Propane tank exchange

[SpringerPop]

Originally Posted by RoyM

Pop, they are filled to 80% capacity to allow for expansion. Any more than that you would have the safety valve popping off on a hot day.

Roy,

All the DOT specifications take all that into consideration already.

Twenty pounds IS at 80 percent, fifteen isn't safer, just more profitable.

Pop

[Kevinc2011]

They were also fitting their tanks with Proprietary valves that only they could refill.. I do not like refill companies either. They PROFIT BY CHEATING CUSTOMERS!

[SpringerPop]

When I asked my local propane guy about that, he simply said, "I can refill Blue Rhino tanks. I have a magnet."

The eLivermore website to which Francesca posted a link above goes into that subject, too. See: http://www.elivermore.com/propane.htm#TS2_tanks

Pop

[sam-3]

We are very fortunate to live close enough to the indian reservation to be able to fill our propane tanks tax free. $9.00 for a 20lb and $13.00 for a 30 lb tank. I ran out while camping and the closet place was Flying Jays at $30.00 for one tank. What a rip off. Supply and demand.

[Wire Wrat]

I found that the tanks on my travel trailer have the vin number stamped on them. I would be very careful who got your bottle if the vin number of your trailer was on it when you traded it in.

[Dunner]

When I had my 5er, I would always take my tanks to a certain gas station. They would always get right at 7 gallons in an empty tank. They were busy a couple of times, so I took them to a different gas station. That station got 9 gallons into my empty tank... twice. They used the same method of filling them. I told the owner he needed to have his gauge re-calibrated, or something to that effect . He got all huffy and said they were fine. Months later, when my normal station was too busy, I went to the other station. This time and times after, they were only able to get 7 gallons in the same empty tank.

I posted this before and was told that the pressure their pump put out could cause this. Is that possible?

[Davdeb1]

Originally Posted by Dunner

When I had my 5er, I would always take my tanks to a certain gas station. They would always get right at 7 gallons in an empty tank. They were busy a couple of times, so I took them to a different gas station. That station got 9 gallons into my empty tank... twice. They used the same method of filling them. I told the owner he needed to have his gauge re-calibrated, or something to that effect . He got all huffy and said they were fine. Months later, when my normal station was too busy, I went to the other station. This time and times after, they were only able to get 7 gallons in the same empty tank.

I posted this before and was told that the pressure their pump put out could cause this. Is that possible?

Did the tank last longer when you got the 9 gallons? LOL

[SpringerPop]

Originally Posted by Dunner

When I had my 5er, I would always take my tanks to a certain gas station. They would always get right at 7 gallons in an empty tank. They were busy a couple of times, so I took them to a different gas station. That station got 9 gallons into my empty tank... twice. They used the same method of filling them. I told the owner he needed to have his gauge re-calibrated, or something to that effect . He got all huffy and said they were fine. Months later, when my normal station was too busy, I went to the other station. This time and times after, they were only able to get 7 gallons in the same empty tank.

I posted this before and was told that the pressure their pump put out could cause this. Is that possible?

Not likely. Volume is volume.

Your state's Weights and Measures Department might wanna' make a call on that ol' boy and do some re-calibratin'.

Pop

[Dunner]

Ya know, I never thought about if it lasted longer. I would always use one tank plus 1/4th of another. I would only fill one tank before each trip until I had to fill both before a trip. What did cut my usage down to 3/4th a tank per trip was re-wiring my inverter directly to the battery bank instead of using the pathetic 100 gage cigarette lighter wiring. My Generac was propane powered and I had to run it a lot longer to keep the batteries up.

I agree. There is no way higher pressure would cause the OPD to stay open long enough to get two extra gallons in. That station is closed now. It was a no-name independent.

I now wish I would have reported him and even started a class action suit. I have smoke coming out my ears right now just thinking about the brass AH and the way he denied his pump was gouging people. I do know they corrected it before they closed.

[Downwindtrac]

The regs are different in USA and Canada.We can fill by weight,that means if we have a #18.73 tank ,after fillling it should weigh #38.73. We get a full tank,but we usually pay a filling fee,no matter if the tank is half full. In US,you have safety valves,triangle valve handles,they fill to the 80%. We ran out in Montana and had to pay an exchange price ,as they couldn't fill our by the weight tank. I was a little POed,as my tank was new. In Canada,tanks have to be certified every 10 years and I had a 9 year old one at home.

[Francesca]

Propane should be sold by weight, not by volume, especially since it's so drastically affected by temperature fluctuations. One of the reasons for the OPD valve is to ensure that there's enough room in a tank to allow for normal ambient-air-temperature caused expansion of the propane.
(See: Propane Volume Correction - Temperature and Liquid Propane Volumes)

The standard "empty" space in a tank is 20% of the total tank interior space!

Bulk propane tanks are almost always above ground and therefore very significantly affected by ambient air temps. That "gallon" you buy at 5 o'clock in the afternoon could easily be only 4/5ths of a gallon once it cools down at night...another 20% price hike, since the BTU's are unaffected.
As noted above, some countries like Canada very sensibly protect their consumers from such anomalies by requiring that propane be sold by weight, which is of course unaffected by temperature fluctuations.

Especially if you live in hot (U.S.A.) country, you'd be wise to buy your bulk propane just before dawn, when temps are coolest and the fuel has shrunk back to its "real size". If you can find anyone open to sell it to you, of course.

Come to think of it...... Since that heat-caused expansion will increase profits without adding at all to costs, I don't know why any "by-the gallon" dealer would sell it in the cool of the day!

[capsfloyd]

Y cousin. Works for a national propane comp here in Texas , I get all the 20# for free , when I go to get the 30# refilled ( have not yet) will get employee pricing

27 yrs ago I worked on a propane delivery route and filled up bottles at the shop
Either they have a spew valve or you fill by weight .

[jayriggs11]

Hi all,
Good topic. When I got my TT a few months ago the guy at the dealership recommended going to "good" places to get my tanks refilled, which meant NOT a gas station or even a u-haul, because they tend to have more sediment in their tanks from not being used as frequently...he said the last thing you want is to gum up your trailer's propane lines.

I have a uhaul not too far and I usually go to the chevron by my house to get my 20# tank refilled. I have two 30#'ers on my TT and I'm still in the first one, but we're going camping next week in the pines of AZ and i just wanted to make sure I was full-up...

Thanks!

Jason

[SpringerPop]

I don't think I'd put much faith in your "guy at the dealership".

Not-so-sure that he really knows anything about propane storage.

Pop