How many people here use flashback arrestors in line with their propane tanks on their gas forge?

I use them on my oxy/acet setup. I don't know how well they work because i've never had an incident but I suppose that is part of the point of safety equipment. :rolleyes:

build your own if you worried about it. take a small section of pipe (i made mine 3 inches).
compact FINE bronze wool in to the pipe. Use a wooden dowel to REALLy smash it in. teflon tape and a few brass nipple and voila!

I use them on Ox/Ac after I read up on accidents involving flashbacks. I can say there have been a couple of times I wish I had them on my coal forge. Flashbacks with coal smoke cause a VERY loud boom.

I would not worry about it much with Propane (LPG). From what I have learned, propane has a pretty small mixture percentage band where it can burn. (from about 2% to 10% gas percentage to oxygen) This small mixture percentage means that the flame can and will not burn straight from the hose or follow the gas up the hose. It must be mixed with air at the right percentage to burn at all, if it is too rich or lean, it will extinguish itself.

I would be more worried about small leaks in the fuel line or fittings that allow the propane to settle to low spots or sumps and accumulate in pools that could rapidly ignite under the right conditions.

never thought of it but its a good point - i have them on my oxy/acet but not on the propane.. didnt know homemade was an option - never thought of that either! cheers!

I would not worry about it much with Propane (LPG). From what I have learned, propane has a pretty small mixture percentage band where it can burn. (from about 2% to 10% gas percentage to oxygen) This small mixture percentage means that the flame can and will not burn straight from the hose or follow the gas up the hose. It must be mixed with air at the right percentage to burn at all, if it is too rich or lean, it will extinguish itself.

I would be more worried about small leaks in the fuel line or fittings that allow the propane to settle to low spots or sumps and accumulate in pools that could rapidly ignite under the right conditions.

ahh I guess that makes sense. If it was a serious threat you'd think that forge manufacturers would include or highly reccomend their use.

What other safety precautions can you install or do to make sure your gas forge is very safe?

with oxy acet the high press oxygen can be forced up the acet line causing problems

in a venturi forge there is no other pressure at all and in a blown forge the air pressure is very low and the blower would have to be able to force air up the propane line to cause trouble.

Acetylene can exothermically disassociate without the presence of O2! So the tank could go up if an explosion propagated up the hose.

Propane won't----inside the propane tank there is no O2 so no explosion possible.