This was smart

[ctom]

Up here in Minnesota we ice fish. People use small heaters in the portable shelters for heat using the 1 pound propane bottles. A few years ago some thoughtful dork decided that he needed to invent a way to re-fill spent 1 pound bottles from larger, 20 pound tanks of propane, even though the labels on the small bottles are clearly marked DO NOT REFILL. It is against the law to transport re-filled bottles of this type. The people that use these cheap devices to save a couple cents claim that it is safe to refill the small bottles. Our local newspaper's front page shows a fully involved house fire. The cause? Re-filling 1 pound propane bottles off a 20 pound cylinder for an up-coming ice fishing trip. The entire garage, its contents, a 2002 pick-up, the homes roof and attached attic space are all lost. The guy lives within walking distance of a Walmart where the small cylinders are sold for little. I wonder how well his insurance company s going to pay out because he was clearly doing exactly what the small bottle labels warn against: refilling them.

This guy is super lucky the fire was contained to just his home. The area where he is now smelling smoke is a densely populated area with homes packed pretty close together. The paper said he wasn't injured but what a cad trying to save .25 cents.

[Blackhawk19]

Sounds like a costly lesson to me, I hope some other people learn from it!

[gone2long]

I don't think people will learn from this as they sell the refill coupler legally all over the place, cabela's, bass pro shops and the like. The way I read the little research I did was that it's not illegal to refill but illegal to transport refills but not sure if things have changed the info I read was on the older side. Either way it sounds dangerous with them selling this thing to every Tom, Dick and Harry willing to give it a go. Oh and no offense Tom that's just a saying around these parts

[Brent]

the reason they do it 3.26 for one pound or 18.00 for 20 pounds, not disagreeing about the dangers

[Jerry V]

Either way it sounds dangerous with them selling this thing to every Tom, Dick and Harry willing to give it a go. Oh and no offense Tom that's just a saying around these parts

How 'bout we just change the saying to "every Tom, Denny and Gary"... that could work. 

[ctom]

So they can buy a hose and coupler to run off a 20 for what? $20.00? Take chances like that for chump change? And then risk NOT being able to make a claim because of a clearly marked label? I don't know Brent....it seems that when these heaters that use the small bottles are purchased the cost to use them is probably pretty well apparent. The hose and coupler is a legal adaptation. What part of "not to be re-filled" as is labeled onto the small bottles is so hard to understand?  He was doing this in a closed area WITH another heater running right there. In addition to cheap, stupid comes to mind. I feel sorry for the rest of the family who has to suffer from this guys actions but I'm really having a hard time with feeling bad for him. And to add to this, those units used to re-fill an already illegal to re-fill bottle come with explicit directions regarding heat sources nearby and doing this in a well ventilated un-enclosed area [as in outside]. Its a good thing this happened the way it did instead of the nut having his kids out there to hold the small bottles.

This issue comes up every year and every year there is somebody that gets the random nod to take the stupid cake. Cars have all but blown up because of leaking, re-filled bottles. Portable shelters have torched with people in them because of leaking re-filled small bottles. People have suffered cold-burns from improperly handling the larger canisters while trying to fill the small ones. More and more the problems like this are predictable just because somebody is too cheap to buy the proper fuel for a heater. "Proper" meaning store-bought, new canisters. This fire reminds me of the story a couple years ago about a blackpowder shooter who read how to make his own black powder. He tried it. In his basement. He, his wife and two kids, their two pets and the house were erased in an instant doing something he heard was safe. Uh huh....just like these adapters. And this fire is proof. There is no good excuse to use the adapters and take a chance just to save a couple bucks.

[ctom]

Tom, Dick and Harry

Or Denny JERRY and Gary....

[Brent]

wasnt arguing, just point out why

[ctom]

I know Brent. We're good.

[Botanophilia]

If it's so cheap to buy a 20 lb instead of a 1 lb, why not but a heater for a 20 lb bottle?  I agree with Tom, just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.  If any of you are going to do this, at least be safer about it.    Fill your cans outside, no flames around, and away from your structures.

[Brent]

ever pull a shanty in the snow? adding another 38 pounds is not going to help, not to mention having the added room to carry it. For permanent most us 20 lbers or bigger already

[Brent]

I did see Manchester Propane does make a DOT approved refillable 1lb cylinder, just have not been able to figure out price or where to buy from. I just keep buying the 1lbs at Wally world, some time they have a deal where you can pick up 4 for about 7 bucks.

[pjmcla]

Jerry V - "How 'bout we just change the saying to "every Tom, Denny and Gary"... that could work.  ".
Does have a certain ring to it.  MoQuack wouldn't sound right in there somewhere, would It?

[Denny Welch]

I'm going with Hickory, Dickery and Doc.

Tic, Toc

Tic, Toc

[ctom]

Another one in Pope County in Minnesota blew up and this time the 81 year old dope doing this killed his wife trying to save a couple bucks. He is in a hospital.