Hello, I am new to this forum. My husband and I just bought a Freedom 32’ last season and we are still getting use to the boat. We encountered an issue of refilling the sideway mounted propane gas for our stove last season because it did not have the lastest safety valve. The valve on this tank is welded on and cannot be replaced with a new valve.
After an exhaustive search through the internet to find a new sideway (slim) tank to fit in the compartment in the cockpit, the local propane gas company obliged us by filling up the tank because it was “grandfathered” in.
We would like to find a permanent solution to this propane tank issue. Any leads or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
P.S. All new tanks are the wrong squat round shape that does not fit the compartment.
Hi Rita, welcome to the site. Jane and I bought our Freedom last season also and we absolutely love it. I am sorry i can’t help with your propane problem from this side of the world but if there is an answer I am sure you will find it here. The folks on this site really have a great knowledge of the Freedom boats and have provided me with heaps of useful information and advice. Best wishes and hope you are having a great summer,
Horizontal tanks don’t have, and can’t utilize, an OPD valve. As your vendor told you, they’re grandfathered in, so everyone should fill them. I’d get a copy of the regulations and carry it with you to show anyone who claims that they can’t fill it.
I’m very curious how this filling operation works in the USA with propane tanks apparently fixed permanently on board. Do ‘they’ come to the marina with a big pressurized gas truck and a miles long hose to fill it on board? And where’s the filling opening? If inside the boat, don’t you lose a lot of gas when disconnecting the hose? But perhaps I’m rambling on in the wrong direction and are the US tanks to fixed in the boat at all. Just curious.
Here in the NL’s it’s illegal to have your own tank and get it filled at a gas station, except for cars with built-in LPG installations. Empty propane tanks are switched for a filled one of the same type. I have a new BP transparent GRP tank. You can easily see how much propane is left in the tank.
Our LP gas tank is a slender steel tank that we remove and take to be refilled at the gas company. I believe the the compartment that stores the tank needs to be vented above the water line, which this port side lazarette which houses the tank is. Unfortunately, soon we will have to find another solution for this tank. What is required now is a safety overfill valve which is not available for this horizontal tank. The new horz. tanks diameters are at least 10"-12" in diameter. The old tank was 6" outside diameter.
I will also point out that tanks have lifespans of 10 (?) years and after that they have to be replaced. Or maybe I should say “should be” replaced. I’ve never had anyone check the expiration date on the tank until last year when we were in Canada and they refused to fill one that was out of date. We eventually got it refilled in Maine…
Another thing was that I had an OPD installed on a tank in Key West and it cost $90. I had another OPD installed in Deltaville, VA and it cost $35…Shop around.
This is a problem that doesn’t go away. I’m in the process of trying to get my two 6lb horizontal tanks (from 1984 F32) recertified in BC Canada as they won’t refill them here. I’ll let you know what happens but I wasn’t hopeful when the recertification guy said he’d never seen anything like them before. Never a good sign is it.
It’s a racket. I found an outfit in California that really knows what they are doing. They are a major propane supplier to the community in the central valley. I have had my two horizontal aluminum bottles for my f30 recertified several times now. One of them is original from 1986 and retrofitted with an OPD. The newer bottle came with an OPD. I also have these guys fill my tanks because most everyone else seems to be clueless about what is legal and what is not. I do, however, have to be ready to be laughed at when the fill technician sees my little tiny tanks but I have to say they seem to last forever.
Our local (Connecticut) gases and welding supply company replaced the valve and decertified our tank with no issues.
I think I saw a new tank of this type and size at West Marine, so that could also be an alternative.
Thanks for all the great information. I’m going to see the guy tomorrow and if he hasn’t done the job I’ll use one of your contacts.
Yes it is all a cash grab.
Big surprise. They claim the valves in them are illegal in Canada now and they can’t recertify them. Guess we’ll be heading to WA with them to see if we can find someone more helpful. Joys of living in BC.
The old valves are illegal in the USA as well. That’s why you need to change it.
I just Googled “replacement OPD propane valve” and see an OPD valve is available online for $26.58. In the same Google search results was a website describing the replacement procedure. Could be DYI.
All propane tanks need to be hydro tested every 12 years, so they should be able to handle that.
