Combine Nearly Empty Propane Tanks

[CaptKaspar]

I was playing last night and I was trying to fill my propane torches. I came across an odd issue where I can't use the last remaining bit a of a propane tank. I provided a screenshot below.

 

I have one propane torch that is about half full and one that is almost full but not completely. I can not get the last of the propane out of the 3 tanks to fill them. I can not combine the remaining propane tanks together like I could with for example wood glue or gas cans.

 

Is there anyway to extract this remaining propane?

 

[duh7]

I dont like that idea.
U cant do it IRL without special equipment so u shuld not do it in game without it. I dont know if that is a visual bug or game is programed like that ofc u shuld refill can if u have specialized stuff and know how to do it but to average person that is a technician lvl knowladge and i dont know where in LV companies fill gascans. 

 

Edited November 8, 2022 by duh7

[duh7]

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Edited November 8, 2022 by duh7
Deleted

[Alkanshel]

I had the same issue with one of my tanks. 

[CaptKaspar]

Filling propane tanks is nothing complicated. Anyone who can follow some easy steps and directions could do it. Maybe a skillbook could be  needed like with generators? You fill gas canisters by weight. Weigh the canister and check its tare weight on the canister. If for example the canister weighs 22lbs and its tare weight is 20, then you have 2lbs of propane in it still. Hook up a high pressure hose, open valve, watch weight change on scale. Most portable propane tanks in the US are 20lb tanks. When the tank reaches about 80% full shut off the valve. The pressure of the tank will vary by temperature and you dont want to fill it to 100% and then have the temp of the canister to rise - which could over pressurize it.
 

I have filled plenty of CO2 canisters in my day. No special equipment needed other than a scale and the hose to connect the two with an open/close valve.
 

You can already fill the propane torch, so its safe to assume the player character has the knowledge to do this. Can also assume they have a hose as a way to transfer the propane. 
 

Plenty of homes in the rural US have large supply propane tanks on their property for heating. There would also be at least a few locations in each town for refilling propane tanks. Gas stations and hardware stores would be common places. They’d have the scales and hoses at the refill site.
 

The trick in combining the two 20lb gas canisters would be trickier because a high-to-low pressure differential is needed. A temperature gradient would be used to create a pressure differential. Since gas and liquids will always travel from high pressure to low pressure. 
 

To do this one canister should be cooled, perhaps in cool or ice water. Or if you still have a working freezer put it in there for around 30 mins to an hour. The other tank can remain at ambient temp. The process will be relatively slow, but the propane gas will transfer to the lower pressure (cooler) tank -transferring from one tank to the other. 
 

If you could get the temp to -45F you could just pour out the propane into a cup or bucket since it’ll be a liquid! Once it hits -44F though it boils and turns into a gas. 

 

Hook up a high pressure hose (which we already seem to have since we can refill propane torches) between the two tanks and cool the temp of one gas canister. Then wait awhile. Might not get all of it, but you’ll get some. 

[duh7]

So u still need a high presure hose and a gas dispencer or pomp connected to generator to work. I dont mind to makeover a pomp on gasstation to work to fill propan canisters. 

In europ usualy gas stations dont have proper eq to fill it up. They swap canisters of same type and weight to one they have and u pay only for propan inside or sell u entirely New canister with propan. 

Offten canisters are delivered to gas stations as empty are taked full are taken to sell so its realy hard to tell how common eq to fill propan canisters is here. 

[duh7]

Many big companies have a huge tanks outside of building and usualy use them to fill forklift tanks. 

Edited November 10, 2022 by duh7