Blue Rhino reducing the amount of propane in their tanks.

[BarleyWater]

If you live around where I do, you can get your tanks filled at the propane store that Hank Hill's store is modeled after.

 

[abracadabra]

Anyone considering getting a 100 lb tank ought to also consider getting a
125 gal tank instead. 125 gal X 80% = 100 gal. or 420 lbs full

It's cheaper when you buy in bulk. They bring the gas to you vs you lugging the stuff around and you can time the market, by filling up when seasonal demand drops off or when the price dips. I've managed to save the entire cost of my 500 gal tank over the years and the 125 gal tank is currently worth about 5x what I paid for it. And they don't need to be tested and recertified every 8 years (I'm assuming they still require that for portable tanks).

The only draw backs I can think of are the inital cost, around $500 for the 125 gal tank last time I checked (although you can find them cheaper if you buy somewhere other than a propane dealer) I paid $100 for my 125 gal tank and $500 for my 500 gal tank. The other draw back is they usually require a 50 gal minimum if you don't go on scheduled monthly top offs.

 

[Shay]

If you live around where I do, you can get your tanks filled at the propane store that Hank Hill's store is modeled after.

Is the name of the store actually called Strickland?

 

[MrNate]

I should add that this sounds like the most easily defeatable "safety" feature imagineable. I have magnets!

...You should have a talk with the companies that make those key card door locks you find on hotel rooms nowadays.

 

[TimGrz]

Our local U-Haul store just started offering fill services for Propane tanks. Looks like it might be a franchise-wide practice before too long.

U-Haul is the only place in my area that can refill my tanks. I have been going there for seven years now. Everywhere else just does the BR swap.


/tg

 

[camiller]

In my area there is a competing tank exchange company and the convenience store near my house is one of their partners and their tanks are at least still 17 Lbs as of yesterday. I'm thinking if my blue rhino tank has the anti-fill device I'll just swap at the competitors then start having it re-filled. The only reason I ever switched to Blue Rhino was both my cylinders were past their hydro date. Also at the time the OPD devices were a new requirement and for awhile Blue Rhino did not charge extra to trade up to the OPD equiped tanks. The closest place for me to fill is 6x further than the closest tank exchange but still only a 5 mile round trip.

 

[rico567]

Paying for propane 20 pounds at a time is too rich for my blood in any case......20, 17, 15, it all sells at way too much compared for the charge for filling a bulk tank*. The only drawback to buying bulk is that some suppliers are now enforcing minimums for a delivery, ours is 200 gallons.

If I move to an outdoor burner of some kind, it'll mean my brewing has also scaled way up, and so having a propane line run to my garage (about 35 feet from our 1K gallon tank) would pay for itself pretty quickly, and would also multitask for heaters, etc.

* propane = 4.24 pounds per gallon, ergo a 20 pound cylinder should have 4.7 gallons. Our supplier charges $20 for a fill, which is $4.25 per gallon. Not quite twice the bulk price, but close enough.