Propane tank recertification
The 30lb tanks in my 5th wheel need to be recertified or replaced. I have tried to locate a place that does recertification near me in SW PA but no luck. The propane suppliers don't offer the service ...
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I am not a Trump fan, but the whole notion of government safety regulations often seems more than a bit useless. Propane tank certification surely qualifies. I cannot understand why recertification is needed at 12 years and what testing is involved with recertification.
The biggest rip off is my 50 gallon household tank. Regs require an annual "inspection". I believe that involves looking at the tank and checking for leaks with a handheld device. I get charged $75 a year for that.
Anyway back to RV tanks. I cannot understand what is involved in the recertification or why it is needed. I understand they check to make sure the tank is not rusting out. Mine are kept in a compartment in the side of my RV. They are not going to rust out in my lifetime. It should not take a recertification to see if a tank has been banged up and rusted in a wet environment. That could happen within a year or so. Next they check the seals for leaks. The seals can be damaged at any time due to a bad connector or they could last for decades. Again, the recertification does not seem to be helpful for this issue.
Most of us have found a way around recertification. We take our old tanks for exchange. We get ripped off for a tank that is less than 80 percent full but at least no one cares if the empty is out of date. I tried exchanges at Home Depot (Paragas) and at Lowes (Blue Rhino). I got back tanks that were way over 12 years old and did not have markings for recertification. I would not be able to get these refilled elsewhere. One of the tanks had a bad seal and a slow leak.
The biggest rip off is my 50 gallon household tank. Regs require an annual "inspection". I believe that involves looking at the tank and checking for leaks with a handheld device. I get charged $75 a year for that.
Anyway back to RV tanks. I cannot understand what is involved in the recertification or why it is needed. I understand they check to make sure the tank is not rusting out. Mine are kept in a compartment in the side of my RV. They are not going to rust out in my lifetime. It should not take a recertification to see if a tank has been banged up and rusted in a wet environment. That could happen within a year or so. Next they check the seals for leaks. The seals can be damaged at any time due to a bad connector or they could last for decades. Again, the recertification does not seem to be helpful for this issue.
Most of us have found a way around recertification. We take our old tanks for exchange. We get ripped off for a tank that is less than 80 percent full but at least no one cares if the empty is out of date. I tried exchanges at Home Depot (Paragas) and at Lowes (Blue Rhino). I got back tanks that were way over 12 years old and did not have markings for recertification. I would not be able to get these refilled elsewhere. One of the tanks had a bad seal and a slow leak.
