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Old 06-23-15, 07:48 PM   #9
AC_Hacker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wdrzal View Post
You can't there is a check valve built in that only allows refrigerant out so these tanks can't be used as recovery tanks.
Walt
Haven't worked with these tanks you speak of, but I have used the little green camping gas bottles for recovery.

In the propane gas bottle, there is a small spring-loaded ball valve that keeps the gas in.

In a propane torch head, there is another one, that is located at the end of the part of the torch head assembly that inserts into the gas bottle. When you screw the torch head down, the tip pushes against the ball in the bottle and makes possible the release of propane.

So I performed a ball removal, and removed the ball in the torch assembly, which allowed me to have two-way access to the little tank when the torch assembly was screwed in.

I also removed the torch head and brazed on a Schrader valve (remove valve core before brazing), so it would be compatible with the rest of my equipment. I still have the torch needle valve, which is important to 'blank off' the canister before you unscrew the torch head, and has also been very useful when I used the gas bottle for other operations.

After my recovery operation, use the needle valve to blank off the bottle, then I unscrew the modified headless torch assembly, and the ball valve that is in the green bottle makes the seal.

It's actually easier to make and use than it is to describe.

But it works great.

-AC
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