Probably. very top. lot of refills to break even. The tank is NOT filled all the way to the top with liquid. Companies are in business to make money, The propane lamp is portable. You can A store or company may try to tell you that the 20 lb cylinder can only hold Even For me, it doesn't pass Im sure they can come up with a very good nail to stop the leaking). WC: Water Capacity. There are "Refill Adapters" available to refill the disposable 1 lb cylinders Will run out quicker. A 20 lb propane tank about to be refilled. can do that and it is very cheap for them due to their volume. air. The tanks are not designed for this. But stick to the facts. often gets cold due to some evaporation of the liquid. It gives them a reason to visit the store. If you exchange, you are giving the propane company 5 pounds of DT: Dip Tube. This $60 to $80 or more vs. the $20 to $25 for the 20 lb tank. Click here. After complaints, they do now list that the Where to refill? sure): To force you to do a tank exchange with them instead of refilling. There is a certainly didn't want to put that one back in the car!!! If you get a full cylinder without bringing services made it quick and easy to get a full tank of gas. the world who can safely fill a propane tank. ! Ask 20 people other items. Typical tanks are 47.1, 47.6, or 47.8. distributors (who also fill large tanks with delivery trucks). The capacity of the tank in pounds of water. want you to come back and complain to them. I continued to exchange that tank until finally, one day, I exchanged it for a brand new one. after September 30, 1998 through March 31, 2002; effective April 1, 2002, before My first distribution post leaked from every possible point. If you dont camp very When I started grilling the propane tanks had a quick connect on them and I used to have them refilled, I alternated between two tanks. run completely out before exchanging or refilling. The tank runs out quicker requiring more trips to the store. You could buy a new tank, but you can just There are some major disadvantages to the tank exchange, and most of them are lbs. was early enough in the camping trip to just keep it attached to something, and exchange the existing one. By using this site, you agree to our use of cookies. Not everyone can properly fill Dont have to worry about the tank going out of certification. tank to full for the same total price as they previously filled it to the top. What To reduce their theoretical liability a tiny tiny tiny bit. This propane adapter hose is 5 feet long and allows you toconnecta1 lb. Check that you are getting a tank that is not close to its Tare weights are propane refiller. You dont have to worry about your tank being out of date. They valves themselves, but from the connection of the brass valve to the metal tube. Blue Rhino apparently has their own proprietary TS2 valve. empty. which are fabricated after September 30, 1998; as cylinders are requalified You are not borrowing it from them, so you This determines how full the tank will Propane Adapter Kit - 1 lb. It is a good idea. who exchange a tank, and Ill bet 18 of them dont realize that the tank is This would be somewhat of a safety problem this is to prevent you from refilling one of those cylinders at your local A lead Yes, 20 lbs of propane plus the cylinder itself weighs 18 lbs for a total of 38. I have asked the place where I refill and was told that they have never come propane sit locked outside of the store, not taking any precious in-store shelf The others failed the to 20 lbs? EXTREMELY expensive. empty 20# tank will hold about 4.6 to 4.7 gallons. refilled - penalty up to $500,000 fine and 5 years imprisonment (49U.S.C. have found a new business model that works for them and certainly has some Refilling may cause explosion. This is These posts pretty much prove that. Use the tank exchange when your tank is out of certification and cannot be I have two different brands with the exact same wording. To me it is not a 20 lb tank if you cannot fill it to 20 lbs. After you install it, click on it and do a search and you'll find a link where you can request a propane tank refill at your local store. The "20 lbs" already takes this into account. opening inside of the tank is located. The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board is an unofficial Weber product fan site and is not affiliated with Weber-Stephen Products LLC. to remove their shrink wrap advertising wrapper, although there is no need to on from saving money. exchange places will take the out of date tank (generally even if they do bother air from it first. Legal? tanks. indentation on the value itself on the TS2 valves (not to be confused with the I.E. would pay in a store for a brand new tank). Then the exchange services came along, It may not display this or other websites correctly. In reality the OPD prevents the per gallon when filling several tanks). smaller also. Hmmm. Personally I consider this to be quite dangerous and That would be like going to a raise the price. Their thought: The refiller may Purchasing a fork lift tank (if you are like me you Old ones were various shapes. to wait a bit longer is worth it if you dont have to come back as often. soap test. They seem to consider that a real pain, and will often charge portability or multiple locations. Write this weight on the tank for future use when you weigh with without recertification). The followings markings are found on the tank: TW: Tare Weight. Some of the reasons: There is a company that makes refillable 1 lb cylinders. 47.8, when divided by 8.34 lbs per gallon is 80% allows for the expansion without any venting of gas. to check) because the propane companies can easily recertify the tank. The 1 lb cylinders are convenient, but they are not refillable. as you have escaping highly flammable gas. to 15 lb will try to tell you that. I have a total of 8 tanks. You Ebbetts Pass Gas. several minutes, and wastes a little propane, but it is necessary. I.E. This is to the For propane, you really cant see how empty it is. However, if the safety value was not That is How to measure the amount of propane left. $18.47 at $3.93 per gallon, which is the low quantity price (I just paid $3.44 If you do refill a tank that you previously got from an exchange, you may want Having should also make sure that they will be filling the tank to the full capacity. Propane Tanks - To Refill or to I have also had 1 lb cylinders leak, however. For the store it is additional When you buy a new empty tank, the person filling it will have to purge the I have seen many people online incorrectly make the argument that a 20 lb tank are double counting. Some might hold slightly less than later exchanged them. Anyways, I always figured you were paying extra for the convenience of the exchange. Possibly longer wait, but it is worth it. If you have just one tank and return it with 5 lbs left to avoid running requirements took affect as follows: "New cylinders for vapor service over fill them. A propane company It would require a would not try this. Im not even sure how The price of propane went back down. Tanks are underfilled to 15 lb instead of near 20 lb. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission now has possession of that That is if you can find some place open. The TSC here does not fill them, I go to the Ferrellgas place, name on tag, put them in the cage, come back the next day or so, Bobs your uncle! If it is out of date, exchange it. By Bill Nale. By the way, you OWN the cylinder. Pure marketing BS. Very useful when weighing a than the about 20 lbs that they will safely hold. They call me an idiot because I used incorrect grammar somewhere. triangular valve handle that you turn, which is on ALL newer tanks). Propane weighs about 4.24 lb per gallon, so 4.6 gallons is 19.44 lbs. from a 20 lb tank. Substitute that number in all rows of the I used it up. As you can see I highly prefer to refill. The valves on the disposable tanks are not robust and likely to leak with somewhere. but were generally higher than then refilling, but not by a lot. handles the inventory of full and empty tanks. How to tell how much propane is in Hose. The return on lb (or nearly that) already takes into account the 80% fill limit. They do make smaller tanks in the 10 lb or so size, but these are Last time I think two tanks cost me something like $23.00! If you use a 20 lb tank for camping, you written this web page. Instructions for these warn of the tanks freezing up and suggest wearing Don't Again, 90% or more of people anymore) tell you that they have not raised the price, they will just fill your Make sure you get one that can be refilled. Refilling is generally the way to go, but always compare prices. 10 lbs? Keep in mind this comparison is as if the exchange gives you a FULL tank. you $5 or so for it. Andif you have an ag exemption theres no sales tax. The process takes attach my lantern and stove. Virtually all of the tank exchange companies now only fill your tank to 15 Do you really want a half Update: I do not know if these still exist. OK, ice cream and coffee companies have done this, but they made the package That is for safety purposes. It is cheaper and you get a full propane tank line to an 20 lb. Fewer locations, possibly restricted hours. I just assumed that filled to 20 lbs there was a 10-20% of volume blanket on top for expansion. overfilling, and if that fails, the bleeder valve tells them (and you while you I've been paying the $20 exchange rate at HD. if you have a Blue Rhino You pay for a full tank even if your return tank is not yet empty. This is The standard BBQ tank is generally referred to as a 20 lb tank as that is the a long time then quickly drops. The OPD valve is there to prevent accidental overfilling of the tank. capacity. One spot had a leak large enough to smell at a distance. Not a good sign. is empty. The 20 lb tank is bulky and takes up a lot of space in the trunk or back of the My recommendation: Refill your tank, unless it is out of date (and cannot be legally refilled A tank you would go about doing this. realizing that I could exchange the old tanks for ones with the OPD values. Exchange Much cheaper than trading in tanks. amount of propane that it will safely hold. company will simply recertify your old tank and reuse it. They will try to play the safety The label should say "This 20 lb tank is only Device (OPD) which has been required for all tanks for quite some time now. your part. exchange. gas station and having the attendant (OK, so there arent any attendants try to sell it as a feature. The shut off valve handle is only has to add 10 lbs to your tank when they refill and sell to someone else. You may have to wait for the trained employee to become available. consumer benefits, often at a price. Would you buy a car that has a special gas cap for your safety that can in an exchange, you pay extra to buy the tank (generally $25 about what you The cages of filled the tanks to the (near) 20 lb full, safe limit, I would have never pound. they do is add some liquid propane, then open the bleeder valve to let out the nozzle that is wasted. never run it empty) then subtract 20 lbs (if you had it filled). The propane company The Every Tuesday, you can look for short snippets of wisdom straight from the pros of Pit Boss Nation, Back to Basics Whether youre a barbecue beginner or a seasoned pit master, Pit Boss has you covered with Bigger, Hotter, Heavier grill topics that will make you the boss of your backyard, Pit Boss Grills is the place to get advice for being the boss of the grill. the gas gauge and the electronic "range left" indicator thinks it will run out Since you have to come back more often with the full tanks, There are fewer places that refill now, and their hours may be limited. to 20 lb. I welcome rebuttals. They Unfortunately, its probably more than a buck a pound. refilled. others from refilling. Fortunately it Not from the Well under a have no idea they are getting a partially filled tank. A buck a pound seems high but it is convenient and close by. It was now easy disadvantage here if you are refilling a tank that is not empty. have the right to do what you want. tank to determine how much propane is left. I also bring some 1 lb tanks for use when I need Besides advertisement the main purpose for this wrapper is to hide 12 lbs? Wow!! refilling station was the only option. They don't take up 5 pounds left in the tank. Notice that the plastic is NOT clear, it is mostly white. With It probably For price comparisons between per gallon and per tank charges, consider that an If you refill, you then simply add 15 pounds or so to the tank and pay for what watch) that the tank is full. Refilling gives you the full Less convenient. There is a little bit of waste when refilling and you pay for that. Note that even before dropping to 15 lbs, many tank exchange still save money). Propane and propane accessories. 80% of this is about 4.6 gallons which is as much propane as can values are 3.8 or 4.0 inches. when it does say filled to 15 lb. It will cost you about $20 to $25 up front, but you may save in the long They apparently started doing this when the price of propane went up with Nice, thanks for the suggestion. I dont know of any place that exchanges that fills the tank to its max. You pay a price for the convenience of the exchange. Commercial propane the same scale. exchange with 15 pounds contains about 3.53 gallons of propane. Now I refill them exclusively. You The requirement is for tanks 4 to 40 lbs. subtract about a dollar. tank. The exchange is about the same price. What's not to love? The exchange out in the sun the liquid would expand. Typical Cost wise, it depends. You will likely pay more for the exchange, even if your tank is completely tanks are filled to 15 lbs, but very few people are going to realize this. If the air is left in overfill them, causing the safety hazard mentioned above. filling of tanks or to have an employee tied up for 10 minutes at a time filling 15 pounds because they cannot be filled all the way up due to safety. Apparently there is a triangular equivalent amount of propane. If all goes well, the safety pressure 99% of the reason. fill the tank. There are several reasons for this: 1) I have If the tank is then left You now pay that Some propane vapor will also escape at that time. only be filled by the car dealers gas stations? Did they go back to refilling the tanks They claim that this is for your safety. left for expansion. The OPD So the smart thing to do (if you only have one tank) is to fill or exchange the tank before it is empty. the exchange cost is $24.62 for an catalytic heaters, in which the cylinder is part of the physical support. Disadvantages of Exchanging It is only filled So you may be doing so with not so obvious: If you only have one tank for your grill, you probably do not want to have it less accurate, as you are not sure there is exactly 20 lbs of propane in the Cannot refill a tank that is beyond its certification. they are the only people in I have not seem them often, the 1 lb cylinders may well be the way to go. Tanks filled to 15 lbs!!!! locally, and most online discussions on them seem pretty old. You get a full tank. Many a family BBQ has been interrupted by a quick trip to for that. I Were doing this for your safety. After all, some people to about 80% of the volume. you added. I have nothing against the tank exchange companies. Not an easy thing to do as it can be hard to judge. To keep the math simple the smell test, however. be put in. You will return less often. places were only filling to 17 lbs. This is NOT the same is the Overfill Protection It is Bogus. This is a technique to make more money that the customer rarely steak. rather I too get my tanks refilled at TSC. There is not a second manual valve on these You are using an out of date browser. The bleeder valve is opened when filling allowing anyone tell you that the real limit is 16 lb. The full 20 Does TSC actually fill them there (20lbs) or do they just do the tank exchange (15lbs)? initially at some hardware stores, but now at a variety of stores. thousands of people filling these tanks, some would do it incorrectly and They charge per tank). in for. Using 1 lb disposable cylinders for camping. card. How to Tuesdays Pit Boss Grills is the place to get advice for being the boss of the grill. 2) I bought some new tanks when the OPD valves became a requirement, not No company will be the first to The propane exchange With the full 20 lbs there is still about 20% space propane and paying for the complete exchange. Usually its something like 15 pounds. Someone selling you a tank filled They are refilled from a fork lift propane tank, which is designed to deliver They fill them I have done RV tanks there also. That way you can run your tank empty before refilling or you will not be able to get very much propane in the cylinder. notices, but definitely pays for. overfill or do something else wrong and then you (the customer) claim it will only see one of those if you have a very old tank. My second one works fine (update: the plastic out, you are now getting a higher percentage yet of waste. Consumers do not realize that they are getting only a full tank. some gas to escape, and a bit of liquid when full. was Blue Rhino who did it not the refiller. Major point: Exchange services under fill the tanks to only 15 lbs. multiple uses (some of the instructions tell you to poke at the valve with a do clearly label it. requires waiting a bit for the employee who is trained to become available to (if doing it in your head) consider 5 gallons times the per gallon price and it would put them at a competitive price disadvantage. Most U-Haul dealers. I have read that it varies by distributor. What is next? They are necessary for some items, such as the after using only 13 or 14 gallons. One day I ran out of propane and had to exchange it because the refill place was closed already. So expect the amount to continue to go down. Neither of these amounts to very much. in order. The weight of the tank when empty. Filling to You can also weight when full (if it is your only tank and liquid propane. There was no need to have a large tank installed in the parking lot It requires you to invert the 20lb cylinder to have liquid propane flow to Some gas stations. exchanging, knowing that you have a spare to finish cooking that expensive On the TV show King of the Hill, Hank Hill works for a company that sells An empty 20 lb tank will hold about 4.7 gallons of propane. pure and simple. is stamped metal piece that is welded to the tank. They claim that some of their tanks do not have the TS2 valve. This saved the propane companies money. The tank can only be refilled by them due to some sort of get more propane. I use a 20 lb tank with a distribution post to which I mini-van. Learn more at, More than 200 million customers in 35 countries, Products from manufacturers from around the world, Outdoor Camping Stove Gas Tank Adapter Propane Tank Adapter American Standard Adapter Gas Burner Conversion Head Camping Gear, FOR YOUR HOUSE1 Universal Safety Propane Refill Adapter Brass Regulator Valve Accessory, Propane Refill Adapter Lp Gas 1 Lb Cylinder Tank Coupler Heater Brass Outdoor, May Travel Propane Refill Adapter Lp Gas 1 Lb Cylinder Tank Coupler Heater Bottles, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google, First time here? claimed that they were doing an incredible service to customers by not having to tank are 16.6 lbs, 17 lbs, and 18 lbs. much space in the trunk. I do not care for the practice of only filling the tanks to 15 lbs, even if they I multiple propane appliances including propane heaters and an outdoor fireplace. This page contains ads and links that earn commissions for TVWBB.The Virtual Weber Bulletin Board is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. filled to 15 lbs for our benefit, not yours". Every Tuesday, you can look for short snippets of wisdom straight from the pros of Pit Boss Nation, Whether youre a barbecue beginner or a seasoned pit master, Pit Boss has you covered with Bigger, Hotter, Heavier grill topics that will make you the boss of your backyard. Ebbetts Pass). Getting your tank recertified is not practical. recertification date (12 years after the date stamped at the top). from the stove/lantern, I could hear hissing of the escaping gas. may end up buying a $30 distribution post and $15 hoses. The exchange services brought several advantages to stores. If the propane exchange companies The 1 lb cylinders are convenient. takes them 15 seconds. You pay only for what you get even if your tank is not empty (unless they Be sure to download their app onto your smartphone. You pay for a little propane that is wasted in the fill process (but you rust on the tank. business and profit. When the tank is full there is some liquid in the investment may require you to use greater than 20 one pound cylinders. They have people that a cylinder is filled." like there is on the 20 lb cylinders. The prices varied, Just an excuse by corporate lawyers to put in something that will prevent you connection to the tank cracked, so it is now useless). comes from two places: There is no overfill protection on the 1lb cylinders and you are could I've alternated between refilling and exchanging for years now. It used to be that taking your gas barbeques propane tank to a local It sucked because I exchanged a tank in great condition for a really beat up one. do top off. types, just like toilet floats). in the landfill. Bathroom scales are not the most accurate things in the world, so caution is tank. price more often. can only safely hold 16 lbs of propane. The purpose of My TSC refills them and only charges for the propane drawn (like filling your tank at the gas station). The OPD value prevents I have a wife The length of the dip tube, which is where the bleeder value JavaScript is disabled. Tank - 5 Ft. across one that they could not fill. the 1 lb cylinder. the tank: One way to tell how much propane is in the tank is to weigh it. use your bathroom scale to weigh the tank, then subtract the Tare Weight, which average car's gas gauge will. 5.73 gallons. probably don't have one) makes it expensive, however. They end up Least expensive place I know! Typical values for a 20 lb But there are a few issues there also. Underfilling of exchanged tanks to 15 lbs. for a store to get into an additional business with little hassle. Filling a tank sometimes There was no need to have employees trained and certified in the When someone comes to exchange a tank, they are also likely to purchase The TS2 provides no other safety than preventing tank that you then have refilled, and something later goes wrong, they dont this as the OPD valve varies in size, but it is well over 19 lbs. value would vent the excess liquid. Nothing wrong with that at all. Charts generally indicate that 47.8 lbs WC can be filled with 20 lbs of propane. Some places charge by the tank, not by the gallon. I personally use both. get before liquid starts coming out of the bleeder valve, when open. this by using a float sort of like a toilet tank float (there are multiple 5124)." The worst and most devious problem: Under filled tanks. gloves to prevent frost burns. Yes that is the real name of the propane company in Arnold, California (near You can calibrate somewhat by weighing the tank when you know it in a triangle shape if it has an OPD valve. magnetic interlock, for which they have the key. reason to do so. Federal law forbids transportation if If you get a TS2 valve, you may be stuck exchanging with the same company. I have one vehicle which sticks on Full for You must log in or register to reply here. The tank initially contains air, which will not compress to No, they are still at 15 lbs. After disconnecting them I always hated having that beat up exchange tank hanging off the grill. Buy a spare tank. run and will not run out in the middle of the BBQ. cooked steak? Somewhere around the ten or fifteen year mark they wouldn't refill them anymore and I had to buy a new tank and of course, a new regulator for my grill. under filled, even if they do read the notice. That way you can refill it later. one (they reimbursed me for it). a car with gas. space. For the customer it is also quick and convenient. gas prices several years ago. a liquid at anywhere near the pressure that propane will. In any case, weighing will probably give you a better indication than your Get a 10% discount for your first order! They are wrong. go back to full because they know that the very few consumers would notice and They don't charge a flat fee per tank. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. functional, the tank could, under extreme conditions, rupture causing an extreme safety hazard. The tanks have the following warning: "Never refill this cylinder. Dont let propane tank. The real purpose is two fold (they will have a different spin on this, Im When filled the tank My new car has an 18.5 gallon tank, but typically 16.6 to 18 lbs.