OPD Valve ??

[Sundance]

Can anyone explain why a 20# OPD valve would not work in a 30# tank?

The idea is to stop the fill when it gets too high. Isn't the length of the hanging float thingy irrelevent??

[clancy_boy]

OPD valves are set to prevent the tank from overfill as a percentage of the tank volume. That set limit is 80% of the volume of the tank it is designed for. A valve for a 20# tank is designed for that tank and would not sense the correct 80% full level in a 30# tank. They even look the same - I almeost walked out with the wrong valve from my propane dealer and he stopped me and sent me back to the rack for the right one.

[Inland RV Center, In]

Originally Posted by Sundance

Can anyone explain why a 20# OPD valve would not work in a 30# tank?

The idea is to stop the fill when it gets too high. Isn't the length of the hanging float thingy irrelevent??

A 20# OPD valve on a 30 pound tank, as an example, would allow it to fill much greater than 80 percent.

That would defeat the purpose of the valve.

Andy

[eubank]

Clancy Boy and Andy are right. It's an angle of the dangle thing. If the dangle is too high, then the angle's too low. Or did I get that backwards?

Lynn

[azflycaster]

A 20# tank would fill to 16# (80%) leaving room for 4#. The same valve in a 30# would still leave room for 4# filling it with 26# or 87%. The cost of the valves is almost the same, use the correct valve for the tank you have.