LP Gas TM need advice........................

Joined
Jul 12, 2008
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Im a virgin on this always had heat exchanger TM's.

Anyway I need pros & cons, I know heat will great but how long does the LP last etc jobs rooms whatever....I wil be purchasing 2 more vans soon...perfer some nice used ones and I was looking at the LP option.


Thanks for any normal replies...lol
 
G

Guest

Guest
The best part is the heat but it will cost you a little more to operate.I have a coolant HX followed by a #3 little giant that is finigaled and I use high flow,so 2 days of work(full)will go through 5gals,so maybe a week with a 10 gal or better belly tank.What I make up for with the heat exchanger I lose with volume(using more fuel with high flow)but if you are using maybe just a #6 flow,you will get more time between fill ups.I think if you have someone who uses it that you could go see if the added heat is worth the added fuel ,then you could better decide.

PS-The nice thing with having the HX too is if I run out of propane while working I can still continue.
 

Dolly Llama

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Larry Capitoni
My first TM ran on LP, Curtis.
I can't recall the fuel usage and how it compared to what we use now
(regular gas and kero burner)

pros;
clean burning heat
clean burning engine


cons;
not a lot of fueling stations (that was a PITA to "me")
wind blowing out the heater pilot light

while I consider LP a safe alternative, the "potential" hazards are real.
The risks of catastrophic failure grow greater if you're not disciplined about safety protocol/procedures

having said that, "if' the price was right, I wouldn't rule out owning another LP TM

..L.T.A.
 

rhino1

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Chris Bolin
A good friend of mine switched from LP heat to a new TM with heat exchangers and he is pretty disappointed. He told me last week he wished he had the heater back.
 
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Bill Soukoreff
Not all heaters are created equal.

Some heaters are safer, have no problems with pilot lights blowing out, are fully automatic, produce more heat than you could ever want, come with a quality flow switch that works with an upholstery tool, can take high pressure of several thousand PSI, come with a proper belly tank and quality 2-stage regulator, has huge burner jets that don't get clogged, and use way less propane than a little giant.
 

The Preacher

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Kevin P said:
PS-The nice thing with having the HX too is if I run out of propane while working I can still continue.


why can't you keep working if you run out of propane on a non HE machine???

heat is one part of the PIE!!!
 

TimP

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May 19, 2007
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I wouldn't recommend running LP in panama city cause you have many times in the year with tons of wind being right next to the water. Of course if you found a way to keep the wind from messing up your flame go for it.
 

Greenie

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It's a nobrainer Curtis, get the LP and be done with it, the dry times, speed of cleaning, lower cost of chems etc...will be worth every gallon of LPG you use, if you have HX units just boost with a #2 heater, or #3 high pressure if you do lots of tile, if you choose a stand along LP heated unit like a TNT then get the #4 heater (either standard or high pressure option).
 

hogjowl

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You're going to spend about $15 per week if you are running flat out.

Unless, of course, you purchase your propane from a camp ground or a TM dealer. They charge twice the going price. I fill mine at the local propane gas place that supplies residential customers. In fact, been doing it so long now that they grew tired of having to fill me up and showed me how to fill my own.
 

TimP

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It would be nice if you can get your own tank and be able to fill from it. That way you can get like 100 gallons at a time and just fill up at home. And when you run out they can bring it by.
 

richard

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St. Louis, MO
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Richard Weedman
I have a new Judson TNT 10 flow with a #4 Little Giant. I have a 12 or 13 gal. tank. I have 50 hrs on the machine and have spent $70 on propane @ $3.50 p/gal. No way will you ever need more heat than this thing produces for a single wand. It will hold 240 with out being on max heat setting. I am hoping to find cheaper propane but this place is 2 miles away.
 

Dolly Llama

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Danny Strickland said:
why can't you keep working if you run out of propane on a non HE machine???

!

cause some TM engines run on propane

Mine did.

If I'd do it over again, I'd mount a large belly tank.
i had to use 40? 60? pound cans.
Even though I was set up like Marty
("self serve" fueled my own at the Amerigas disty with a code that turned on the pump and billed my account)
It was still a PITA pulling, filling and re-securing 60 pound bottles

..L.T.A.
 
G

Guest

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Danny Strickland said:
[quote="Kevin P":1nrwjch6]PS-The nice thing with having the HX too is if I run out of propane while working I can still continue.


why can't you keep working if you run out of propane on a non HE machine???

heat is one part of the PIE!!![/quote:1nrwjch6]
"you" can if you like,and I dont want any of the pie your cleaning.Pick up some cold water tide next time you are at the grocery store.I find most guys that think it unessesary usually never had much.
 

SuperFly

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Jun 25, 2008
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richard said:
I have a new Judson TNT 10 flow with a #4 Little Giant. I have a 12 or 13 gal. tank. I have 50 hrs on the machine and have spent $70 on propane @ $3.50 p/gal. No way will you ever need more heat than this thing produces for a single wand. It will hold 240 with out being on max heat setting. I am hoping to find cheaper propane but this place is 2 miles away.

$1.40 hr.. for your propane use.. That sure could add up to big bucks..! :cry:
 

The Preacher

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Kevin P said:
[quote="Danny Strickland":1ssfqia2][quote="Kevin P":1ssfqia2]PS-The nice thing with having the HX too is if I run out of propane while working I can still continue.


why can't you keep working if you run out of propane on a non HE machine???

heat is one part of the PIE!!![/quote:1ssfqia2]
"you" can if you like,and I dont want any of the pie your cleaning.Pick up some cold water tide next time you are at the grocery store.I find most guys that think it unessesary usually never had much.[/quote:1ssfqia2]

heat is the most over rated part of the pie. 120 degree water will clean capet and tile with a well formulated cleaning compound!!!
 

richard

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Messages
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Location
St. Louis, MO
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Richard Weedman
I could get less propane consumption but the constant 240 is hard to do with out once you have it.
Heat is NOT over rated. I didn't have this kind of heat before. Big difference imo.
 
G

Guest

Guest
SuperFly said:
richard said:
I have a new Judson TNT 10 flow with a #4 Little Giant. I have a 12 or 13 gal. tank. I have 50 hrs on the machine and have spent $70 on propane @ $3.50 p/gal. No way will you ever need more heat than this thing produces for a single wand. It will hold 240 with out being on max heat setting. I am hoping to find cheaper propane but this place is 2 miles away.

$1.40 hr.. for your propane use.. That sure could add up to big bucks..! :cry:

At a 100.00 an hour,that, as Danny would say, is just a small piece of the pie (do you want your pie put in the fridge Danny? :D )
 
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