Oh NO! How bad is this?

beadcrazykerri · #1 2011-03-02, 6:39pm

I asked my husband to get the propane tanks filled. I come home and see that he has filled a tank that previously held Mapp gas with propane! What should I do with this tank? Do they mix badly? I have no idea if the tank is safe now. I don't know enough about the gases mixing to make a safe decision. Answers quickly would be helpful. Thanks

NMLinda · #2 2011-03-03, 6:27am

I don't personally know, but what I would do is to put that tank outside, well away from the house, and not touch it until someone who knows something about the chemistry of Mapp vs propane can give you better insight into the safety - or lack thereof - of what your hubby did. And if it isn't safe, how you might dispose of it. In addition to good advice I hope knowledgeable folks here can give you, I recommend you call your gas supply company immediately and ask them if they know of any safety hazards with what your hubby did.

Your hubby might have gotten lucky and that they are relatively inert to each other, but mixing seemingly similar fuels in sealed containers can be explosive. My father, a petroleum engineer, used to tell us stories about tankers that exploded when improperly cleaned between shipping different fuel grades: mixing fuels without the proper knowledge can have tragic consequences in the wrong circumstances, so your concern is on-target.

I hope very much that this is a non-issue. Please come back and share what you find out. I'd also suggest sharing what you learn with your hubby so that he can be more informed, too.

Good luck!!

Linda

beadcrazykerri · #3 2011-03-03, 6:59am

Thansk for the reply. I think we are OK after some research I did, BUT the lesson of having all the tanks CLEARLY marked is learned. And of course the old motto "If you want something done right......comes to mind too!

RSimmons · #4 2011-03-03, 7:03am

MAPP burns hotter than propane, so if there was much left in the tank when it was filled you might have a problem with overheating your torch jets if you use it. Mixing fuels is, as Linda says, a bad idea. I'd play it safe and start over.

Robert

jaci · #5 2011-03-06, 8:16am

Umm I think that if they are 2 separate and MARKED tanks the person/company who filled it is responsible for fixing it. I would ask hubby and call the place that filled it, and see if they will give you a new tank for MAPP or clean and inspect the tank you currently have mixed gas in. It is not really your fault if the tank was marked. They should know better!

Dale M. · #6 2011-03-06, 8:22am

You may want to paint MAPP (which is probably Propylene) tank something like YELLOW.... So there is no future confusion....

Propylene (Propene) is a C3H6 carbon/hydrogen based compound of family "alkene"

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

Propane is a C3H8 carbon/hydrogen compound of family "alkene:..

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

Since both are fuels and both have identical tank connections (CGA 510) I don't believe there is a serious problem (THOUGH NOT GOOD IDEA).... Usually any "gas family" that is incomparable with other "gas families" will not have a tank connection style that will allow the gases to be "mixed" unintentionally...

While its probable not best combination, it probably is not going to hurt anything other than have a bit of funky flame that wil not be "matched" to either fuel... You may want to up oxygen pressure a bit and "stand" off the flame from torch face a bit... Or use container with "Mix" on BBQ instead of torch till its empty...

Dale