I just paid $15.XX yesterday for an exchange. Good thing too, I was running a batch when the old tank ran out. I have three tanks, one for the grill, one for brewing, and a spare.
A 5 gal./ 20 lb. tank has to be tested and restamped every 7 - 10 years. I forget the exact number. But I've had no problem exchanging expired or obsolete tanks at wal-mart. The price is a little higher ($15.XX) than the propane store ($12.xx) but more than worth it if your tank has expired or the connector is obsolete.
If you really want to go in a big way you could buy or rent a large stationary tank
100,125, 250, 500, or 1000 gal. you get a discount the more you buy. But even for a small 100 gal tank the current price is $2 per gal. Filling a 20 lb. tank with 4 gal. cost $3+ to -$4 a gal. So not only do you save money with a big stationary tank they bring the gas to you.
Let's say you got 4 brews and paid $16 = $4 a brew a large tank would cut your gas costs in half. Not really worth it if you only brew 5 - 10 a year but if you brewed 30 times a year you could save $60 per year. That equals that yearly cost of renting a large stationary tank. But rental cost may have gone up since the last time I rented back in 1992
Here's what I do, in June or Aug. I'll start calling LP sellers looking for the best price (it's cheaper in the summer) then when I get a good price I ask for an additional large quantity discount they usually knock off another $0.08 - $0.10 / gal. You may be able to get a larger discount now that LP is so much more expensive than it use to be. I haven't done it since gas prices skyrocketed back in 2000. LP is now so expensive it's much cheaper for me to heat the house with electricity.
I like the suggestion to fill several 20 lb. tanks at once and ask for a discount. When charging you $3 - $4 a gal. for $2 a gal. gas they certainly have room to negotiate.
I like what JnJ was saying about having a spare because they always seem to run out at the most inopportune times.
Last edited by abracadabra; 01-22-2007 at 09:14 PM.
I've just gotten tanks at Home Depot for the convenience (I'm there all the time anyway). Probably a couple bucks more, I think it was ~$45 for the initial buy, then swaps are $14 - $15. Plan on getting a couple of tanks so that you have a backup (which will let you run all the way through them).
BIG stationary tanks get a discount, but I actually pay more per gallon delivered with my 135 gallon tank. On the plus side, I can leave my portable tanks down by the main tank and get them, the RV and the house tank filled at the same time. Some day, I'll tap the house tank for brewing.
$40 for a new full tank and $12-15 for a swap or fill at $2.35/gal. 4-7 batches, depending on weather, AG vs. PM vs. extract.
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BIG stationary tanks get a discount, but I actually pay more per gallon delivered with my 135 gallon tank. On the plus side, I can leave my portable tanks down by the main tank and get them, the RV and the house tank filled at the same time. Some day, I'll tap the house tank for brewing.
$40 for a new full tank and $12-15 for a swap or fill at $2.35/gal. 4-7 batches, depending on weather, AG vs. PM vs. extract.
Here in Georgia they will not fill a portable tank from an LP truck. It's against the law according to every delivery driver I've had. So it depends on where you live as to whether or not you could get a portable filled at home.
Also I guess I should have said here in Geogia the price is $2 a gal. probably less than that this week. $2 was last weeks price.
Last edited by abracadabra; 01-22-2007 at 05:53 PM.
Here in Georgia they will not fill a portable tank from an LP truck. It's against the law according to every delivery driver I've had. So it depends on where you live as to whether or not you could get a portable filled at home.
Also I guess I should have said here in Geogia the price is $2 a gal. probably less than that this week. $2 was last weeks price.
Not sure if they'll fill portable tanks, but they will fill the tanks off of forklifts. I have one of those(33#), 2-20# tanks, and a 30#. I don't fill up very often. Last time I filled up, it only cost me ~$45 iirc for the 2-20# and the 30#. The 33# forklift tank was filled free at my dad's company.
Can you get the blue rhino or LG tanks refilled at Uhaul or RV places, or will they not fill the exchangable tanks?
I've always done the exchange thing at my gas station, but it would be cheaper by a few bux to do the refill instead of the exchange, unless I had to buy a tank...
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