Blue Rhino Capacity

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OrdinaryAvgGuy

OrdinaryAvgGuy

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I understand that Blue Rhino tanks have an overfill protection valve built in. At what point does this device activate? Anyone ever get a true 20lbs in a modern BR tank with OPV?

They say that these tanks can safely be filled to 80% capacity. Some 16# is the most they will hold while others say they can be filled to 20#.

How much are you guys squeezing in these tanks?
 
Where I bring my tanks they fill by weight but right as the scale tips is when the overfill valve spews.
 
I did a bit of research on this since I couldn't get a solid answer from the local filling stations that I spoke with.

I will post here what I believe is the correct answer to this question in order to assist someone who has a similar question.

Blue Rhino has a label that claims the contents of the tank are 15lbs. It also says that you should not fill a tank more than 80% of its capacity. I initially thought to myself a 20 LB tank @ 80% = 16LB and figured that BR fills them with one pound less to save a buck. After reading dozens upon dozens of posts, I kept on finding that almost everyone was thinking along the same lines.

This changed when I learned about the water capacity of a tank. Every tank has a WC and Tare weight stamped on the handle of the tank. The Water capacity is how much water a tank is capable of holding at 100% capacity.

The WC stamped on my tank read 47.6lbs. This means that if you were to fill this tank completely with water, it would weigh 47.6 lbs.

Knowing the weigh of water is 8.35 lbs per gallon, 47.6 / 8.35 = 5.7 gallons

Simply multiply 5.7 gallons x the 80% capacity and you get 4.56 gallons.

or to put it another way:

Liquid propane weight approx 4.27 lbs per gallon (depending on temperature)

4.6 gallons * 4.27 lb per gallon = 19.64 lbs

So to answer my question, with the Overfill Protection Device installed, I should be able to fill my tank with just under 20lbs of propane, not 16lbs as many many people believe.

Anyone verify this? Can add to it or take away?
 
OrdinaryAvgGuy said:
You ever calculate this weight?
Click to expand...

They have a scale visible and it's set on 20-21 lbs. so when that weight is reached the scale tips like a trie beam balance.
 
Totally true. Blue rhino sucks balls. .My local fill place puts 20.5 pounds into any tank including the blue rhino. A OPD would stop the fill level if it were unsafe. BR choses to underfill for profit margin only.
 
Bobby_M said:
Totally true. Blue rhino sucks balls. .My local fill place puts 20.5 pounds into any tank including the blue rhino. A OPD would stop the fill level if it were unsafe. BR choses to underfill for profit margin only.
Click to expand...

True.

I recently exchanged my tank at Lowes as I always do. The cost with my 5% discount was $16.93 + tax. Blue Rhino is offering a $3 rebate on propane exchanges, bringing the cost down to $13.93 for 15#

15# of propane at a fill station currently cost $12.25 in NC. BR is Still $1.68 more for the same amount of propane. Not to mention the cost of postage to send in the Mail in rebate and waiting a month or 2 to get a $3 check that you must deposit at the bank...
 
I just go to the local UHAUL, they have good cheap prices for propane, and charge only what they fill(Like gas)...not sure if every place does that or do they just have a set price to "fill/swap" a tank?

Ive never measured my Blue Rhino tank full, ill try that next time.

I know empty they are stamped to be 17#'s

That and i usually get 2 full brew days out of a tank, i'd never swap tanks since i usually have some extra gas in mine but not enough for a full brew day...even with a spare backup i always go refill it once it gets less than 1/4th full.

Knowing that gallon of propane is 4.2#'s its pretty easy to do the math to see how much propane is left on a home scale.
 
OrdinaryAvgGuy said:
I did a bit of research on this since I couldn't get a solid answer from the local filling stations that I spoke with.

I will post here what I believe is the correct answer to this question in order to assist someone who has a similar question.

Blue Rhino has a label that claims the contents of the tank are 15lbs. It also says that you should not fill a tank more than 80% of its capacity. I initially thought to myself a 20 LB tank @ 80% = 16LB and figured that BR fills them with one pound less to save a buck. After reading dozens upon dozens of posts, I kept on finding that almost everyone was thinking along the same lines.

This changed when I learned about the water capacity of a tank. Every tank has a WC and Tare weight stamped on the handle of the tank. The Water capacity is how much water a tank is capable of holding at 100% capacity.

The WC stamped on my tank read 47.6lbs. This means that if you were to fill this tank completely with water, it would weigh 47.6 lbs.

Knowing the weigh of water is 8.35 lbs per gallon, 47.6 / 8.35 = 5.7 gallons

Simply multiply 5.7 gallons x the 80% capacity and you get 4.56 gallons.

or to put it another way:

Liquid propane weight approx 4.27 lbs per gallon (depending on temperature)

4.6 gallons * 4.27 lb per gallon = 19.64 lbs

So to answer my question, with the Overfill Protection Device installed, I should be able to fill my tank with just under 20lbs of propane, not 16lbs as many many people believe.

Anyone verify this? Can add to it or take away?
Click to expand...

OrdinaryAvgGuy,

I own a company that sells propane. You are dead on correct. Any propane tank can only be filled to 80% capacity for safety reasons. The standard "gas grill" or "20 lb" propane tanks that we all use hold 20 lbs of propane when filled to 80% capacity.

The OPD or Overfill Prevention Device activates when the tank is filled to this capacity thus preventing it from being filled any further. The OPD is completey seperate from the safety valve that allows pressure to be released from the tank. You will not here propane hissing from the tank when the OPD valve shuts off. If you here propane being released from the tank that means that the pressure has increased in the tank (it got hot) and the safety valve is allowing pressure to be released to prevent the tank from exploding. This is why you should never transport a propane tank in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. I could go on but I just wanted to say that you are correct.

The exchange places that are only filling tanks to 15 lbs are doing so for no other reason except to increase their bottom line.
 
I use about 4lbs of propane for each 5 gallon brewday.
My main problem is the once I get down to 6lbs left in my tank, the tank freezes during the boil, and no hot water bath helps to keep it rolling.

I've been looking for a used 30lb tank on craigslist.
A friend of mine bought a used 250lb tank on CL for $150, set it in his yard, plumbed to his deck, and uses it for brewing & bbq.
Shops around fill prices once per year and gets an amazing deal. I think he got a fill for like $1.60/gal last summer.
 
That's a great idea. If I owned my own home I'd definitely do that.

I don't have a filling station around here of which I'm aware. Exchanges are the only option. I'm still looking around, though, because I can't stand the idea of giving them part of my gas and then not getting any kind of credit or anything.
 
DerekJ said:
OrdinaryAvgGuy,

I own a company that sells propane. You are dead on correct. Any propane tank can only be filled to 80% capacity for safety reasons. The standard "gas grill" or "20 lb" propane tanks that we all use hold 20 lbs of propane when filled to 80% capacity.

The OPD or Overfill Prevention Device activates when the tank is filled to this capacity thus preventing it from being filled any further. The OPD is completey seperate from the safety valve that allows pressure to be released from the tank. You will not here propane hissing from the tank when the OPD valve shuts off. If you here propane being released from the tank that means that the pressure has increased in the tank (it got hot) and the safety valve is allowing pressure to be released to prevent the tank from exploding. This is why you should never transport a propane tank in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. I could go on but I just wanted to say that you are correct.

The exchange places that are only filling tanks to 15 lbs are doing so for no other reason except to increase their bottom line.
Click to expand...

I went to the propane filling station today with a completely empty tank. Before going, I weighed it and it was 16.6 lbs, just as the tare weight indicated on the tank.

I watched the guy filling it zero out the dial and fill it with exactly 4.5 gallons.

I weighed the tank when I got home and it was 33.81 lbs, a difference of 17.21 lbs. I weighed it using a very accurate postal scale that I have at home.

If propane is in fact 4.27 lbs per gallon, then 4.5 gallons should have weighed 19.21 lbs. Any idea where the other 2 lbs went?

The ambient air temp at the time of filling was 65 degrees F. Also, I checked my tank for leaks and don't see or smell anything.
 
considering how badly we are ripped off on propane fills & exchanges, I'd hate to see how badly shorted or overcharged we are at the gas pump once a week. Then again, we are dealing with gas.....which is only slightly better than a blood diamond when it comes to the ethics of supply.
 
One other factor that may or may not make a difference. Although it was in the 60's when it was filled, it has been in the 30's for several days prior so the source tank had cooler gas in it.. Crazy weather.

Perhaps an issue caused by the density of the gas as it passes through the meter?

Maybe it is just the propane angels share?:cross:
 
DerekJ said:
You will not here propane hissing from the tank when the OPD valve shuts off.
Click to expand...

A lot of folks mistake the Fixed Liquid Level Gauge for the OPD. The guy filling opens it and vapor starts to spew out. He turns on the liquid pump from the bulk plant and begins adding liquid. When the liquid level in the 20 pound cylinder reaches the bottom of the Fixed Liquid Level Gauge diptube, the hiss changes sound because now the tank is spewing liquid rather than vapor. That change in sound is not the fault of the OPD. It's just blowing liquid out of the tank now.

If you run the liquid pump another second or two, you will usually trip the OPD and the pump will begin to lug. That sound change is the OPD shutting off and creating more backpressure on the pump.
 
Billy Prim, entrepreneur of Blue Rhino, Primo Water, investor in the Winston-Salem Dash, etc knows how to make money. That being said, I buy my LP at Carolane Propane. I don't know price per pound. It looks like I paid $2.94 a gallon last summer. Blue Rhino is a good way to exchange rusted or expired tanks. I was told there was a gas station near me that was cheaper. I have some pricing to do before filling up again.
 

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