Another Propane Question

[kamadeca]

Hi folks,

There have been a couple of threads about running out of propane and the indicator not showing red and/or green appropriately. Well I have a problem that I haven't seen discussed as yet. I have severe colour deficiency vision, namely I can't tell the difference between red and green.

Has anyone figured out a way for those of us who are vision challenged how to figure out which tank is empty, apart from picking up the tank that is?

Look forward to hearing some inventive solutions.

[SteveSueMac]

I haven't done this but I hear if you splash a cup of hot water on the tank, you will have a lot of condensation where the propane is. So if it's only 25% full, you'll see condensation from the bottom of the tank up to a quarter of its height.

Good luck!

[SteveSueMac]

And I thought there was a thread on this - that's where I heard about the hot water.

I tried searching Google for a switchover regulator with a gauge in black and white but had no luck. Got to imagine there's a product out there somewhere for that!

Here's the old thread. Good luck!

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f287...ty-109554.html

[CruizinDux]

SteveSueMac, thanks for the tip and the great thread.

I'm like some of those on the thread...red...green...green...red same difference

I really don't want to pull the cover to check each time as on our 20, it is a bit ill fitting and a challenge to get back just right, especially with the power cord.

I was on the verge of going to an electrical supplier and buy a SS residential floor dupe cover, the type that has a screw in cover. I was planning cutting a peep hole and mounting it on the cover. That way I could unscrew the cap and my wife could ID the color.

I'll try the water approach you and a few others suggested.

Bob

[TG Twinkie]

I haven't tried it but you might consider an infrared thermometer. It should show the temperature differential above and below the liquid level.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by kamadeca

There have been a couple of threads about running out of propane and the indicator not showing red and/or green appropriately. Well I have a problem that I haven't seen discussed as yet. I have severe colour deficiency vision, namely I can't tell the difference between red and green.

Given that the Canadian flag is red and white, that kind of colorblindness is unpatriotic, isn't it?

The hot water technique works, but you pretty much have to completely remove the cover to use the technique properly.

This gizmo looks interesting…
http://www.gaswatch.com/
Basically it's a scale that is shaped to fit the base of the cylinder, with a digital gauge that can be mounted outside the enclosure, so you can weigh your propane cylinder without even opening the cover. Downside is that it only works with 20# cylinders, not the larger cylinders typically found on trailers.

There are stick-on gauges, if your colorblindness can tell the difference between yellow and orange, that work for any-size cylinder:
http://www.amazon.com/21st-Century-B...T8FM2P6F848GT1
They work on the same principle as the hot water test; the chemical in the indicator strip is temperature-sensitive, and the colder liquid propane turns the chemical yellow, warmer temperatures turn it orange. Downside is you have to be able to see the side of the cylinder so you have to completely remove the cover to use the strips.