# 1 lb tanks refill



## stampman (Dec 30, 2003)

I fill 10 1lb tanks last night. 6 worthington tanks fill up to 1 lb. 4 coleman tanks would only fill to half to three fourths of a lb. Anyone esle have that problem. Everyone was taken out of the freeze one at a time. Every tank was done the same way.


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

Yeah I then refreeze them and they will fill more. I usually get 3/4 fill the first time so I don't try to get any more in but the few that don't get that much I refreeze.
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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

*Don't refreeze them and try to fill them more!!!!*

Its way too easy to overfill them this way. You have to weigh them to know if they really have 16 oz or not.

Propane refill video


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## N M Mechanical (Feb 7, 2008)

I forgot to say that I use my refigerant scale
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## fisherjam (Oct 8, 2009)

ih772 said:


> *Don't refreeze them and try to fill them more!!!!*
> 
> Its way too easy to overfill them this way. You have to weigh them to know if they really have 16 oz or not.
> 
> Propane refill video


Yes, there is nothing like a Colman heater shooting three foot high flames inside a shanty. Don't ask me how i know this.


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## Chrome steel (Apr 6, 2003)

stampman said:


> I fill 10 1lb tanks last night. 6 worthington tanks fill up to 1 lb. 4 coleman tanks would only fill to half to three fourths of a lb. Anyone esle have that problem. Everyone was taken out of the freeze one at a time. Every tank was done the same way.


Did you make sure to release any fluid left in 1lb canisters before filling?


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## stampman (Dec 30, 2003)

All tanks where completey empty. The only differents was the colemans tanks were brand new and the worthington tanks have been refilled several times.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

I've been refilling the one pound tanks of all brands for close to 15 years now. Sometimes you get an oddball tank that just won't refill completely and it doesn't matter what brand they are.

What you want to do is take the 20 lb tank and leave it inside the house for a day so it really is at room temperature when you start refilling. The fuller the 20 pound tank is the easier it is to put 16 oz of propane into the 1 lb tanks. 

When I start out with a full 20 lb tank I can refill about fourteen 1 lb tanks before I have to take the 20 lb tank back inside to warm back up to room temperature. As you remove propane from the 20 lb tank it causes the remaining propane to cool down and there is less pressure to force propane into the 1lb tanks.


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## rambler240 (Dec 26, 2009)

Soo last weekend I went to hook up my latern with a 1 lb tank and as soon as I went to screw it to the lantern, liquid propane was spilling out and it was a really big challenge to get it screwed on with out loosing a lot of propane why is this? 

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## steelslam (Apr 8, 2001)

i have been refilling tanks for 15 plus years like ih772 said, some tanks just will refill more than others. i have some tanks that have been filled, im guessing over 30 times. an for that tank that was shooting propan out when you screwed it into a lantern, mark that tank an throw it out. must be everyone is refilling their tanks because i used to pick up empties on the ice all the time.


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## dbdoud (Jan 7, 2013)

fisherjam said:


> Yes, there is nothing like a Colman heater shooting three foot high flames inside a shanty. Don't ask me how i know this.


That and when they heat up they will vent out the top vent valve. Into the truck. Dont ask me how i know this either lol :lol:


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## on a call (Jan 16, 2010)

I just started this year filling one pounders. You guys got me started. I cool the empty bottle in the freezer and keep the 20 pound tank warm in my shop ( safe area ) I flip the 20 pound tank upside down, add the adapter, screw in the bottle to be filled, and leave till I hear no more release of pressure. 

Am I doing it correctly ?

I did not know to weigh them...how do I go about doing that ??

Thanks..Stay warm.


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## Burksee (Jan 15, 2003)

on a call said:


> I just started this year filling one pounders. You guys got me started. I cool the empty bottle in the freezer and keep the 20 pound tank warm in my shop ( safe area ) I flip the 20 pound tank upside down, add the adapter, screw in the bottle to be filled, and leave till I hear no more release of pressure.
> 
> Am I doing it correctly ?
> 
> ...


Another 15+ year x2 veteran of refilling one pound propane tanks. I remember ordering my valve/adaptor out of an add in the "Practical Sportsman" magazine! :lol:

As far as weighing them, I would highly recommend it, pick up a inexpensive kitchen scale, I've got one that cost me less than $10.00 from Walmart or Meijer.

I cant remember the number/weight at the moment but I did mark the face of the scale at the weight of a brand new full one pound tank and use that mark to measure how full my refills are getting. 

I would also reinterate what has been said several time already, *DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR TANKS!* I'd rather carry several that are half/three quarters full than one overfilled one! 

BTW - ih722's video on refilling one pounders is a great and highly recommended tuitional!


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Burksee is right about the kitchen scale, that's what I use and it works well. You can get them for under $10.

How I weigh mine is by putting the empty 1lb tank on the scale and zeroing the scale. Then you can read the weight of propane directly on the scale after filling.


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## S.B. Walleyes&Waterfowl (Jan 10, 2012)

I just started refilling 1lbers this year. I am using a big old 50lb+ tank to fill them out of. During deer season I was able to fill them no problem. I tried the other day and no matter what or how long I waited it would not fill up. Now from reading this thread I'm wondering if it would not work because of how cold the big tank was from being kept outside?


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## Capnhook (Feb 14, 2004)

Do the refilled tanks weigh 16oz. , or do the refilled tanks weigh 16oz+ the weight of the tank? I've refilled these things but never weighed them and consequently have 3/4 0r 1/2 filled them.


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## davi5982 (Mar 8, 2010)

16 oz plus weight of tank.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

S.B. Walleyes&Waterfowl said:


> I just started refilling 1lbers this year. I am using a big old 50lb+ tank to fill them out of. During deer season I was able to fill them no problem. I tried the other day and no matter what or how long I waited it would not fill up. Now from reading this thread I'm wondering if it would not work because of how cold the big tank was from being kept outside?


Yep.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Capnhook said:


> Do the refilled tanks weigh 16oz. , or do the refilled tanks weigh 16oz+ the weight of the tank? I've refilled these things but never weighed them and consequently have 3/4 0r 1/2 filled them.


If you put an empty on the scale and zero it, the filled tank would make the scale go to 16 oz.


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## Hookineyezz (Sep 11, 2008)

An empty tank weighs between 14.2-15.5 ounces, so a full 1 lber weighs just under 2 lbs.


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## Crappie 1 (Mar 15, 2011)

fisherman frank said:


> No. A new 11lb tank cost alot more then a 20lb tank


 The 11lb was $48 and tax at Northwoods last winter.


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## fisherman frank (Jan 25, 2012)

And worth every penny of it. You'll keep it for a lifetime. I have had mine so long I paid 20.00 to have a new valve put on when they changed to the new style. The 20.00 included a fill up.


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## ifish4eyes (Mar 3, 2000)

Hadn't needed to fill bottles in the past two years. Found my adapter, back in biz.


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## msfcarp (Jun 6, 2006)

Crappie 1 said:


> You can get an adapter at Norhtwoods in Pinconning. I used to fill the 1 lb bottles from a 20lb'r. Got sick of it. Bought an 11lb tank, run a small Mr Heater, fill it once a year, lot less fooling around, no more carrying a bunch of bottles in the sled.


Right on bro, thats what I do also.


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## Jim_MI (Jul 9, 2012)

ih772 said:


> The reason you weigh the tank is to be sure you have not over filled them. If you follow the instructions in my video *completely*, you will get a full tank. I have 24 different 1 lb tanks that I have been refilling for many years now.
> 
> The guys who don't get a complete refill are the ones taking short cuts in the refilling process.


So... by weighing the filled tank you know if it is overfilled, underfilled, or correctly filled.
If correctly filled, use it.
If underfilled, use it and toss?
If overfilled, toss without using?
Help me understand how you use knowledge of the fill adequacy.


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## ih772 (Jan 28, 2003)

Jim_MI said:


> So... by weighing the filled tank you know if it is overfilled, underfilled, or correctly filled.
> If correctly filled, use it.
> If underfilled, use it and toss?
> If overfilled, toss without using?
> Help me understand how you use knowledge of the fill adequacy.


When you fill the tanks as shown in the video you will get the tanks filled to the proper level. 

If you try to fill a partially filled frozen tank, you will over fill it every time if you're are not weighing them. If someone does that, just use a small screwdriver and let out some propane until there's a pound left in the tank. Next time be sure it is completely empty before refilling.

Some tanks for some odd reason never will refill to a pound going from empty and frozen on the first try. When I get one of those I just use up what got inside the tank and then toss it. You will find one like that out of twenty or so tanks that have never been refilled. 

I have about 24 tanks that I've been refilling for many years now and they will fill up with one pound of propane every time if I follow the steps described in the video. I used to have three tanks that would only take a partial refill on the first try. I'd put them back out in the cold for 15 minutes and reconnect them to the 20 pound tank and give them a shot of propane and then weigh it to be sure I didn't over fill it. Now I have enough tanks so I just threw the problem ones away.


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## ifish4eyes (Mar 3, 2000)

Hey it goes without saying "No Smoking" when refilling :lol:


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