Propane, and Propane Accessories
Mar. 4th, 2024 06:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ceagleIf there was ever any doubt to the merit's of Hank Hill's profession, I'd say he's vindicated.
I've been exploring how to get a propane cylinder, either new, or refilled, and it's been an education!
All the big hardware stores around seem to just have a very common "15 lb tank" and in general these don't have a gauge, and they would prefer just the quick exchange process.
On hand, I've got an empty tank with a gauge, that has a tare weight of 16.6 lbs.
After much door to door looking/driving about, and online searching, plus (just) one place saying directly, that those 15 pounders ARE the 20 lb standard ones, apparently it's just a messy colloquialism that interchanges 15 for 20 when people refer to these. Confusing!
So now that this was sorted out, had to take the next step in the plan, and git some gas.
I didn't wanna exchange my nice gauge tank for a no-gauge tank. Prices ranged widely too... even for new tanks (without gauges), ... $54 (at Wal-Mart, but the dispenser was out of order), $70, $72, $85 (at fuel stations, all plus tax) ... all for the same thing.
So more hunting ensued for a place that might refill the one I've got. Not very many refill places around, it seems. Drove by the headquarters for one of the tank companies... gate closed, no visitors/no customers allowed.
Finally I went to a downtown city center, and the U-Haul there had full refilling services. Score! Another fella waiting before me was getting an 85 lb forklift tank refilled. The operator also said they can only fill to about 80% internal capacity.
Turns out these tanks also have Expiring Certification after 12 years, and mine has 2 months left. Luckily that meant I was indeed able to get it refilled... but what next?
Looked online for a re-certification place and found one, though they were closed for the day. It looks like re-certifying might be possible, but it's about 2/3 the price of getting a whole new one, ... so, since it's about 50 miles to the place, I'll have to consider whether to go for it, or to buy a brand new one at that downtown U-Haul in a few months instead.
I've been exploring how to get a propane cylinder, either new, or refilled, and it's been an education!
All the big hardware stores around seem to just have a very common "15 lb tank" and in general these don't have a gauge, and they would prefer just the quick exchange process.
On hand, I've got an empty tank with a gauge, that has a tare weight of 16.6 lbs.
After much door to door looking/driving about, and online searching, plus (just) one place saying directly, that those 15 pounders ARE the 20 lb standard ones, apparently it's just a messy colloquialism that interchanges 15 for 20 when people refer to these. Confusing!
So now that this was sorted out, had to take the next step in the plan, and git some gas.
I didn't wanna exchange my nice gauge tank for a no-gauge tank. Prices ranged widely too... even for new tanks (without gauges), ... $54 (at Wal-Mart, but the dispenser was out of order), $70, $72, $85 (at fuel stations, all plus tax) ... all for the same thing.
So more hunting ensued for a place that might refill the one I've got. Not very many refill places around, it seems. Drove by the headquarters for one of the tank companies... gate closed, no visitors/no customers allowed.
Finally I went to a downtown city center, and the U-Haul there had full refilling services. Score! Another fella waiting before me was getting an 85 lb forklift tank refilled. The operator also said they can only fill to about 80% internal capacity.
Turns out these tanks also have Expiring Certification after 12 years, and mine has 2 months left. Luckily that meant I was indeed able to get it refilled... but what next?
Looked online for a re-certification place and found one, though they were closed for the day. It looks like re-certifying might be possible, but it's about 2/3 the price of getting a whole new one, ... so, since it's about 50 miles to the place, I'll have to consider whether to go for it, or to buy a brand new one at that downtown U-Haul in a few months instead.
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Date: 2024-03-05 01:55 pm (UTC)Yeah, sounds like you figured it out, but often industrial areas will have commercial propane distributors (i.e. Strickland Propane ;-P ) that will sell you anything from a grill tank to something you put in your back yard and will do on-site filling. In my case, I got 50 lb tanks for one of those "jet engine" heaters that I tried... although it didn't burn very efficiently and I found I ended up getting lightheaded whenever I used it, so I think I probably have 11 of the 11.4 gallons left. ;-P
It *used to* be the case that some gas stations would have propane filling on-site, but as you say — I'm sure due to safety/insurance reasons — most have moved over to exchange services now. But if you look around, you may still find an exception that's closer to home.
Also I suspect (??) you could move the valve and thus meters to a new tank? But don't know for sure how it's set up.
Another interesting point is that the bigger tanks (I forget if it's 40 and up or 50 and up) often will let you get away with cheaper, arguably less-safe but less failure-prone and more easily fillable valves.
Interesting that there's an "expiration date" on tanks. Now I'll have to check. ;-P
But glad you got it sorted!