Really newb questions on Propane tanks?

[Aleforge]

This is probley going to sound lame, but can you exchange any brand of tank at one cage? I have a mix of Rhino and ameri-gas or what ever its called and would love to take all 4 to the same place for exchange tomorrow?

Thanks!

 

[JesseRC]

yes, as long as they are 20lb tanks. When you get an exchange, the one you recieve is just painted over and plastic labled over.

 

[bull8042]

They don't care as far as I know. I have heard however, that Blue Rhino is fitting some of their tanks with proprietary valves that can't be filled, only exchanged.
Just something to look out for....

 

[Aleforge]

Thanks Jesse! That saves me from running around as much!

 

[golfnmotorcycles]

The few exchanges I've done involved an "attendant" who wouldn't have known if I was trading an air tank instead of a propane tank, much less care about a brand on it. Most of the ones I've seen like that are standard tanks with a shrinkwrap label on them so it shouldn't matter. I noticed a new "unattended" system at Home Depot the other day. Works like an ATM, linked to a rack of "lockers" with tanks in them - and 24 hour exchange service.

With so many tanks, it's a shame you can't find a location to fill them and save some coin. I pay around $10 each to have mine filled. Wasn't long ago I was paying $8 each.

 

[Aleforge]

I really have no idea where to take them to be filled? I live in Lake St. Louis Missouri if anyone knows of a location.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I take mine to Walmart, they are way retarded and barely know what a propane tank is!! That means i can work any evil plan there without fear.

At my Walmart at least, they don't even have a bar code for a new tank, so they give you a new tank for the same price as a refill.

Use Walmart, it's like dealing with particularly stupid babies.

 

[beerdaddy]

Well i doesnt matter about the brand of the tank but.... it does matter if the tank is a new tank or an older tank.the new style tanks will have a triangle on-off valve and the older tanks will have a round on-off valve.the older tanks may or may not taken in on trade unless state law say's they can.nearly all states have passed laws that require all 20lb propane tanks to be aquipted with an OPD valve ...which shuts off the filling when the internal valve closes. works like a toliet water rise's the arm and the water stop. some place's will charge for the upgrade from old to new and im sure the price will vary.we charge $16 to fill them were i work but we dont exchange.this is what i would suggest if you can. dont exchange!!! take it to you local propane dealer and let them fill it!!! most 20lb tanks hold 4-5 gallons but it depends on the empty weight of the tank. i have had some tanks brought to the shop from the local exchange and have found that some of the tanks are short 1/2 to 1 gallon short on the total weight.why exchange your tank and lets say $18 and only get 3 -4 gallon when for the same money or less you can see your tank filled and know how much your tanks will hold and know that the tank is full. if every tank sold had 1 gallon less that means more money in there pockets!!!!!

Les
Blount County Propane delivery driver and service tech for the last 10 years.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Well i doesnt matter about the brand of the tank but.... it does matter if the tank is a new tank or an older tank.the new style tanks will have a triangle on-off valve and the older tanks will have a round on-off valve.the older tanks may or may not taken in on trade unless state law say's they can.nearly all states have passed laws that require all 20lb propane tanks to be aquipted with an OPD valve ...which shuts off the filling when the internal valve closes. works like a toliet water rise's the arm and the water stop. some place's will charge for the upgrade from old to new and im sure the price will vary.we charge $16 to fill them were i work but we dont exchange.this is what i would suggest if you can. dont exchange!!! take it to you local propane dealer and let them fill it!!! most 20lb tanks hold 4-5 gallons but it depends on the empty weight of the tank. i have had some tanks brought to the shop from the local exchange and have found that some of the tanks are short 1/2 to 1 gallon short on the total weight.why exchange your tank and lets say $18 and only get 3 -4 gallon when for the same money or less you can see your tank filled and know how much your tanks will hold and know that the tank is full. if every tank sold had 1 gallon less that means more money in there pockets!!!!!

Les
Blount County Propane delivery driver and service tech for the last 10 years.

You are Hank Hill, and I claim my $50 prize for spotting you!.

 

[PhlyanPan]

They don't care as far as I know. I have heard however, that Blue Rhino is fitting some of their tanks with proprietary valves that can't be filled, only exchanged.
Just something to look out for....

That's true. Don't ever take a refillable tank back to blue rhino. That thing is worth its weight in gold and they'll give you a non-refillable tank back instead.

 

[McKBrew]

I've never used a propane exchange, but I can see the conveinience esp. on Sunday when no one is open or available to fill a tank, or when you find out the place you normally fill it up has had a broken fill set up for the last few months.

Watch those prices though, I've seen prices vary from $18-27 depending on the size of the place selling it.

The midwest should have several farm stores that would carry propane (fill) and I know that quite a few U-Haul retailers have it.

 

[bull8042]

You are Hank Hill, and I claim my $50 prize for spotting you!.

LG, your eyes are really brown aren't they?!

 

[springer]

That's true. Don't ever take a refillable tank back to blue rhino. That thing is worth its weight in gold and they'll give you a non-refillable tank back instead.

not all Blue rhino tanks. Only the ones with a little triangle on the side of the valve. Even then they can be refilled if the propane shop has an adapter.I have one like that but Tech air fills it without any problems for 2 $ less and gives me the proper fill not the short fill that Rhino gives you

 

[velotech]

i do mine at wallyworld also. they suck. prepare to wait for a friggen half hour at the cage before some jerk who could care less comes out to do the exchange.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I exchange at WalGreens. They are less expensive in my area than WalMart.

 

[Thumper]

I have started to do exchanges also. My local CO-OP quit filling tanks due to insurance cost. They do exchange for a reasonable price. I exchange just because it is less hassle that to haul them around until I get to a place to fill them. However the local high school guys that work there on Saturday (when I normally exchange) are knowledable and customer focused. I like going there for that reason. I don't mind paying a little bit more for a friendly experience.

 

[Aleforge]

I take mine to Walmart, they are way retarded and barely know what a propane tank is!! That means i can work any evil plan there without fear.

At my Walmart at least, they don't even have a bar code for a new tank, so they give you a new tank for the same price as a refill.

Use Walmart, it's like dealing with particularly stupid babies.

That was a very hilarious comment!

 

[RayInUT]

In Salt Lake City I pay 2.60 or less per pound of propane. Rhino, AmeriGas, and all the other exchange places are a rip-off unless you have a crappy tank with a bad valve that you want to exchange for a good one. It shouldn't cost more than ten bucks to fill a five pound tank. I'm sure that you can find a reasonable place to get your tank filled in St. Louis.

 

[Jewrican]

my ace hardwares all fill tanks on site. Just a thought

 

[missing link]

I was having issues with my mosquito magnet and one of the causes of the problems I was having was with exchange propane tanks. The service tech told me that for some reason the exchange tanks get a lot of moisture in them which then causes corrosion in the mosquito magnet burner.

His advice was to always get it filled locally.

Linc

 

[McKBrew]

Filled two tanks today for under $20 bucks. On top of that, the place doesn't charge for the purge of a new tank. After seeing what a purge involves, I'm not sure why anyone charges for it.

 

[flylock_jac]

I agree about using wallyworld. I had three very old tanks that predated the ones before the newer O.P.D. The recycle center wanted $5.oo each to get rid of them , went to wallyworld and exchanged them for three OPD tanks. Did have to wait for about 25 minutes while they found the one employee with the key to the cage but it was worth it to get new tanks .

 

[zman]

I bought a Blue Rhino #22 tank off of Cl and it still has the old valve on it. I contemplated just exchanging it but the place where I get mine filled said it was in excellent condition

 

[BrewBeemer]

I was talking to a Blue Rino driver many months ago, was told the 20# tanks get filled between 3.25 and 3.5 gallons. The metal cages state "15#" and $23.99, I believe this is before tax. With 8.75% sales tax your at $26.09 for a bottle exchange only.
Using a max filled bottle of 3.5 gallons vs 3.25 that comes to $7.45 a gallon.
I'll stick with brewing with electricity thank you. My savings by brewing for 7 years by electricity must of saved me a big pile of cash. I have natural gas in the patio, still no way will I ever switch back to gas from electric heating. I have collected five 20# old valve bottles plus a couple of the new Blue Rino's, they are just old bottles with a new valve and a aluminum spray paint job even over decals. These I cut up to make into tire bead blasters for seating tires. The wife went stupid on me and traded bottle number 6 into a Blue Rino for the BBQ, LMAO as she ran empty with the yard as a hen house with her friends. She got about half the gas time as the old tank. "I told ya so", click my cell phone goes dead. Now she learned.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

We fill our tanks at gas stations up here in the great white north. about $16 CAD last fill. Price keeps changing up and down.

 

[Boondoggie]

my ace hardwares all fill tanks on site. Just a thought

Yes, and they FILL it.

If you look at the label on Blue Rhino, there's not 20lb of propane. They short fill them to 14 or 16 or something, and admit it right there on the label.