A new problem for RVers looms on the horizon, but it’s one that can easily rectified and is, for the most part, a safety issue that will benefit the owner in the long run. I hope that this article will clear up any questions that are cropping up about OPD valves so it will not become an Urban Legend of nightmarish tales and untruths. What are these valves, and why must they be replaced if you are going to spend any time in the US? The US Federal government will prohibit the sale and use of POL valves found on most older-type propane cylinders. (POL is an abbreviation for Prest-O-Lite, the company that first produced the valve.) These valves have a familiar female left-hand thread in the valve, and are the type most commonly used in Canadian propane tanks. These are not to be confused with the ASME certified permanently mounted tanks found on motorhomes.

 

The OPD (Overfill Protection Device) is more than an overfill protection device. The OPD is a float, which restricts the amount of propane that can be put into the tank, and has a flow restrictor that limits the maximum amount of propane that can be released through an open valve. The new valve can be attached with either the standard left hand pigtail or the new ACME pigtail. (The ACME pigtail was first used in home barbecues.) US manufacturers of RVs will be required to install them this year. If you are purchasing a new RV, ensure that it is equipped with an OPD valve. The new OPD valve also has another safety feature — it will not release gas unless the pigtail hose is properly connected, even if the valve is open. Recognizing the new OPD valve will be simple, because the valve handle will have a unique appearance and the tank will have several labels indicating that it has an OPD valve. The law that covers this safety issue came into effect on Oct. 1, 1998. The next step came into effect on Apr. 1, 2002, and as of that date all tanks MUST have the OPD valve to be refilled in the United States.When in Rome do as the Romans do. You don’t want to be on vacation in some far and remote corner of the US and find out that you can’t get your propane tanks filled, and to replace the valve is going to cost you an arm and a leg. Get the valve replaced in good old Canada where everything is reasonably priced and in Canadian dollars.

Canadian cost:

I have done some legwork on this issue, and have been assured by a couple of propane dealers here in Campbell River that existing tanks can be converted at a cost of approx $50 Cdn.

There is an advantage to having it done this way, because the technician who installs the new valve will be able to re-certify the tank and it will be good for another 10 years, provided he is happy with the tank’s visual appearance and condition.

This would be a saving, because I have been quoted a price of about $100 Cdn for a new RV quality tank with an OPD valve and a 10-year certification. By the way, the tank must be empty before the new valve can be installed.

Murray & Linda Ruehlen
Campbell River BC

 US cost:

I had to have our tanks re-valved and filled for $24.27 US each at Magic RV in Yuma. The folks were very accommodating. We highly recommend them for all RV services while your readers are in the Yuma area.

Colin Mills
Kamloops BC

Built-in propane tanks:

To clarify the OPD valve issue, if one has a horizontal, built-in propane tank in their RV, and it was built prior to October 1, 1998, that tank is exempted from needing an OPD in the US. (The exemption is contained in the US Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code document NFPA 58.)

The code further requires that such tanks have a label affixed to them to indicate that they are not equipped with an OPD. An American company in the wholesale propane business gave the part number for that label to me as PV-020. But, the labels do not appear to be available in Canada. I was told to go to a propane dealer in the US, who would have to look at the tank and then provide a label. I recommend that snowbirds with these tanks get a copy of the NFPA 58 page in question and carry it with them to the US to avoid unnecessary problems with refills.

Lawrie Nielsen
lawrie35@shaw.ca

Not every state:

It is true that in Washington State you must have the new OPD (Overfill Protection Device) valve on your propane tanks. However, from my own experience (as of last week), not all propane-refilling stations in Whatcom County require an OPD valve.

Furthermore, not all states require such a device. Please refer to www.npga.org – on the Home Page click on Consumer Info, and then click on OPD (Overfill Protection Device) Information, next click on NFPA Adoptions and OPD Requirements by State (as of 07/01/02) for a listing of states that have or have not adopted the latest OPD regulations. Please note that the NPGA stresses that their information as of July 1, 2002 is not official and one should check with the enforcement office of each state.

I believe that this info and the website are important to the snowbirds heading south.

Rein Neem
Blaine WA

OPD availability:

Could you please furnish me with the address of repair shops in the Vancouver area that can re-fit my propane tanks with OPD valves?

To date I have been unsuccessful with my efforts, as it would appear the new valves are in short supply.

Reginald Hayler
regmag@shaw.ca

Reginald,

We have our tanks re-valved and re-certified in Langley at the RV Camper Clinic; the number is 604-530-0911.

Brian Yeates
Langley RV Ltd.

A professional view:

It’s true that these Overfill Protection Devices can be a problem, but they are the single most effective safety devices for propane that has come along. Like anything different and new they will be disliked at first, but in time will prove their worth.

The OPD valve is unique in design and shape. The distinctive three-lobed (triobular) handle cannot be removed without severely damaging it. This is to prevent unscrupulous characters from changing handles and claiming the valve has an OPD when it doesn’t. "OPD" is embossed on the body of the valve as a further guarantee.

Let’s define cylinders and tanks.

Cylinders are those vessels that are removed for refilling and are normally filled by weight; tanks remain in place and are filled by volume (litres or gallons).

These new valves are needed only on vertically mounted cylinders that hold between four and 100 pounds of propane.

Tanks filled by volume such as those used on motorhomes are not included in this legislation.

If you have cylinders that are designed to be horizontal when in use, the Overfill Protection Device will not work, so Mr. Desjardin is correct about the need to identify it.

A cylinder equipped with an OPD will not release product unless properly connected. The POL fitting in the valve is used for filling purposes only.

The hose with the female ACME thread is colour-coded, with the green one having the larger orifice and will allow about 200,000 BTUs to pass. The black one is most commonly used on barbecues and is rated about 50,000 BTUs. These figures will vary slightly depending on temperature.

The amount of propane that would escape if the hose between the cylinder and regulator was completely severed would be small. This makes it even safer to drive with the gas turned on. And I know of no jurisdiction in North America where this is illegal, except on ferries and in some tunnels.

If you are buying a new RV with the CSA label on it (and that’s the only kind you should buy) the RV cylinders should be factory-equipped with OPDs.

We might as well face it – the same law about filling will be here in Canada within a few years and likely will be even more restrictive. If that can be arranged.

Malcolm Henderson
Winnipeg MB