Propane Tanks Expired

[boosTT]

One of my 30lb tanks was near empty and when I tried to fill it the guy said it was 1 year expired. How difficult is it to get re-certified? How long does it take?

I'm thinking about just going around to different stations until someone fills it as is. It has worked in the past for me.

[mobeewan]

MNGeeks61 wrote:
weird, never seen that sticker before on an RV propane tank. Granted we only "rv'd" towing a popup/travel trailer since 1996. For that matter, I don't think our 125 gallon tank up north even has one of those...

Maybe it's specific to a certain area?

It is a federal regulation both in the US and Canada. The regulation is mirrored in individual state and provincial laws or regulations. The sticker identifies the actual contents of the cylinder while it is being transported on the highways. It is only added after filling the cylinder the first time. If it is a brand new cylinder that has never been filled with liquified propane you can't put one on it because it doesn't have any thing in it except air or a vacuum purge.

Any cylinder not just propane cylinders being transported on the highway has to have a label indicating the tank contents whether argon, oxygen, acetelene, hydrogen, etc. In essence the sticker is a hazmat label for the contents.

Seeing that at a lot of places the people filling cylinders don't appear to know what they are doing or don't use proper procedure filling the cylinders, not opening the vent screw, not weighing cylinders and relying on the OPD to stop the filling process when the cylinder is legally full, no one can expect them to put the label on the cylinder for you. The average person doesn't know it is required until told or they get a ticket from the highway revenue agents looking to fill their ticket quota.

[shum02]

Here in the Toronto area it was $10 more expensive at Costco to buy a new 30lb tank than to get one re-cert'd. Welcome to the big city.

[TKW]

I thought the recertification requires putting in a new valve. I had two 30# tanks recertified years ago. One in WA and the other in BC. The one in WA got a new OPD type valve with the triangular knob and a sticker with new date and name of the business. The one in BC got the same old style valve with the round knob and they stamped in new date with metal dies.
Both operators just visually inspected the welds of the tank for rust etc. and IIRC the cost was more than the $5 or $10 mentioned above.

[MNGeeks61]

weird, never seen that sticker before on an RV propane tank. Granted we only "rv'd" towing a popup/travel trailer since 1996. For that matter, I don't think our 125 gallon tank up north even has one of those...

Maybe it's specific to a certain area?

[mobeewan]

I've got two different versions of the sticker.

This is what one of them looks like.

[CavemanCharlie]

mobeewan wrote:
The stickers indicate they contain propane. State troopers are known to ticket you if they are not present. They are supposed to be put on when the cylinder is filled the first time and kept on throughout the life of the cylinder. A lot of people don't know about them. I have a few extras given to me free at a couple propane sellers when I asked about them.

Wow. None of the ones around here have any sort of sticker on them. Even the refilled ones just have a cheap plastic wrap around them that I rip off because it looks like hell. If I don't it gets ripped off by the wind going down the highway anyway.

[Thom02099]

Regarding being refused refill...

We were enroute to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon last October, stopped at a place for refill and the attendant said he could not refill because the tank was expired by 3 months. It took the owner of the business overriding the attendant to get the tanks refilled, for which I was very grateful.

Got the tanks recertified before the start of the season this year, cost was ~ $20.00, took about 30 minutes, good for 5 years.

[DiskDoctr]

Here in PA last year it was $5/tank. Visual inspection and it is pressure tested and leak tested as it is filled. Gas supply place, not Tractor Supply or Lowes places, even if they fill.

Call ahead and ask if they recertify. We used Dale Oxygen, good guys for welding supplies and other gases, too 😉

[mobeewan]

The stickers indicate they contain propane. State troopers are known to ticket you if they are not present. They are supposed to be put on when the cylinder is filled the first time and kept on throughout the life of the cylinder. A lot of people don't know about them. I have a few extras given to me free at a couple propane sellers when I asked about them.

[beemerphile1]

I got my 30# bottles done last year at Amerigas propane. Seems like it might have been around $10 each and only took a few minutes extra.

They also charged me $1.50 each bottle for a sticker that is mandated. The sticker had nothing to do with the re-certification.

[mobeewan]

I get my cylinders recertified at a propane distributor for $5 each, good for 5 years. A new 6 lb cylinder would have cost about $40 or more plus shipping. New ones aren't available locally any way. Got the 6 lb and 2 20 lb recertified for $15. Will need to get 30 lb cylinders recertified soon.

It only took about 25 to 30 minutes. They did a visual inspection of each, etched the collars of the cylinders, entered each cylinder with my name and address into their inspection book and refilled them with propane.

[jimlj]

I too have seen places that exchange 30# cylinders. Maybe not at the local quick mart, but welding supply places do exchange 30# and larger cylinders. I have done it numerous times. Getting a tank recertified is not hard if the tank's in good shape.

[2oldman]

I had a couple 7 gallon tanks get old. Exchanged for 5 gallon ones no problem. Smaller ones are easier to handle.

I've had more than one instance of the refiller putting in 5 gallons and then later having to listen to the overflow valve spitting. I insist they do no more than 4.5, and that's only if I know the tank is darn near empty.

Out west we fill by the gallon. I don't know how places that fill by weight do on-board tanks.

Funny.. all this commotion and the OP isn't even here.

[time2roll]

I don't frequent the exchanges but I did see one last summer while getting a refill that had 30# cylinders for exchange. IIRC it was not a national company and I bet they were full to the brim from the local grocer. Montana west side of Glacier.

[BarabooBob]

When you use the exchange places you typically get a tank with 15 pounds of propane in them. I work at such a place and get tired of people saying that we are ripping them off. It says right on the exchange station that the tank that you are getting has 15 pounds of propane in the tank. We are not selling you 20 pounds of propane, we are exchanging your tank with a different tank with 15 pounds.
I personally go to a refill station that charges me for the gallons of propane that they put in. This is much cheaper. I typically pay $10 to $15 for 20 pounds of propane.
Now people will be posting that they can only fill the tank to 80% so you can't get 20 pounds into the tank. The correct answer is that these are really tanks that would hold 25 pounds of propane if they were filled to the top. They can only be filled to 80% so your 25 pound tank is in effect a 20 pound.