Propane tank serviciability

Curt and Marie wrote:
Thanks Navy! I have never used it but I understand POR15 is the best rust converter available Army X 25 years

I would disagree with this. I have used it, and am extremely unimpressed with the product. I sandblasted my frame down to shiny steel, used the rust converter that they supplied, and then painted. In less than a year, the rust stains began to develop over the whole frame It has continued to rust at the same rate it had been rusting previously. It does not appear to perform any better than any old cheap rattle can paint. I do not know if there is a better product out there, but either way, POR15 does not perform acceptably.

Incidentally I also treated the inside of a fuel tank that had a small leak. Even though the instructions were carefully followed, the POR15 flaked off the first time I used the tank. (Yes it was let stand to dry for over a week) Basically it left me with a mess - clogged fuel filter full of paint flakes - went through about 4 filters to burn 37 gallons of fuel. Needless to say, that tank is now rendered useless.

Coyote74 wrote:
I would use a brass wire brush, no sparks.

Why? :h Are you assuming that the tank is leaking? :R
I'd use a power wire brush, a RO sander, primer, & paint.

Thanks Navy! I have never used it but I understand POR15 is the best rust converter available Army X 25 years

I would clean all the loose rust off, treat it with rust converter, prime and paint it, and not worry about it.
It is an ASME tank. No recertification is required.
Recertification is only required for USDOT portable cylinders.

I would use a brass wire brush, no sparks.

The mechanic was right, the tanks on these things are many times thicker than the portable cylinders. You can remove the tank when you run it empty, use a wire brush to clean it and paint it to stop any more corrosion.

You may be able to have it inspected at places that do fire extinguisher and other tank certifications if you really need the peace of mind. They use a hydro test process on portable tanks.

You can definitely paint it to improve the appearance but I doubt you have anything to worry about - those tanks are built to be ignored.