Fridge / freezers

[russ]

And they stop when the container reaches about 80% capacity. My 1000 gallon tank only ever gets filled to 800 gallons.

20 years back I was organizing safety instruction for a bunch of part timers for a test campaign we were running - to do with hydrogen and CO production. One film was called BLEVE (boiling liquid, evaporating vapor explosion). Rather vivid examples of what happens when a LPG bullet blows - it tends to clear out the surrounding area with the diameter set by the volume of the bullet.

One part was somewhere in the SW where firemen were trying to extinguish flames from one bullet when the second one besdie the burning one blew. Observers sitting along the road 1/4 mile away were turned into crispy critters. Doubt they found anything of the firemen.

[inetdog]

Russ thats how they do it with cylinders ,The tare weight is stamped on the cylinder and they just stop when it gets to tare +15 KG.
For LPG in vehicles you either stop at some point you decide or fill until back pressure stops the flow.

In the US, by law portable refillable LPG containers and residential stationary tanks must have an internal "dip tube" used as a vent when filling, and when the liquid inside the tank reaches the open bottom of the tube liquid starts coming from the vent and you know it is time to stop pumping.

Recently, as a "safety measure" LPG suppliers who exchange full tanks for empty ones have reduced the standard fill level, but kept the exchange price the same.

[Naptown]

For home tanks like my 550 gallon unit, and I would assume for vehicles they use a float type gauge just like a regular vehicle would use for a liquid fuel.

And they stop when the container reaches about 80% capacity. My 1000 gallon tank only ever gets filled to 800 gallons.

[russ]

Guess it would be a bit difficult to get that 550 unit on a scale!

[Sunking]

For home tanks like my 550 gallon unit, and I would assume for vehicles they use a float type gauge just like a regular vehicle would use for a liquid fuel.

[Sunny Solar]

Russ thats how they do it with cylinders ,The tare weight is stamped on the cylinder and they just stop when it gets to tare +15 KG.
For LPG in vehicles you either stop at some point you decide or fill until back pressure stops the flow.

[Sunking]

Sunking you happen to know how many KG in a gallon?

Do not have time to convert right now but 1-gallon weighs 4.23 pounds. So it has to be just over a pound.

[russ]

I remember the guy setting the cylinder on a scale and filling from a larger bullet - might be different for automotive use now

[Sunny Solar]

Sunking you happen to know how many KG in a gallon?

At service stations for vehicles LPG is sold by the litre

[Sunking]

just out of curiosity how much does propane cost in USA? And by what quantity is it sold.? by the pound?gallon??

Sold by the gallon. Here in TX last time I filled up was $2.89/gallon

[russ]

By the pound but last time I bought it there was 95 so doubt the price is valid any longer - not to mention I don't remember anyway.

[Sunny Solar]

just out of curiosity how much does propane cost in USA? And by what quantity is it sold.? by the pound?gallon??
In Philippines a standard gas container holds 15kg and sells for about 850 peso about $21 US.
But that is expensive as average wage earner gets about 9,000 peso to 14,000 peso a month.

[peakbagger]

Sundanzer batterty less refrigerator $1,200 plus solar panel at $2 per watt $300 total $1,500

Dometic Gas refrigerator $1,395 plus ongoing propane costs ?

Looks to me like Solar is pretty competitive

[ROSSABLANCA]

Enough is Enough, base price on a sunfrost fridge/ freezer 3000 dollars.
Last word on the subject from me.
Dave H.

[peakbagger]

Most of the folks I know with propone refrigerators dream of the day when they can quit lugging propane tanks to and from their remote location. The problem with propane or butane is that there isnt a lot of btus/lb and the bulk containers weigh a lot empty so there is a lot of extra weight being moved around to transport the fuel. There are some kerosene fired units out there whihc probably less "lugging" but probably have an odor when operating. http://www.lehmans.com/store/Applian...erator___RK400

Most of propane installations I know of are the old Servels, usually at someones camp. There used to be a bounty on them to have them destroyed so a lot go them got scrapped. There is still someone in Maine that services them and has the "secret formula" for the heat transfer fluid.

The new Sundanzer batteryless refrigerator looks like the ticket for off grid installations.

There is a series of remote high mountain huts nearby that services hikers in the local mountains. They fly up all the heavy stuff with helicopters including propane for their stoves. All of the huts use Sun Frost refrigerators run off of solar panels. I expect they have gone through the economics more than few times.