Is there a reason why you can't hook an outdoor gas grill tank to any one of the small Coleman appliances so that you don't go through a ton of the those little 1 lb canisters? Any thoughts?

PS-Spent 4K at Sam's Club last night; this is getting expensive. A year ago I renovated a part of my barn for good cold storage. I feel like one of those guys in Close Encounters who kept trying to draw or sculpt devils tower.

-- Dave (aaa@aaa.com), June 12, 1999

Answers

The answer is yes. Simply buy a hose with the appropriate fittings on each end. Connect your propane appliance to the end of the hose that has the same threads as the top of the 16oz cannister you would normally use, connect the other end into the large propane container. NOTE: you will have to assure that your container and the threads on the hose are compatible. If not you will have to purchase an adapter. Wal-Mart sells extension hoses. They may (I am not certain they do) also sell whatever adapters you may require.

If you are unsure of what you need, go to an RV facitiy. They will have just about any manner of adapter/fitting/containers/hoses you might wish to utilize.

With respect,

-- Dave Walden (wprop@concentric.net), June 12, 1999.

I bought a 6 foot hose with the right connections at Fred Meyer for $16.

-- freddie (freddie@thefreeloader.com), June 12, 1999.

Coleman makes an item called a 30" Distribution Tree part #5114C775C. It attaches to your BBQ sized propane bottle and has three small-style outlets on it. The first outlet is at table height (if propane bottle is on the floor) and is horizontal - you attach a hose to your stove/burner to this one. There is another one 1' higher, same configuration. The top outlet goes straight up so that you can plug your lantern directly into it. Wal-Mart and camping stores usually stock these.

-- Ken Seger (kenseger@earthlink.net), June 12, 1999.

Make sure the small camping unit has a pressure regulator.

-- Anonymous99 (Anonymous99@Anonymous99.xxx), June 12, 1999.

Dave,

As an additional source, we found all of the hose and fittings we needed at the local bulk propane supplier. They where a little more pricey I think, but the quality was excellant and outlasted all of the Walmart stuff (but then I am mighty tuff on those threads). And the advice was free. You also need to consider how far your tanks will be from the appliances you are using for hose lengths and placement of tees if using more than one applicance,etc. Must consider saftey. Good luck. :-)

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), June 12, 1999.

I am rusty at math, but here goes...

propane is approx 20K BTU/lb or 400K BTU/std 20 gal BBQ tank... std Coleman consumes max 10K BTU/hr per burner (say 8K average)... allowing perhaps use of one burner at 1 1/2 hour per day... means that one 20 gal tank could last a month... so buy 12 tanks.

Also consider that placing all one's reliance upon one appliance may be delusional. Risk averse folks might wish to buy a Coleman dual- fuel (unleaded gasoline and Coleman camp-stove gas) as well as a backup single-burner propane stove. A caution: propane may be used indoors and does not produce CO if provided sufficient oxygen (ventilate well). However, gasoline will produce CO and should be used only outdoors. Do not know about camp-stove-gas.

This much fuel should ideally be stored outside one's house. However, the danger of basement/garage storage should be carefully considered if that is your only choice, and you truely believe Y2K will be >5. Don't let others scare you away from storing what you think you will need. Risk is everywhere. Goodluck.

-- Uhm... (jfcp81a@prodigy.com), June 12, 1999.

This is why my name is \hm... BBQ tank capacity is measured in pounds not gallons. So please just substitute 'lbs' in place of 'gal' in the above math stuff. Hope my high school physics teacher is not rolling over in her grave. Still remember the lecture on units-of-measure.

-- Uhm... (jfcp81a@prodigy.com), June 12, 1999.

Dear uhm, or whatever your name is,

Are you sure about those btu figures? I've been using 80,000btus per gallon of propane for a long time, and I'm pretty sure this is close. Your calcs come out to only 20,000 btu/gal.

Anybody have any hard data on this?

-- malcolm drake (jumpoff@echoweb.net), June 12, 1999.

Wal-Mart and many Camping supply outlets sell a converter for Coleman stoves. The converter replaces the tank and generator tube on liquid gas stoves. They will work with the small weekend bottles or larger gas bottles. I have used one for the last 4 years, I'd never go back to liquid gas. Also you don't have to keep an extra generator on hand.

-- && (&&@&&.&), June 12, 1999.

Malcolm,

Please see: http://www.gasplants.com/property.htm

Actually, we are likely both correct. Propane is 91.5K BTU/gallon and 4.23 pounds per gallon... or...

(91.5K BTU/gal) / (4.23 pounds/gal) = 21.6K BTU/pound

So your figure of 80K BTU/gallon and mine of 20K BTU/lb were both good apporimations. Just remember, that the std BBQ tank's capacity is measured in pounds, not gallons. I believe the larger tanks suitable for whole-house use have capacities measured in gallons (but could be mistaken).

This stuff always confuses me.

-- Uhm... (jfcp81a@prodigy.com), June 12, 1999.

Doesn't matter too much, you can only get the 20 lb tanks at the stations down here. You'se canukiananian's will have to metricate that...8<)

I'm planning on using the the central tank and hose theory, at least for kitchen and nearby areas. Oil lights away from immediate area, if needed. I'd rather save propane for cooking, use oil for lamps as much as possible, rather than "light" with propane and have trouble cooking. Same with kerosene for heater. Each can be a backup to the others, but I'd rather save each for its primary purpose.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), June 12, 1999.

Robert,

I noted that several ACE (or was it Northern?) Atlanta hardware stores had 40 and 100 lb tanks last spring. The 100# tanks looked difficlut to hand haul, but the 40# seemed just about right. I think Cori recommended the 40# tanks. Of course, the 40# tanks mean you must refill at a propane dealer rather exchange at the station. Trade-offs are everywhere.

Sincerely,

-- Uhm... (jfcp81a@prodigy.com), June 12, 1999.

Make sure you have a couple of extra hoses that are 6-9'

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), June 13, 1999.

Speaking of propane - we had an additional 500 gal tank installed with a line that runs to our driveway, where we'll have our RV parked if we lose power, etc. We have adaptors/connectors that we need to hook directly into the RV in which we have LP fridge/freezer, stove top/oven and furnace. That 500gal should go a long way and we also can fill 20 lb bottles from it.

-- Sylvia (in Miss'ippi) (bluebirdms@aol.com), June 13, 1999.

Dave and Others : I have located 30lb tanks at U-Haul stores and have paid $33.00 each for them. The same size tanks at RV places are selling for $68.00 for the same tank and fittings. So watch where you get your tanks And Very large LP Tanks are measured in gallons ,the smaller ones in pounds,NOT gallons. Even though a small 30 ln tank will hold about 11 gallons at 80% full. The smaller ones from that (20 lb ) should hold about almost 6 gallons,at 80%full. Just a few words from an Old RVer Tech.

Furie...

-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), June 13, 1999.