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Old Coleman Stove Fuel Tanks -- how to get rid of 'em?
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John Albert
Feb 4, 2014, 1:42:31 PM2/4/14
to
Hello all -
I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the
basement. My parents bought it in the late 50's or early
60's, and it was probably used only a few times and then put
away. It been down in the basement ever since.
It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a
scrapyard and got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I
can open the valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming
out.
I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks,
and they won't take them. They said it's NOT propane in the
tanks, but something else.
I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
trash, but am a little uncomfortable about doing something
that might put others in danger.
Any way to safely empty these?
Perhaps just take them to where there's little chance of an
open flame, open the valve, and let them drain on their own?
Suggestions welcome...
Thanks,
- John
I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the
basement. My parents bought it in the late 50's or early
60's, and it was probably used only a few times and then put
away. It been down in the basement ever since.
It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a
scrapyard and got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I
can open the valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming
out.
I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks,
and they won't take them. They said it's NOT propane in the
tanks, but something else.
I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
trash, but am a little uncomfortable about doing something
that might put others in danger.
Any way to safely empty these?
Perhaps just take them to where there's little chance of an
open flame, open the valve, and let them drain on their own?
Suggestions welcome...
Thanks,
- John
John Albert
Feb 4, 2014, 1:48:33 PM2/4/14
to
On 2/4/14 1:42 PM, John Albert wrote:
> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks,
> and they won't take them. They said it's NOT propane in the
> tanks, but something else.
This is a followup to my original post above.
> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks,
> and they won't take them. They said it's NOT propane in the
> tanks, but something else.
I went and took a closer look at the tanks. It says right on
the label "propane".
Remember, these are 40-50 years old, perhaps they're putting
something different into those tanks now.
Still wondering how to get rid of them...
Lab Lover
Feb 4, 2014, 1:52:47 PM2/4/14
to
propane bottles.
Steve F.
Feb 4, 2014, 2:02:51 PM2/4/14
to
Ralph Mowery
Feb 4, 2014, 2:05:22 PM2/4/14
to
"John Albert" <j.al...@snet.net> wrote in message
news:52f13496$0$29793$862e...@ngroups.net...
> Hello all -
>
> I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the basement. My
> parents bought it in the late 50's or early 60's, and it was probably used
> only a few times and then put away. It been down in the basement ever
> since.
>
> It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
>
> I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a scrapyard and
> got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
>
> Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I can open the
> valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming out.
>
> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks, and they won't
> take them. They said it's NOT propane in the tanks, but something else.
>
> I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
Many towns have an internet page for giving away free things. I have given
>
> I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the basement. My
> parents bought it in the late 50's or early 60's, and it was probably used
> only a few times and then put away. It been down in the basement ever
> since.
>
> It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
>
> I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a scrapyard and
> got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
>
> Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I can open the
> valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming out.
>
> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks, and they won't
> take them. They said it's NOT propane in the tanks, but something else.
>
> I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
away several things that were still useful but not needed at my house.
Possiably Cregs list on the internet. I think you could also use them for
the propane tourches.
Maybe a free ad in the local news paper ?
---
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http://www.avast.com
Stormin Mormon
Feb 4, 2014, 2:14:50 PM2/4/14
to
On 2/4/2014 1:48 PM, John Albert wrote:
>
> Remember, these are 40-50 years old, perhaps they're putting something
> different into those tanks now.
>
> Still wondering how to get rid of them...
I think your idea is good. Take em out, and
>
> Remember, these are 40-50 years old, perhaps they're putting something
> different into those tanks now.
>
> Still wondering how to get rid of them...
release the gas. Propane is bio degradable.
--
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
Stormin Mormon
Feb 4, 2014, 2:15:39 PM2/4/14
to
On 2/4/2014 1:52 PM, Lab Lover wrote:
>
> You can't use them for a torch or lantern?
> Seems a shame to toss perfectly good
> propane bottles.
>
Use them in the cook stove, and cook your
>
> You can't use them for a torch or lantern?
> Seems a shame to toss perfectly good
> propane bottles.
>
next couple meals. Are they different thread
than now days?
Stormin Mormon
Feb 4, 2014, 2:17:12 PM2/4/14
to
safety vents. A couple 14.1 ounce tanks from the
fifties ought to fit a modern Buddy Burner, or
propane torch. We're only talking five bucks worth
of gas, but even so.
philo
Feb 4, 2014, 2:35:39 PM2/4/14
to
On 02/04/2014 12:42 PM, John Albert wrote:
>
<snip>
http://www.coleman.com/uploadedFiles/Content/Customer_Support/Safety/GreenKey.pdf
Basically:
If you do not have a recycle center that will deal with them... they say
to just let the gas out then throw the cylinders away.
>
<snip>
> I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the trash, but
> am a little uncomfortable about doing something that might put others in
> danger.
>
> Any way to safely empty these?
> Perhaps just take them to where there's little chance of an open flame,
> open the valve, and let them drain on their own?
>
> Suggestions welcome...
>
> Thanks,
> - John
From the Coleman website
> am a little uncomfortable about doing something that might put others in
> danger.
>
> Any way to safely empty these?
> Perhaps just take them to where there's little chance of an open flame,
> open the valve, and let them drain on their own?
>
> Suggestions welcome...
>
> Thanks,
> - John
http://www.coleman.com/uploadedFiles/Content/Customer_Support/Safety/GreenKey.pdf
Basically:
If you do not have a recycle center that will deal with them... they say
to just let the gas out then throw the cylinders away.
Bob F
Feb 4, 2014, 4:31:46 PM2/4/14
to
Stormin Mormon wrote:
> On 2/4/2014 1:48 PM, John Albert wrote:
>>
>> Remember, these are 40-50 years old, perhaps they're putting
>> something different into those tanks now.
>>
>> Still wondering how to get rid of them...
>
> I think your idea is good. Take em out, and
> release the gas. Propane is bio degradable.
I'm sure that is illegal.
> On 2/4/2014 1:48 PM, John Albert wrote:
>>
>> Remember, these are 40-50 years old, perhaps they're putting
>> something different into those tanks now.
>>
>> Still wondering how to get rid of them...
>
> I think your idea is good. Take em out, and
> release the gas. Propane is bio degradable.
Just give them to a neighbor. Lots of people use these.
Bob F
Feb 4, 2014, 4:32:47 PM2/4/14
to
Or Craigslist "free"
philo
Feb 4, 2014, 4:42:49 PM2/4/14
to
On 02/04/2014 03:32 PM, Bob F wrote:
<snip>
Whenever I try to sell stuff on Craigslist , half the time I can't sell
it even if I reduce the price to $2
Free? It's gone in 30 minutes and people fighting over it.
<snip>
>
> Good idea. Use freecycle.
> Or Craigslist "free"
>
>
Yep. That is the best possible answer.
> Good idea. Use freecycle.
> Or Craigslist "free"
>
>
Whenever I try to sell stuff on Craigslist , half the time I can't sell
it even if I reduce the price to $2
Free? It's gone in 30 minutes and people fighting over it.
Caulki...@work.com
Feb 5, 2014, 5:12:08 AM2/5/14
to
On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:42:31 -0500, John Albert <j.al...@snet.net>
wrote:
Not to do any name calling, but I cant help but say you're not too
bright.....
First off the "only used a few times" stove was probably worth $25 to
$50 or more on ebay or elsewhere. Those old Coleman stoves were made to
last, unlike the cheap tin ones made today. You probably got a buck at
most for the scrap.
Next, propane tanks DO NOT go bad, unless they rust thru. Right now, we
have a propane shortage going on, and the cost has tripled per amount.
I just bought a tank of that size for nearly $5.
I'd be happy to take them off your hands, but it's not worth shipping
them (and likely illegal). Ask your neighbors, friends, particularly
guys that work on cars or plumbers. They likely use torches. Or just
take them to any service garage or plumber, and say "here's a gift".
The fire dept would probably take them too, and use them.
Or use craigslist or freecycle. (websites)
Then stop being wasteful, there are a lot of needy people!
wrote:
bright.....
First off the "only used a few times" stove was probably worth $25 to
$50 or more on ebay or elsewhere. Those old Coleman stoves were made to
last, unlike the cheap tin ones made today. You probably got a buck at
most for the scrap.
Next, propane tanks DO NOT go bad, unless they rust thru. Right now, we
have a propane shortage going on, and the cost has tripled per amount.
I just bought a tank of that size for nearly $5.
I'd be happy to take them off your hands, but it's not worth shipping
them (and likely illegal). Ask your neighbors, friends, particularly
guys that work on cars or plumbers. They likely use torches. Or just
take them to any service garage or plumber, and say "here's a gift".
The fire dept would probably take them too, and use them.
Or use craigslist or freecycle. (websites)
Then stop being wasteful, there are a lot of needy people!
Stormin Mormon
Feb 5, 2014, 7:37:05 AM2/5/14
to
On 2/5/2014 5:12 AM, Caulki...@work.com wrote:
>
> Next, propane tanks DO NOT go bad, unless they rust thru. Right now, we
> have a propane shortage going on, and the cost has tripled per amount.
> I just bought a tank of that size for nearly $5.
http://www.amazon.com/14-1-DISPOSABLE-PROPANE-GAS-CYLINDER/dp/B00HGIQZ7G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1391603708&sr=8-4&keywords=propane+14.1
>
> Next, propane tanks DO NOT go bad, unless they rust thru. Right now, we
> have a propane shortage going on, and the cost has tripled per amount.
> I just bought a tank of that size for nearly $5.
Ouch, $7.17 on Amazon. I remember last year these tanks were about $2.47
or so at Walmart. I'll check one of these days soon, and see what the
new price is. I'm sure you are right.
Thomas
Feb 6, 2014, 2:16:01 PM2/6/14
to
On Tuesday, February 4, 2014 2:02:51 PM UTC-5, Steve F. wrote:
> > - A secluded location, a fire, and a .22 or larger...
A secluded Barren location. Been there, done that. Be far away so you have time to dodge chunks.
> > - A secluded location, a fire, and a .22 or larger...
A secluded Barren location. Been there, done that. Be far away so you have time to dodge chunks.
micky
Feb 7, 2014, 10:45:54 PM2/7/14
to
On Tue, 04 Feb 2014 13:48:33 -0500, John Albert <j.al...@snet.net>
wrote:
Sometimes after enough time, propane will lose a couple protons and
change to 2-4-hexo-methyl-heptane.
This is an intermediate substance that will lead to a chain reaction,
where the final product is lead and about 100 kilotons of TNT/gram of
explosive power.
This is considered a hazardous substance. Wrap it in newspaper and
put in the trash.
Or read the other answers.
wrote:
change to 2-4-hexo-methyl-heptane.
This is an intermediate substance that will lead to a chain reaction,
where the final product is lead and about 100 kilotons of TNT/gram of
explosive power.
This is considered a hazardous substance. Wrap it in newspaper and
put in the trash.
Or read the other answers.
micky
Feb 7, 2014, 10:51:35 PM2/7/14
to
On Tue, 4 Feb 2014 14:05:22 -0500, "Ralph Mowery"
<rmower...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>"John Albert" <j.al...@snet.net> wrote in message
>news:52f13496$0$29793$862e...@ngroups.net...
>> Hello all -
>>
>> I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the basement. My
>> parents bought it in the late 50's or early 60's, and it was probably used
>> only a few times and then put away. It been down in the basement ever
>> since.
>>
>> It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
>>
>> I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a scrapyard and
>> got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
>>
>> Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I can open the
>> valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming out.
>>
>> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks, and they won't
>> take them. They said it's NOT propane in the tanks, but something else.
>>
>> I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
>Many towns have an internet page for giving away free things.
Freecycle.com will refer people to the local webpage. Mine is a yahoo
<rmower...@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>"John Albert" <j.al...@snet.net> wrote in message
>news:52f13496$0$29793$862e...@ngroups.net...
>> Hello all -
>>
>> I had an old - VERY old - Coleman camping stove in the basement. My
>> parents bought it in the late 50's or early 60's, and it was probably used
>> only a few times and then put away. It been down in the basement ever
>> since.
>>
>> It ran off "BernzOMatic" 14.4oz tanks, two of them.
>>
>> I took the tanks out, and took the rest of the stove to a scrapyard and
>> got rid of it, but I still have the tanks.
>>
>> Even after fifty years, the tanks still have fuel in them. I can open the
>> valve, and you can hear and feel the gas coming out.
>>
>> I tried taking them to a place that recycles propane tanks, and they won't
>> take them. They said it's NOT propane in the tanks, but something else.
>>
>> I want to get rid of these safely. I could hide them in the
>Many towns have an internet page for giving away free things.
site.
Ugh. My ISP keeps bouncing yahoo mail and after about 2000 bounces,
Yahool stops writing me. I added another address to Yahoo, but I can't
use it until I verify it and following their instructoins accomplishes
nothing. There is no way to write or call Yahoo afaict. They seem to
have a place to file complaints. I did that weeks ago and now it's one
of 3000 complaints. No one else seems to have complained about the
same things, although I clicking "verify" has yielded different results
over the weeks.
Stormin Mormon
Feb 8, 2014, 7:40:27 AM2/8/14
to
On 2/7/2014 10:45 PM, micky wrote:
>
> Sometimes after enough time, propane will lose a couple protons and
> change to 2-4-hexo-methyl-heptane.
>
> This is an intermediate substance that will lead to a chain reaction,
> where the final product is lead and about 100 kilotons of TNT/gram of
> explosive power.
>
> This is considered a hazardous substance. Wrap it in newspaper and
> put in the trash.
>
> Or read the other answers.
>
I'd take the tanks, put a light bit of grease on
>
> Sometimes after enough time, propane will lose a couple protons and
> change to 2-4-hexo-methyl-heptane.
>
> This is an intermediate substance that will lead to a chain reaction,
> where the final product is lead and about 100 kilotons of TNT/gram of
> explosive power.
>
> This is considered a hazardous substance. Wrap it in newspaper and
> put in the trash.
>
> Or read the other answers.
>
the threads. Screw the tanks one at a time onto a
propane torch. Light the torch, and use it to help
warm the house. When the torch no longer runs, put
the tanks in the household trash. Unless you're
concerned about the methyl heptane, and then you
might not want to.
The Daring Dufas
Feb 8, 2014, 9:39:34 AM2/8/14
to
Craigs List or eBay? There are folks who would have bought it from you
or gladly taken it off your hands. o_O
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-1979-COLEMAN-5400A700-2-BURNER-PROPANE-CAMPING-CAMP-STOVE-nm-condition-/331115855757?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d180aff8d
http://preview.tinyurl.com/mwyzg8b
TDD
The Daring Dufas
Feb 8, 2014, 4:46:51 PM2/8/14
to
valve cores out of the cylinders. The valve on the side of tank is a
safety valve and works as a pressure release. I don't have a setup to
refill them right now so after removing the valve cores I'll either put
them on a drill press and drill a 1/2" hole in them or place them
between a couple of bricks and puncture them with a pickax. The recycler
has no problem with them then. My friend LM has a metal shop and when he
gets rid of scrap, I can toss them in the pile after opening them up.
The pickax is the easiest but my pal has a big arbor
press that I can affix a chisel point to that will punch a hole in and
mash one up, it makes it quite easy. His arbor press looks a lot like
the one in the picture below. ^_^
http://preview.tinyurl.com/mqm2pfs
TDD
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