After 12 years my propane tanks are due for re-certification. After calling a number of propane dealers, I found one that would re-certificate for $25.00 and it is good for 5 years. A new 20 lb tank cost only $30.00 and is good for 12 years. My tanks are 30 lbs.Where do you get your tanks re-certificated? Cost??I think with the number of tank swap out, many propane dealers are no longer re-certificating. . . . :M

Simple decision for me, I just buy new ones every 10 years or so; no running around, no thinking about it. Using the $30/12 year info, that's $2.50/ year or less than $0.05/week per tank. :B

Swap them at WalMart or where ever for newer tanks. That's what I've been doing. It only costs you the difference between a swap and an actual fill up.Before anybody gets upset Blue Rhino and other "tank swap" companies don't have a problem with this at all they encourage it. Their website talks all about all the old tanks they're able to save from landfills and how they carefully clean, test, and certify each tank that comes in.

I got mine recertified in Florida when I filled the tanks. No charge but I tipped the guy a few $$.Never thought about buying new tanks...A quick check at Camping World shows 30 lb. tanks on sale for $60!

I would hope that 25 bucks includes a refill.. IF IT DOES, get 'em re-certed, should be good for 10, not 5 years or so I thought.As for me.. Well, it's a motor home, no re-cert needed.

Propane Tank Recertification $$$ | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Nov 24, 2014
Yak wrote:
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
rtz549 wrote:
Dick_B wrote:
I got mine recertified in Florida when I filled the tanks. No charge

What did they use to stamp new numbers into the collar?

They put a sticker on mine.

I'm going to do my own "certification" now that I know what the sticker looks like. :B

10 dollar bills will be next

Na..........I'm good but not THAT good! LOL
TenOC
Nomad
Nov 24, 2014
joegray wrote:
I bought a new 30 lbs tank at Costco in B.C. for $48. For me it's not worth trying to find someone to re certify the old one.

You go a GOOD deal even with C$
bukhrn
Explorer III
Nov 23, 2014
dave54 wrote:
Very few of the gas stations (around here, anyway) bother to look at the date when refilling. At the last refill I got a new employee that was just hired and 'newly propane certified'. She told me she could not fill one of the bottles because it was out of date -- 1994.

I had been filling that bottle for years without anyone questioning it or refusing. So off to Walmart for a trade in and a 08-2014 date stamp.

I am good for another twenty years!
X-2, I've never had one recertified, (never even heard of it), and never had anyone refuse to fill a tank, don't recall ever having anyone even look for a date. :h
joegray
Explorer II
Nov 23, 2014
I bought a new 30 lbs tank at Costco in B.C. for $48. For me it's not worth trying to find someone to re certify the old one.
Yak
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014
Turtle n Peeps wrote:
rtz549 wrote:
Dick_B wrote:
I got mine recertified in Florida when I filled the tanks. No charge

What did they use to stamp new numbers into the collar?

They put a sticker on mine.

I'm going to do my own "certification" now that I know what the sticker looks like. :B

10 dollar bills will be next
TenOC
Nomad
Nov 23, 2014
Dick_B wrote:

I'm going to do my own "certification" now that I know what the sticker looks like. :B

Post a photo . . . :B
Turtle_n_Peeps
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014
rtz549 wrote:
Dick_B wrote:
I got mine recertified in Florida when I filled the tanks. No charge

What did they use to stamp new numbers into the collar?

They put a sticker on mine.

I'm going to do my own "certification" now that I know what the sticker looks like. :B
mobeewan
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014
Mine were etched on with a Dremel using a carbide bit with a tiny ball on the end. They also filled out a log book with the date, type and size of cylinders along with my name and drivers license number.

They were recertified Nov 2012 at a full service propane and fuel supplier that does rural delivery. They also sell gasoline, diesel, E80, Ethanol free gasoline and fill propane cylinders on site. They charged $5 per cylinder. I had 2 20 lb cylinders and one 6 lb cylinder. The 6 lb cylinder was several years out of date but I was always able to get it refilled when getting other in date cylinders filled since I always had it filled last and they never checked the date since the others were in date. Cost me $15 dollars plus refills on the cylinders.

This past summer they burned off the propane from 2 30 lb cylinders that had been improperly filled without being purged by 2 other retail propane sellers. They removed the valves, put a type of alcohol in to absorb moisture. Emptied the alcohol, reinstalled the valves, properly purged and filled them for under $50.
rtz549
Explorer
Nov 23, 2014
Dick_B wrote:
I got mine recertified in Florida when I filled the tanks. No charge

What did they use to stamp new numbers into the collar?
Francesca_Knowl
Explorer
Nov 22, 2014
My local place charged me five bucks for my latest tank recert. The most I've ever paid was thirty, but that included a full valve upgrade to the "new" OPD style. This was on a specialty size bottle that would have cost me sixty bucks to replace.