Refillable gas containers

[Fredt4]

39821

Saw this onlinehttps://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01FLN2NDC/ref=pd_aw_sim_86_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=FMQJ3HS7GAYTNGQAQ1JT&dpPl=1&dpID=51JijB2kRPL

It's a refillable gas container device. I don't suppose it'll work for our iso-pro containers (in addition acquiring the larger container). But is it possible?

[hikeandbike5]

yes, rei sells this product.

[DownEaster]

Canister fuel is a mix of propane, isobutane, and butane. Of those, propane is a higher-performance fuel -- i.e, higher vapor pressure -- but that higher pressure means you need a stronger pressure vessel. To keep fuel can weight down, canister fuel is limited to about 35% propane. (Coleman actually had a special heavier can and stove ("Powermax") designed for higher propane fractions.) Butane (also called n-butane, for "normal" butane) is at the opposite end, with low vapor pressure and correspondingly poor performance at low temperatures. Butane is the fuel in disposable lighters. Higher-performance canister fuel mixes have mostly isobutane and very little n-butane; the cheap cans are mostly n-butane and don't function well at low temperatures.

Because the various fuel components have different densities, you couldn't refill a regular (propane-isobutane-butane) canister the way you could refill a heavier straight propane fuel bottle; you'd need at least two different fuel sources and a relative pressure regulator. Basically, this would be outside the realm of a consumer product.

[Dogwood]

Wonder if this might help. No experience with it though.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U2EE6M2/

[Kaptainkriz]

I have one of these. I use it to consolidate cannisters or to refill with cheap butane.

Wonder if this might help. No experience with it though.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00U2EE6M2/

[Dogwood]

I figured U did. You're the one I learned of it when you posted about it.;)

[rocketsocks]

Little steep in price though, take a lot of penny's worth of gas to pay for that thing.

[DownEaster]

Little steep in price though, take a lot of penny's worth of gas to pay for that thing.
I don't think the point of the fuel consolidator is to save cost; it's intended to get most of the fuel out of a partial can so you only carry the weight of one canister instead of two.

[Bronk]

This is a cheaper option...but again it refills the green coleman type canisters and not what most of us use for a stove. But if you use these type canisters it is a lot cheaper to refill them than it is to buy new ones.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Mr-Heater-Propane-Tank-Refill-Adapter/1151605.uts?searchPath=%2Fbrowse.cmd%3FcategoryId% 3D734095080%26CQ_search%3Dpropane%2Brefill

[BuckeyeBill]

How does it prevent pressure equalization?

[DownEaster]

How does it prevent pressure equalization?
Pressure equalization is what it accomplishes. You put the fuller can in the freezer, and warm the less full can in some hot tap water. Then hook the cans together. The higher vapor pressure in the can with less fuel forces most of it into the destination can.

[BuckeyeBill]

Pressure equalization is what it accomplishes. You put the fuller can in the freezer, and warm the less full can in some hot tap water. Then hook the cans together. The higher vapor pressure in the can with less fuel forces most of it into the destination can.

Okay I understand the two temperatures will help, but without some kind of back-fill valve, you are still going to lose pressure from the fuller canister. Also I thought that the purpose of having this tool was to use in the field where there are no freezers or hot tap water. I suppose you could boil water to heat the near empty canister. I have a MSR WhisperLite Universal stove that allows me to use multiple types of fuel. It also allows me to invert the canister so it feed liquid instead of vapor gas. I also punch holes in the canister when empty and nothing came out so I could assume I was using all of the fuel. YMMV

[cmoulder]

Using the term "fuller canister" is not technically correct because it is easy to transfer fuel from an almost empty canister into an almost full canister.

Better to use the terms "donor canister" and "recipient canister" because using the heating (although I wouldn't use boiling hot water!) and cooling (freezer is fine) techniques mentioned it is simple to transfer fuel from/to another canister regardless of the fuel level of each (as long as the recipient can isn't full, obviously).

[cmoulder]

Little steep in price though, take a lot of penny's worth of gas to pay for that thing.

Depends upon how much fuel you use... At my local REI (Yonkers, NY) 100g canisters cost about $5. I can refill with cheap butane for about 83¢. So break-even comes after 9-10 refills.

However, in order to use the cheap butane tabletop stove cartridges you also need one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Convert-Adapter-Nozzle-Cartridge-Canister/dp/B00U2B7UYQ/ref=pd_bxgy_468_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00U2B7UYQ&pd_rd_r=JRYZA5AQ92ZKY57VDCDE&pd_rd_w=cFFIZ&pd_rd_wg=0jjyP&psc=1&refRID=JRYZA5AQ92ZKY57VDCDE) to adapt the Gas Saver to the bayonnette fitting of the cheapies.

[DownEaster]

You put the fuller can in the freezer, and warm the less full can in some hot tap water.


Better to use the terms "donor canister" and "recipient canister" because using the heating (although I wouldn't use boiling hot water!) and cooling (freezer is fine) techniques mentioned it is simple to transfer fuel from/to another canister regardless of the fuel level of each (as long as the recipient can isn't full, obviously).
Good point about the hot water. I was referring to what most people consider normal (i.e., non-scalding) tap temperatures, but I understand that some people ignore safety recommendations and building codes and have their hot water come out of the faucets with steamy coffee-brewing heat. Do not get your fuel cans that hot, either with a wind screen during stove use, hot water immersion, or leaving cans in a car trunk on a sunny day. Stay at 120° Fahrenheit or lower if you don't like things to go boom. Also if a canister is dented or rusted, don't reuse it. Just use some sense, folks.

[BuckeyeBill]

Using the term "fuller canister" is not technically correct because it is easy to transfer fuel from an almost empty canister into an almost full canister.

Better to use the terms "donor canister" and "recipient canister" because using the heating (although I wouldn't use boiling hot water!) and cooling (freezer is fine) techniques mentioned it is simple to transfer fuel from/to another canister regardless of the fuel level of each (as long as the recipient can isn't full, obviously).

I was referring to fuel pressures not levels. Pressures flow from highest to lowest unless there is a pump and check valve involved. I was really asking how the instructions say this is handled with what appears to be a simple coupling type valve.

[cmoulder]

I was referring to fuel pressures not levels. Pressures flow from highest to lowest unless there is a pump and check valve involved. I was really asking how the instructions say this is handled with what appears to be a simple coupling type valve.

OK I associated "fuller" with volume.

But the simple answer to your question is that warming up the donor canister will almost always supply sufficient pressure differential for complete fuel transfer. Sometimes the donor canister needs to be re-warmed to get the last bit of fuel to transfer to the recipient can.