Today I saw my buddy doing something i could not believe. Iwent to a scrap yard that my buddy works at to pick up an acorn table. When i walk into the yard I see my best friend torching open a 20 lb cylinder i get closer and see it is a lp cylinder. I stood there and watched this, when he was done i asked him if he was nuts. He says he does this on a monthly basis, he torches open the lp bottles that people drop off as scrap. He says hiss bass told him it is safe if he takes off the valve, fills the cylinder with water, then dumps it out. Is this a safe method, I have never heard of this. I don't want to be going to my friends funeral if this is not a safe practice. Anyone know if this is safe or if it is not is there a safe procedure for this. Just concerned about my friends life, as he does'nt know any better, just does what the boss says?
I do not think there is a seam on the inside of a LP tank. Gas tanks on cars have seams that gas vapors can get trapped in and ignite when heated. But I do not think seams would be in the LP tank.
That being said. Would I cut a LP tank open with a torch? The clean version of my answer is NO!!!!. I would not do it. I would rather work one more day and make one more life insurance payment than have my wife cash it in. No one on this planet will convince me that it is safe.
Some use firearms, punches them nicely, more fun and safer.
bill
Sounds like your buddy is about to win a Darwin award.If you are not familliar with that prestigious award...it is given to those who improve the human geneome by removing themselves from it.Do an internet search for the Darwin Awards....funny reading.
it probably is safe, but i wouldn't do it because 'probably' isn't good enough for me.
The water is heavier than the gas, if the cylinder was up right when filled with water it would push all the gas out through the top.
I would think that as long as the valve has been removed it can not build up enough pressure to blow up, maybe turn into a blow tourch but not blow up.
My question is why are they cutting the tanks up, can't they take the valves off then crush them?
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