FIFRA, EPA, SARA and OSHA regs, to name a few.

Hippy, propane is a liquid inside the tank. Doesn't matter if it's 1lb or 1000lbs, it's always a liquid. The pressure inside the tank, while it is full of liquid, is always the same in every tank as long as they are the same temperature. In the 50 or so degrees in my garage, the vapor pressure in the propane is 78 PSI. Doesn't matter if the tank is 1lb or 1000lbs, if it's 50 degrees, it's 78 PSI. Look up "propane vapor pressure" in google.

If anything, I would guess it's getting LESS pressure with the adapter hose, because everything I hook up to it seems to have a slightly decreased output. That makes complete sense, because with any compressed gasses longer hose = less pressure.

As for refilling the tanks, that's probably what I will be doing if I don't get the adapter to work. It is most definately safe and not illegal. If it was as dangerous as you make it sound credible companies like Mr. Heater would NOT be selling them to the general public. Of course coleman tries to trick you into thinking they are illegal to refill - they want you to throw it away and buy another! If you refill the tank before it is completely empty the pressure never changes, thus, there are no metal fatigue issues. Sure, they'll wear out eventually, but they will easily last 10 or more fills.

Under no circumstances will I continue to pay $2.50 for a QUART of propane.

This damn site just ate my post. Crap. So forgive me if I'm short tempered, I spent 30 min's getting all of my questions put down in order....

Basically put, if the little bottles are not heat treated, then why are they safe enough for the first time?

Next, the mfg of the adapter to refill the bottles says on its documentation, "make sure the bottle is empty first". Cheese, you said to only refill if its not empty due to presure issues brought up by Hippy.

Who's right, who's wrong? I'm not willing to risk my life over this, but I do drive a car each day, and thats not 100% safe either.

Does anyone have 100% knowledge about this? Is it safe if only you follow certain rules? If so what are they, and why does each bottle say "do not refill"? If not, they why are companies allowed to make refill adapters?

Thanks

If you refill the way the picture shows you will only get gas pressure in the small bottle (no liquid) which will burn off very quickly. Its like filling a butane lighter, to fill with liquid one must turn the supply container (big tank) upside down and the newer ones will trip the leak guard, I believe, so those refill adapters are really no longer effective. It's also very tricky to bleed the vapors out of the small tank to fill with liquid, plus to be sure your not over filling it should be weighed. All said I do not reccomend refilling them.

I have a two-burner Mr. Heater set-up for my garage. Not once have I had to have both burners going to keep my over-sized two-car garage warm.

I think it cost me about $40.00 or so several years ago. It clamps to the handle of a 20 gal. propane tank and has three heat settings.

One full 20 gal. tank will last me all Winter and then some.

Been filling them for years. 20# upside down, valve off. Empty to almost full canister, doesn't matter, connected. Turn valve on. Now you need to take a pair of needle nose pliers and pull on the relief stem. This will allow the gas to escape and liquid to enter. When liquid starts to spurt from the relief valve, cannister is filled. Turn off main tank and remove cannister. I "top off" all my bottles at one time. DON'T do this inside, or around ANY sources ignition. You WILL get burned. This is not rocket science. And, the bottles don't "wear" out.

I recently bought the new Colman Camp Toaster Oven that uses 16 oz "disposable" cylinders. We want to use this inside our country home and run it off our big 700 gal propane tank. Is this possible? Safe? I assume it would require some kind of pressure regulator. Coleman had no answers for this. Maybe someone out there does.

1*It would be perfect if I could mount this heater above my workbench attached to my 20# tank.
2*That the main reason that I went with the small Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater. It can handle large tanks.
3*Buy a heater that can handle the high pressure from a larger tank, such as a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater. *****~~~~~~~~~~~~

1*I hope you aren't planning on keeping the tank inside your shop while using the heater- that's a big no no.
2*These things are dangerous.
3*I had 3 of the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heaters explode into flash fires so would not wish one on my worst enemy

Hi there,

I work out in the garden, especially during the summer. My husband loves barbecuing, and we just came across a great little safety product that I can seat belt buckle into my car and leave my propane tank in. I just bought a new truck, and thanks to this little product, I didn't have to worry about any tipping, falling over or any scratches. It was easy at the filling station too. It also looks great on the deck or patio.

I bought mine off of http://www.tanknanny.com

Here is a link that might be useful: Tank Nanny

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