My propane company stopped filling BBQ bottles when they fill the big tank due to . . . COVID. Go figure.
Anything smaller than a 100 lb. propane tank must be filled by weight and it is illegal to do it any other way, especially from a bobtail truck during a bulk delivery. ( source: I’m CETP certified and work for a propane distributor)
Most residential propane tanks larger than a 250 gallon tank have a “wet leg” it takes special fittings, hoses and training to do it correctly. It can be done, but most propane suppliers probably discourage it for liability reasons.My understanding is that most suburban LP tanks do not have a "liquid out" port. (some might). If you try to fill off the tank out port, (going to the house) it's just vapor. If you try to fill off of that you will just get your small tank full of vapor at the same pressure as the big tank, and that depends on temperature of the vessel. It won't last very long trying to run a burner.
If your tank does have a liquid out port you can fill a your small tank with liquid but you have no idea how much. As the temp raises so will the pressure and you small tank may "vent" (because of a over fill of liquid and lack of head space) and that may cause a very dangerous situation.
I may be wrong on all of this but I would ask an expert on LP gas for the facts.
Cheers,
Joel B.
I forgot that you would need a "wet leg" (for liquid pump down) on the tank. The 250g. tank that I have does not have one. (I asked because I wanted to nurse a 100#er for a portable space heater) The supplier said because they can move them (the tank) with out pumping them down as they are light enough.(?)
This is the kind of stuff that makes me cringe. It is also illegal to transport above ground ASME tanks larger than 125 gallons that contain more than 5% of their water capacity. They must be evacuated before transport. The only time it’s acceptable is if it is being hauled back to the supplier’s closest facility for repair. It must be placarded accordingly and driven by a CDL driver with hazmat endorsements.
This is the OPD valve from a 20 lb cylinder. As @grampamark says, you crack the bleeder valve (red circle) to vent the excess pressure and it allows you to know when the liquid level reaches the bottom of the dip tube (green circle) by “spitting” liquid propane (gray lines) (white spray in reality), which is set to 80% capacity of the tank, which should occur when the tank reaches 20 lbs of liquid propane. This is all done with the tank sitting on a scale so the gross weight can be verified based off the tank’s stamped tare weight.
I'm not trying to justify any actions but this was close to 8 years ago. Were the laws the same then as now? (legit question.) The supplier brought the 250g tank full (80%) to the location when he set it.
The laws haven’t changed… what they did is/was illegal. Tanks over 125 gallons can’t be “delivered” with anything in them.I'm not trying to justify any actions but this was close to 8 years ago. Were the laws the same then as now? (legit question.) The supplier brought the 250g tank full (80%) to the location when he set it.
Cheers,
Joel B.
There’s also an old saying— “it’s only illegal if you get caught” which is how some folks justify their actions.I'm not trying to justify any actions but this was close to 8 years ago. Were the laws the same then as now? (legit question.) The supplier brought the 250g tank full (80%) to the location when he set it.
Cheers,
Joel B.
That might be true but they used to fill my small tank for me and they stopped. The lady on the phone said it was because of Covid. I used to tell my kids that when you need an excuse any one will do. Also, it is quite common in my area to have 95 gallon tanks and they are regularly filled from a delivery truck. I have two of those DOT tanks.
That is perfectly legal. I was talking about tanks smaller than 100#. I’m assuming you’re talking about 120 gallon tanks that hold 96 gallons when filled to 80%. They probably look like this.
She can say whatever she wants, but it’s still illegal to fill any tank smaller than 100 lbs (23.8 gallons) by any other means than by weight on a certified scale. It was illegal before Covid and will still be after. The only exception to this rule is forklift tanks with fixed liquid level gauges (spitter gauges).
And anyone exchanging tanks at blue rhino, amerigas, etc. is getting screwed too. All those exchange places only fill their bottles with 15 lbs (3.57 gallons) of propane. The bottles are designed to hold 20 lbs (4.76 gallons) which still allows the 20% headspace that is considered an industry standard for safety.
Fortunately for me the local Menards has a refill station and you can watch the process if you want.
Any tank smaller than 100# (5, 20, 30 & 40 lb) must be equipped with an OPD valve. As well as a any tank on an RV or camper trailer. 33 lb forklift tanks are the only exception.
The local feed store fills my tank for less than the blue rhino exchange and I get more gas. I think its worth the 10 minute wait. When my old tank dated out of certification the local feed supply store would not fill it. I guess if one goes to the right place the old tank can be tested and re-certified but they charge a fair amount to do that. Rather than buy a new tank, I exchanged the old one for a newer blue rhino tank. The feed supply store now fills that tank. That was a while ago. That tank is now near the end of its certification date. I'll exchange that one for a newer blue rhino tank soon. I think the tanks are good for 12 years after manufacture then they are supposed to be re-certified or replaced. There is a date stamped on every tank.
Nope it’s a national thing.
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