ritten crab stick smell from torch
 

Heya guys!

I haven't worked on my Hothead for a week or so, and now I turned it on and it started making this weird smell, like a rotten crab stick or something. It kinda smelled like this the last time I worked, but it was toward the end and not so obvious. I think it's maybe the gas ending in the tank - coul that be it? Should I refill it right away and not work with it until?

I also know I have to empty out my gas tank before filling it again, but I have no idea how to do that - they say you have to go to an inhabited area, turn it upside down and open it all the way, and let it blow out the rest of the gas.

I would definitely clean out your hose but it sounds like your torch has a leak. Make sure everything is nice and tight, and you might need an 0-ring as well.

I've never heard that I had to have a completely empty tank in order to get a refill.

I don't empty my tank to refill it. If you want to have it empty and cleaned, let your provider do that.

Propane has garlic oil added to it to give it an odor so that you can detect it. Sometimes a tank will have too much built up in the bottom and will benefit from being cleaned. I have no clue how they do that though.

Its not garlic oil... Its Ethyl Mercaptan....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanethiol

Dale

Maybe that is just what Holston Gas calls it.

Yep hose goo....

Thanks everyone. But how do I clean out my hose?

I think you just hang it vertically from a high tree or something, and it should just drain.

This ^^^.

Please check your torch fittings too. Even with gunk in the hose, the smell should be minimal unless your torch has a leak. HH/HH-type torches are very prone to that.