I sent a message to Smith yesterday and got a reply that there is a
one year warranty on the hoses and to go to my dealer. They didn't
seem to be concerned that the hoses were failing on a regular basis.
That’s very disappointing indeed. Before buying the Little Torch, I
read recommendations on Orchid, and I don’t recall ever reading
anything about the hoses not lasting long, but now there are a
number of people who have had similar failures to mine in a short
space of time. Overall, I really like the torch. It’s much easier to
control the flame than it is on my large welding torch and I’m
looking forward to getting it back with new hoses (hopefully). But
it’s a pity the company aren’t standing behind their product.
if you know exactly what not to do you can make an impressive
crater with propane (military grade explosion), It's the 2000 psi
O2 tanks which are really unguided missiles in disguise. A Valve
less O2 tank does tend to take out walls etc. Ya chain them down
for good reason.
Unfortunately, this sort of is just making me even more
scared of the darned things. I need to get a grip and understand them
so I’m not so scared of them. I’m fine with the day to day thing of
switching them on and off, then bleeding the lines, etc, but
switching out the tanks for new ones and testing for leaks has me
frightened!
The best thing to be able to calm your fears would be to google a
propane company. They will have all the that is needed
to separate the myths and the facts.
My father, when he was alive, help perfect propane for using it for
fuel and heat. He worked for Van Gas, Bragg’s Butane, and owned his
own business as B & B Propane Company in Vacaville, CA. There are
precautions that should be taken, i.e. don’t breathe it. But mostly
propane and butane is safe to use.
The big white propane tanks are designed to be changed out by your
average BBQ wielding American homeowner. They ain’t rocket science,
and they rarely become rockets, even when willfully abused by the
clueless.
As far as changing them goes, you probably don’t even need a wrench.
Most of the modern connectors just have a plastic handle around the
nut, so you can spin it tight by hand. It’s designed to lock solid
under mere hand pressure, even when applied by Jane Q. Homeowner.
You’ll be fine.
Check for leaks either by using spraying windex all over the joint,
and watching for bubbles, or mixing up your own very-lightly-soapy
spray solution, and doing the same thing. (Some fear the terrifying
solvent power of…domestic glass cleaner. Thus shunning windex in
favour of something with no solvents at all. You don’t really care,
all you want is something that makes bubbles. Dish-soap as for kids
bubble rings works a treat.)
Remember: these are fittings your average American caravan owner can
handle with minimal risk. You’ll be fine.
I’m not entirely sure I’d store it indoors, but I wouldn’t
hesitate to use one indoors, and store it in the shed or somewhere.
Unfortunately, this sort of is just making me even
more scared of the darned things. I need to get a grip and
understand them so I'm not so scared of them. I'm fine with the day
to day thing of switching them on and off, then bleeding the lines,
etc, but switching out the tanks for new ones and testing for leaks
has me frightened!
That’s good. They are dangerous and respecting that fact will
prevent you being careless with them. I have mine chained to a cart
made for that purpose (and to make them easier to transport.)
The big white propane tanks are designed to be changed out by your
average BBQ wielding American homeowner.
They’re orange in the UK but that’s besides the point. I’m actually
more afraid of the oxygen now, as it’s under such high pressure.
As far as changing them goes, you probably don't even need a
wrench. Most of the modern connectors just have a plastic handle
around the nut, so you can spin it tight by hand. It's designed to
lock solid under mere hand pressure, even when applied by Jane Q.
Homeowner. You'll be fine.
Mine do need a wrench. I just need to be sensible and grown up, and
look at the thing before I do anything. I’m sure if I actually go
out there and have a look at my tanks, I’ll be able to work out what
to turn with the wrench, to take the regulators off. After all, we’re
talking about when they’re empty, so there shouldn’t be any high
pressure oxygen or fuel waiting to scare me. Then, if I’ve managed
to take them off successfully, I should be able to replace them on
the new tanks. In theory anyway.
I'm not entirely sure I'd *store* it indoors, but I wouldn't
hesitate to use one indoors, and store it in the shed or
somewhere.
The tanks WERE in a detached garage (which we didn’t really consider
as indoors as there’s a huge gap under the up and over door for any
pooling propane to escape through, and it’s not the house itself). I
use the torch in my old dining room (which is now converted to my
workshop), by putting the hoses through the window. The tanks are
now stored outside the dining room window, because without the Little
Torch hoses extending the larger hoses, they are now not long enough
to reach from the garage to the dining room.
Thanks for the advice Brian. I think I just need to be a big girl!
Brian has given you very sensible advice. Don’t be intimidated by
your tank of gas. Carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions,
and you should have no problems.
However, I don’t believe it is safe to store any propane tanks in the
house (except the little disposable ones). I have friends who use the
barbecue sized propane tanks indoors, but take them outdoors when
finished working. This does mean detaching the hoses, but once you
learn how to do it and test them as Brian suggests, each time you
reattach them, you should have no problems. His idea of using Windex
glass cleaner is new to me. I have been buying the little bottles of
liquid recommended for testing. It is a blue liquid, and methinks it
may well be regular domestic glass cleaner.
However, I don't believe it is safe to store any propane tanks in
the house (except the little disposable ones).
I’ve never kept my tanks in the house and never will. Apart from the
fact that it would be dangerous to do so, my insurance policy would
be void if I did. I’m not sure why folks think I keep them in the
house. I’ve always had the hoses coming in through an open window
and then put them out when I’ve finished, shut the tanks off and
bleed the lines, etc. I have thought about changing to very small
tanks in the future - ones which can be kept inside - but even if I
did, I’d still carry them outside (or to the garage) after use, for
peace of mind.
I’ve looked at the tanks, and I reckon I can cope by myself the next
time I need to change them. I’ll let hubby do the lifting, but I’ll
sort out the regulators, etc. I was just making a big fuss. I will
always have a healthy respect for such things, which should keep me
and my family safe, but I think I can manage now, after good folks’
advice, so thank you.
They're orange in the UK but that's besides the point. I'm
actually more afraid of the oxygen now, as it's under such high
pressure.
True, the oxy in the tanks is under a lot of pressure (aprox 2000
psi). However, the oxy hose isn’t under that much pressure. The
pressure in the hose is controlled by the regulator on the oxy tank.
Depending on the torch specifications the pressure is probably under
less than 20 psi. The air hose you use to fill the tires on your car
is under lots more pressure. But then it’s a different type of hose.
Well, having sent my Smith Little Torch back to the vendor a number
of weeks ago, I’ve heard nothing as yet regarding whether they’re
going to replace or repair it. We have made numerous telephone calls
to them (the only supplier of the torch in the UK), and every time,
the buck has been passed, until we finally managed to speak to the
chap who’s supposedly dealing with it. First he said that he’d sent
it back to Smith’s in the USA but hadn’t heard anything back from
them. Then the next time we spoke to him, he said that Smith’s email
system was “down”. So we left it another week or so as requested,
and phoned again. Low and behold, now their own email system was
"down"!!! It seems to be an endless round of excuses. I’ll post
again when I know more.
I’m happy to announce that two months after sending my Little Torch
back to the vendor, I have finally received it back, repaired under
warranty. Well it’s not my torch repaired at all, it’s clearly a
brand new one in brand new, different packaging with slightly
different coloured knobs on it, but who cares, I have a new Little
Torch in working order!!!
For a while I thought I was being given the run around, as the
vendor’s email system was supposedly “down” a few times, then
Smith’s email was “down”. Then the next time we rang, we were told
that they had sent it to an agent in the US, who in turn would be
sending it to Smith. We were seemingly just getting excuse after
excuse. But when we rang the other day, for about the tenth time, the
chap dealing with it was off for the day, but his colleague looked at
his emails, and it transpired that he had indeed been chasing it up
with Smith everyday. Then a couple of days later we had a phone call
from the vendor saying that my torch was back from Smith and that it
had been repaired under warranty, and I could expect it in the post
the next day. Sure enough I took delivery of a brand new Little Torch
the next day. I’m really looking forward to hooking it up again, and
soldering with it.