Propane Torch

A site I recently took over the maintenance of had a new building & some parking lots installed a couple of years ago. Apparently the paving contractors abandoned one of the torches they were using in one of the back corners of the property. Obviously I can't leave this propane tank lying on this lawn where we have to mow, so I have regretably inherited this item. Interestingly I had almost actually purchased one of these a few months ago . So my question is how does one safely & correctly use it? And how can I clean it up some, there is a bit of asphalt caked on it here & there. The hose is in bad shape so I'll get that replaced, but the valve & torch look great. To start it do I just open the valve & give it some spark like firing up the acetylene & O2 torches? Thanks for any help.

no advice on cleaning. but yes just turn on and add spark. then adjust to proper flame.

Once it's hot, the asphalt that's stuck to it will soften up too. I haven't done a whole lot of asphalt work, and have never had one of those torches, but I'm sure the same principles apply. We always cleaned our shovels and rakes by soaking a few rags in diesel and lighting them on fire. You can brush a little fuel on the tool as well. The fuel helps to dissolve the asphalt too. Once you put the tool in the fire for a few minutes (the business end, not the handle, obviously), the asphalt will come right off with a few sharp whacks on the ground, or at worst, a scraper. Disclaimer: It's been a while--the method I just prescribed certainly wouldn't be considered environmentally friendly, but I don't know if they've come up with a better alternative in the meantime. Obviously, you don't want to do this right next to the overgrown, dried weeds either. I don't see why the torch wouldn't clean up the same way.

May Day! May Day!! BRL, DO NOT apply heat to the propane tank!!!!! You risk explosion with a BLEVE. Use a scraper of some sort to chip off the worst of it, then use kerosine or fuel oil to get the residue off. I'd say use a chisel but there is a minute risk of a spark that could ignite the tank if it's leaking. I'm pretty sure that these tanks have to be hydro tested to be kept in service, you might have to have that done at the next refill.

I assumed that BRL was talking about having to clean the torch part, not the tank part. Sorry if I misunderstood! :eek2 You don't think it's a good idea to throw that propane tank into a fire to melt the asphalt off?

lol Yes, I was discussing the torch. I will use the torch to clean any tools that may get dirtied by asphalt in the future, hence one of the reasons for the desire to have a torch actually. Nice of it to fall in my lap like that instead of spendingthe 60 bucks lol. But for fun I'll test Steve's theory next time we're making S'Mores in a fire in the back yard & I'll toss the tank in there to see what happens "You risk explosion with a BLEVE." What's a "bleve"?? The hose has a kink in it that's pretty bad looking so I'll wait until I get that replaced before playing with it. Thanks for the help.

What's a "bleve"?? Click to expand... A "Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion", of course! What are you, some sort of simpleton?? Everybody knows what a BLEVE is! :bouncegri (Actually, as a non-firefighter, I think I'd only heard the term once, but that was enough to make it ring a bell when Steve used it in his reply. My recollection is that it's prounced ble-vee, and it means...uh...well....something you wouldn't want to participate in. Don't feel bad. I had to google it to find out what the definition actually is.)

In layman's terms, BOOM!!!!

Another term is S udden H eat I ndused T ear. When I was going through training for the local Haz Mat team, the instructors made up thier own terminoligy to get and keep our interest going. This is one of them.

Yea but when such an event happens in your presence, is there really time to say "Gee, I feel we may be experiencing a Sudden Heat Indused Tear??" :bouncegri

will, isn't that usually prefaced by H ear O ur L oud Y ell?

And here I always thought a BLEVE was a Big Loud Explosion Very Exciting...lol. Brian

alco said: And here I always thought a BLEVE was a Big Loud Explosion Very Exciting...lol. Brian Click to expand... Well, I don't think anybody said it wasn't ...

CHAOS C hief H as A rrived O n S cene.

Don't know what you mean by asphalt "torch" but NEVER apply an open flame to asphalt! If someone was doing that they obviously know nothing about asphalt paving and/or repairs. A "torch" with an open flame is never suitable for any use on asphalt other than heating other tools to clean them like shovels & such)

Welcome to the forums, NPCA. NPCA said: Don't know what you mean by asphalt "torch" but NEVER apply an open flame to asphalt! If someone was doing that they obviously know nothing about asphalt paving and/or repairs. A "torch" with an open flame is never suitable for any use on asphalt other than heating other tools to clean them like shovels & such) Click to expand... Is that because it's a safety issue, or just because it's no good for the asphalt?

digger242j said: Welcome to the forums, NPCA. Is that because it's a safety issue, or just because it's no good for the asphalt? Click to expand... I would imagine being petroelum based it would be a saftey issue.

Maybe, but you don't often hear about an "asphalt fire". If it were that flammable, even fresh from the plant, they'd make you placard your truck, wouldn't they? That's why I asked though. I'm wondering if it's something else safety related.

digger242j said: Maybe, but you don't often hear about an "asphalt fire". If it were that flammable, even fresh from the plant, they'd make you placard your truck, wouldn't they? That's why I asked though. I'm wondering if it's something else safety related. Click to expand... I hear ya would also think with all the cars that have burned on asphalt would be a problem. So I don't know.

No, It's because there is nothing you can gain by it without harming the asphalt. For example if you wanted to try to soften a spot... by the time you got anything but the top 1/8" soft enough to be "loose" or "soft" you would have burned the asphalt cement in the surface to the extent it would lose it's binding properties resulting in "black gravel". On our web sites & forums we always advise consumers if they see a contractor with a torch stop him. He obviously doesn't know what he's doing. There are many brands & sizes of infrared asphalt heaters which can be used for repairing surface problems with asphalt. But they use INFRARED heat, not direct heat so the asphalt absorbs the heat and softens internally without "burning" the asphalt cement. Whether it's a small unit designed for a paver needing to fix seams ot minor imperfections in paving or larger units for major surface problems requiring extra new asphalt like "birdbaths" or "ponds" & such there are machines sized for every need; and some offer options to "fire" sections of the unit so a larger unit can heat smaller areas when needed. The ONLY legitimate use for a torch on asphalt is before sealcoating. Then torches are sometimes used to "burn" off oil drips from the surface of the pavement (the oil will "flash" when it gets to a certain heat then you must stop with the torch or asphalt damage can result) and also some pavers have large heavy metal plates known as "asphalt irons" they heat to very hot with a torch then use to "iron out" a slightly uneven seam or joint right after paving when the asphalt is still hot, just not hot enough to "roll out" the defect (these are very rare but still used occasionally).