BWCA Propane/Butane canister fail! Boundary Waters Gear Forum
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Gear Forum
      Propane/Butane canister fail!     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

GBTG
senior member (75)senior membersenior member
  
07/11/2019 01:24PM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Check your propane butane canister before your trip for proper pressure.
I recently bought one from Walmart Coleman brand that definitely had fuel in it but no pressure it would light weakly and go out. I could feel it was full. Luckily I brought a spare (MSR brand) or I would have been SOL.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
Tomcat
distinguished member(700)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/11/2019 02:52PM  


 
OCDave
distinguished member(713)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/11/2019 10:27PM  
Just spitballin' here but... The pressure is a product of the vaporized portion of the fuel. While the issue could be related to the blend of propane/butane/isobutane, it was more likely related to the canister being overfilled. Too much liquid would provide too little volume for a meanngful amount vaporized fuel. My guess is that if you allow the stove to burn off some of the excess, the preformamce of the offending canister would improve.

I had to pass a couple physics courses but, that was in the distant past. So, a very small amount of very faint and fading knowledge applied to the problem. Most likely wrong but, I've tried.
 
07/12/2019 06:46AM  
I have never had that problem, but am in the habit of testing my stove and canister(s) before a trip. A good reminder to continue doing so.
 
tumblehome
distinguished member(2911)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2019 07:45AM  
GBTG: "Check your propane butane canister before your trip for proper pressure.
I recently bought one from Walmart Coleman brand that definitely had fuel in it but no pressure ."


If it had fuel in it then it will make pressure. As you know, propane and butane are a gas at ambient pressure therefore, if you hear fuel inside, it was pressurized to make it liquid. I have a small stove with a clogged valve that occasionally needs some work to get the flame to stay lit.

Tom
 
07/12/2019 07:46AM  
That is a not uncommon thing. Bad valve on the canister. Tomcat listed the more frequent problem, no shutting off.

OCDave, highly unlikely from the manufacturer, but often happens with home re-filled canisters, but not as you think. Overfilling can create dangerous over-pressure in warming canisters, bursting or worse potential. Canisters are filled by weight of fuel not volume. And filling will cool the canister, as it warms (even a few degrees, stove does not need to be operating) up it can exceed the build limits of the canister.

butthead
 
07/12/2019 09:07AM  
This happened to me on Lake Saganaga last month. The canister was an Optimus brand. I had a little 110 as a backup but it was a five day trip and I was concerned I wouldn’t have enough fuel. I kept trying the Optimus by reinstalling the stove hoping it would cooperate but it didn’t. Then in a highly caffeinated moment I tightened the stove on with a great deal of force. The canister made a hiss and behaved normally after that.
 
07/12/2019 04:46PM  
In the collective experience of bwca.com, if a canister is removed and does not seal....is leaking, when one reattaches it to the stove does that fix the problem permanently? can you then detach it from the stove? or are you just stuck using the valve on the stove as your new seal?

 
Tomcat
distinguished member(700)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2019 05:11PM  

 
07/12/2019 05:37PM  
Leaking valves on a canister release contents fast and get frigid making re-attaching difficult. If successful little usable fuel remains. I have always let the offending canister vent till empty. My personal observations.

butthead
 
Tomcat
distinguished member(700)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2019 06:03PM  
 
PortageKeeper
distinguished member(2527)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/13/2019 07:56AM  
I have used plenty of those canisters and found that they always worked when the stove is tightened past the point of what you feel is safe to twist (not a good feeling!) but they always worked. Also, when they've leaked after I take the stove off they always quit leaking after a half minute or less. For these reasons I just quit trying to save money by using them and spent the little extra on the more expensive fuel. They probably work as expected on Coleman products, but I don't use any Coleman brand blended fuel stoves.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next