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Propane Grill Do's:
- Follow all of the grill manufacturer's instructions and keep written materials and manuals in a safe, accessible place.
- When not in use, make sure all grill burner controls are turned off and that the valve cylinder is closed.
- Keep grill covered when not in use. Make sure the grill is shut off and cooled off before covering.
- Always use or store cylinders outdoors in an upright, vertical position.
- When you fill or exchange your cylinder, have your supplier check for dents, damage, rust or leaks.
- Before lighting your propane gas grill burner, use a leak-detection solution to check all connections for tightness.
- If there is an uncontrollable release of gas or a fire, call the fire department immediately and move all people and pets away from the unit.
- If you experience difficulties in the operation of your gas grill, contact your local propane provider for service.
Propane Grill Don'ts:
- Do not smoke while handling the propane cylinder.
- Do not allow children to tamper or play with the cylinder or grill.
- Do not use, store or transport your cylinder where it would be exposed to high temperatures. (This includes storing spare cylinders under or near the grill.)
The propane industry is committed to product safety, working to provide consumers with innovative and effective ways to safely handle their propane cylinders. Among these innovations is the Overfilling Prevention Device, known as an OPD, designed to prevent the excessive filling of cylinders. See below for more information on OPD's.
For more information, consumers should visit the NPGA's Web site at
www.npga.org
or the Propane Education & Research Council's Web site at
www.usepropane.com.
OPD's - An Avenue to Greater Safety in the Use of Propane
This information has been developed to create a better understanding relative to the
introduction of a new safety device designed to markedly increase the safe use of
small propane cylinders. While an occasional inconvenience may occur during the
transition to a higher level of propane safety for gas grill tanks, etc., it is the
propane industry's desire that the OPD be recognized by consumers for what it
really is..........a notable advancement for the safe use of the Exceptional Energy,
Propane!
Here then, is a listing of answers to consumer's most commonly asked questions.
The propane industry hopes that this information will be helpful relative to the
purpose and use of the overfilling prevention device.
Q: What is an overfilling prevention device?
A: As defined by the National Fire Protection Association's Pamphlet 58 - LP-Gas
Code, 1998 Edition (Code), it is..."A safety device that is designed to provide an
automatic means to prevent the filling of a container in excess of the maximum
permitted filling limit."
Q: What does the Code require?
A: For propane cylinders* in the 4 lb. through 40 lb. propane capacity range, the
Code requires for them to be equipped with an OPD, as follows: New cylinders for
vapor service which are fabricated after September 30, 1998; as cylinders are
requalified after September 30, 1998 through March 31, 2002; effective April 1,
2002, before a cylinder is filled.
*All references to "cylinders" applies to only those in the 4 lb. through 40 lb. propane
capacity range. Also, the last page of this document contains information on the service
life and inspection of cylinders.
Q: How can an OPD be identified when it is installed in a cylinder?
A: Listed (e.g. Underwriters Laboratories, Inc.) OPD's are easily recognizable by
observing their unique trilobular handwheel. The handwheel is connected to the
valve stem in a tamperproof manner for the purpose reducing the possibility of
putting a user at risk by an attempt to interchange an OPD handwheel on to a
conventional non-OPD valve. It should be noticed that the valve stem on a non-OPD
equipped cylinder is not easily matched with a standard trilobular OPD handwheel.
Those who fill cylinders should take care in observing whether or not a cylinder that
appears to be equipped with an OPD, actually is.
Q: Is an OPD intended to be an aid in the filling of a cylinder?
A: The device is designed to only be a backup in the filling of a cylinder. With an
OPD equipped cylinder, the traditional procedures of filling by the weight or
volumetric methods should be followed.
Note - Prior to the Code's requirement for the use of OPD's, early non-uniform valves
were introduced into the marketplace. Thousands of these valves had conventional
handwheels and were not marked as now required by the UL listing. While the safety
features of these early OPD valves is not being questioned, those who fill small propane
cylinders should be aware of these valves still being in service. In time, through normal
attrition, these first generation OPD valves will fade from use by attrition.
Q: Is the requirement for OPD's a mercenary ploy by those in the propane industry to
take advantage of consumer's pocketbooks?
A: This is a good question and deserves a direct answer which is....no. Those
marketers who fill propane cylinders for customers have had virtually nothing to do
with the advent of the OPD. The term "virtually" is used as there were a few highly
concerned and industry active propane marketers who became involved in resolving
issues which surrounded the advent of OPD's, including a reasonable time frame for
the introduction of these new safety devices into the marketplace.
Q: I have a horizontal cylinder on my recreational vehicle. Are OPD's available for that
kind of service?
A: Presently, the Code does not explicitly address the issue of OPD valves on
horizontal cylinders. This has presented some difficulty as horizontally oriented
cylinders that were manufactured prior to October 1, 1998, are unable to be
retrofitted with the OPD's that are available at this time. There is currently a
proposal in the Code process that would exempt this style of a cylinder from needing
an OPD if visibly marked that it has no OPD and was manufactured prior to
October 1, 1998, and if none of these safety devices are available for this style of
cylinder. While the foregoing is a proposal for the 2001 edition of the Code, it is not
now known if this suggested amendment will be approved. Without question, OPD's
are still required for these cylinders that have been manufactured after September
30, 1998. An attempt is regularly made to make propane marketers aware of
changes in the Code. Any question that you have may be directed to your local
propane service provider.
Q: Brand X Propane doesn't require that my cylinder have an OPD before they refill it, so
why should you?
A: Propane marketers of integrity are those that care about the handling and use of
cylinders that they refill, knowing that the families of consumers deserve the best
and safest service that can be offered. If a propane marketer elects to do otherwise,
that choice speaks for itself.
Q: If the requirement for a cylinder to be equipped with an OPD is not a law in my state,
then how can it be enforced by a propane marketer?
A: The Code is not adopted, state by state, on a uniform basis. In time, most states, if
not all, will move to enforce the OPD criteria which was first published in the Code's
1998 edition.
Q: What happens if the float breaks off?
A: If an OPD is determined to inoperable, it should be replaced.
Q: In another state I recently had a cylinder filled for my deer hunting camp and they
didn't mention anything about an OPD. Are there laws different from this state?
A: The Code is revised by the National Fire Protection Association every three years.
Virtually all of the individual United States of America have adopted the Code as
their rules for propane applications, but not necessarily on a uniform basis as to a
particular edition. So, as the OPD requirements first appeared in the 1998 edition of
the Code, not all states have updated their propane rules to that edition. Again, it is
expected that all cylinders in the 4 lb. through 40 lb. capacity range will eventually
be equipped with an OPD.
Q: Why don't they make one-time-use throw-away grill tanks?
A: Propane cylinders are manufactured to a comprehensive specification of the U.S.
Department of Transportation. Because of these strict requirements, a throw-away
grill tank service would increase consumer cost to a level that would be
unreasonable and impractical.
Q: Where can I have my tank requalified and a new OPD valve installed? If you will not
requalify my tank, then where can I buy a new one? Where can I dispose of my old tank?
A: The propane marketers serving your area should be a reliable source of
information to answer questions regarding the OPD.
Q: Roofers and other commercial customers are trying to use OPD equipped tanks on
torch applications and they are not getting an adequate flow through the valve. What can
we do about this?
A: Some of the early OPD valves had an insufficient flow capacity for certain types
of service such as high pressure torch applications. Market competition has resulted
in OPD's becoming available that have significantly greater rates of flow.
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