Propane Bottle Froze

rxbristol

Well-known member
I was excising the LP generator today and after I shut it down I noticed water beneath the RV. The propane bottle was extremely cold...ice cold and the condensation was dripping off the bottle. The water only appeared about 10 minutes after shutdown--it's almost like ice had formed and melted after the propane was no longer in use. I've seen condensation in the winter, but never when the temperature was 80 degrees. Has anyone else experience this? I'm using aluminum bottles.
 

branson4020

Icantre Member
I've seen this with steel bottles (it should be even more pronounced with aluminum) when I was drawing hard on them, especially in a warm, humid environment. As the liquid propane vaporizes in the tank, it absorbs a lot of heat and the bottles can get frosty.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
It works like a gas gauge, well at least in mid-west. Where ever the frost line starts is how much propane you have left.
 

brianharrison

Well-known member
Normal effect of using large amount of propane from a steel/aluminum bottle in a high humid environment.

As mentioned, at the propane liquid/vapor interface in the bottle the vaporization of propane takes heat in from the outside causing the bottle to be colder at the interface level, condensing any humidity in the outside air. At 100% relative humidity (usually in morning in Texas), it does not take much drop in temperature to drop out water vapor out of the air.

The higher amount or propane use/vaporization, the greater the cooling affect.

Brian
 
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