No. A five pointed star after the date is the 10 year. The "A" is just the agency that certified that particular hydro testing company.
I'm tired of getting screwed on "outdated" CO2 tanks
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No. A five pointed star after the date is the 10 year. The "A" is just the agency that certified that particular hydro testing company.
BruceH
Mostly Retired
Bought my tank from Central Welding. They told me they will fill on site for me or I can swap. As long as the tank has the Central Welding sticker on it they will always swap and I'll always have a current cert. The tank I purchased had just been recerted and looks new.
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specialkayme
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I'm pretty sure most gas suppliers have the recert factored into the price. Air Gas here just swaps tanks out. If I swap a "pool" tank or get my personal tank filled the cost was the same last time I read my bill. If a tank comes in expired they just give you a pre-filled one and they recert the old one and put it back in circulation I think.
As for your LHBS charging you to recert their tanks is BS. Them taking your old expired tank and charging you a recert for it but then at the same time exchanging it for another of theirs that will expire in 2 months so they can charge you a recert again when you bring their old tank back is just plain fraud.
As for your LHBS charging you to recert their tanks is BS. Them taking your old expired tank and charging you a recert for it but then at the same time exchanging it for another of theirs that will expire in 2 months so they can charge you a recert again when you bring their old tank back is just plain fraud.
I wouldn't assume malice right away. I struggled to find the fair policy for about a year before it finally clicked. I didn't initially charge for out of date tanks but then everyone just dumped their expired tanks on me. Word gets around far and wide that it was a place you could get rid of them. Here I was making $10 on the swap and paying $20 to recert the tank.
Then I started charging for recert and running into the same problem as the "evil LHBS" in this thread. I'd charge the fee and grab a full tank off the shelf. In theory, if the customer paid for recert they should get the newest tank available but that's a major pain in the ass to dig through tanks to look for the newest date. Not only that, it was often that the out of hydro tank was a nice shiny aluminum and the newest date I had was a rusty steel tank. What if the newest tank I had left only had 2 years left?
The solution is to eat the hydro costs forever as long as you have one of my tanks. If you bring me an old tank, you only pay the recert once to get into the system or you buy an in-date tank from me initially. It's fair but not intuitive immediately.
Imhoppy
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If you want that tank, buy a new one for, say $70. So your tank really costs $50 plus $20 for the initial "cert". When I pay to recertify, I get the full 5 years and then some. Fill it at 4 years 11 months and several months of use after the 5 year point, it gets recertified and refilled. Considering the cost of all your brewing hardware, the cost of owning your own tank is not really going to bankrupt you too much.
Plus, you know where your tank has been and how it has been handled. My tanks have not been dropped or stored in a barnyard manure pit (unless stored/handled that way at the factory lol).
I own a brand new tank. The gas place was very eager to swap it out for a already filled used one. I declined and waited on mine back.
I also own several older tanks that I do swap out even though the recerts are only a year old.
Those propane exchanges are the same way. Swap out any old or not so old tank. Recertification costs are always figured in and average d out over all the tanks. It’s a factored in cost of business.
If you are gonna charge a recert on an exchange then your customer should get a newly recerted tank or that same tank back.
I bring u a 1 year old tank and u swap me a 4.5 year old tank are u gonna credit me 3.5 years of recert? I doubt it.
I also own several older tanks that I do swap out even though the recerts are only a year old.
Those propane exchanges are the same way. Swap out any old or not so old tank. Recertification costs are always figured in and average d out over all the tanks. It’s a factored in cost of business.
If you are gonna charge a recert on an exchange then your customer should get a newly recerted tank or that same tank back.
I bring u a 1 year old tank and u swap me a 4.5 year old tank are u gonna credit me 3.5 years of recert? I doubt it.
What part of Chicago are you in? I know a place that swaps out 20# tanks from Praxair and they don't aren't too worried about dates, as long as the tank looks to be good.
I split my time between downtown and out in the west burbs, Schaumburg area.
Thanks!
william_shakes_beer
Well-Known Member
The fundamental question underlying this thread is " who owns the tank?" If the user purchases the tank it's their responsibility to have it recertified. That also means the user is entitled to get that particular tank back. If the gas service does swap only, they can't claim the user owns the tank.
If the service owns the tank the user should have the right to recover their deposit if and when they no longer wish to use the tank. In that case recert is the responsibility of the gas service.
In reality, most major gas services have equipment and technicians on hand to pressure test and recert tanks. When I paid my "deposit" and got my first tank, the service said they owned the tank and would take care of recerts. He also told me that he routinely recerted and refilled tanks more than 50 years old. Its a convenience to the gas service to swap tanks. They don't need to have a tech available all hours to refill on demand. They can anticipate their business for the upcoming week and stockpile refilled tanks to satisfy that need.
If the service owns the tank the user should have the right to recover their deposit if and when they no longer wish to use the tank. In that case recert is the responsibility of the gas service.
In reality, most major gas services have equipment and technicians on hand to pressure test and recert tanks. When I paid my "deposit" and got my first tank, the service said they owned the tank and would take care of recerts. He also told me that he routinely recerted and refilled tanks more than 50 years old. Its a convenience to the gas service to swap tanks. They don't need to have a tech available all hours to refill on demand. They can anticipate their business for the upcoming week and stockpile refilled tanks to satisfy that need.
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specialkayme
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Agreed, but a fundamental question doesn't always result in a fundamental answer.
Take for example this HBS in particular. They swap tanks. Which means if I own a tank, I can turn my tank in and get a replacement filled tank. I then own the replacement tank as a result of the like kind exchange. But what happens if you don't own a tank and need one? The HBS will charge you a "deposit" on the tank you take. Presumably, the HBS owns the tank. Whenever you bring it back in, you get your "deposit" back. Much like commercial kegs. And much like commercial kegs, you don't have to return their tank, you could return a different tank and get your deposit back. So you should be able to return any tank in order to get a deposit back.
Except you can't. I had a 2.5 lb tank the last time I went into the LHBS. It's too small for me. I asked him if I could exchange it for a 5 lb tank (I presumed he would give me a credit for the "deposit" of the 2.5 lb tank, then charge me the "deposit" on the 5 lb tank, $20 more, then the refill fee). He said no. He wouldn't take the tank. He offered to "sell" me a new 5 lb tank, but wouldn't take the 2.5 lb tank. I asked why he was going to "sell" me a tank, when his price sheet says you need to put a "deposit" down, and he brushed it off. So to this store, who really owns the tank?
ABS for example doesn't swap tanks (unless your's is out of date and you're "in a pinch"), they refill yours. It's your tank. You buy one (or bring one in) and they fill it. But once you bought it, it's yours, and the responsibility to get it recertified is yours.
So what happens if you buy a tank from a place that presumes you own it, but get it "refilled" at a place that presumes you don't?
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