As always, you pay a premium for convenience. If you're looking for the best price, owning a propane tank and re-filling it is going to be cheaper than using an exchange service.Plus, by only filling 75% they make members come back more often, and go inside to shop while they wait. I think their motivation is to have a cheaper price, so members think they are getting a great deal. Though, Costco's use of the "20 lb" phrase is unfortunate. It's in line, if not cheaper, than paying $16 for a full 20 lbs. If you do the math on Costco, it's actually not a bad price. The word on the web forums is that the Blue Rhino and AmeriGas similar exchange services put in 75%, or 15 lbs. (4.2 pounds/gallons) * (3.6 gallons) = 15 pounds This means Costco puts in 15 lb of propane.ģ.6 gallons / 4.7 gallons = 75% of the normal fill. If they wanted to be upfront they'd say "we will put 15 lbs of propane into this 20 lb cylinder". By saying 3.6 gallons, they are masking the fact that they put in 75%. However, nobody knows off the top of their head that a propane tank is supposed to have 4.7 gallons to be considered "full". When you pay inside the receipt says "20lb PROPANE", and the filling print out says "Cylinder: 20S lbs." The only defense is that the filling print out is honest and says "3.6 gallons". I thought I was getting a great deal, but it turns out I pretty much got no deal.Ĭostco in Greenville, SC is a bit deceiving because they first hand you a slip that says "20 lb cylinder". I remember Costco has a sign for $9.99 refills. I called around and the local U-Haul place wanted $16 for a refill. A "full" 20 lb cylinder should have 4.7 gallons or propane in it.Purging may add another $3-4 dollars to a new tank, though some places don't charge, especially if you buy the tank from them. The pressure then pushes air out of a one-way bleeder valve. Purging requires a special adapter to allow a small amount of propane in. Some newer tanks, like Bernzomatic, will have a sticker on them saying they don't need to be purged within 6 months of the manufacture date. The cost and inconvenience of re-certifying almost always outweighs the price of a new tank.īrand new propane tanks may come with air inside and need to be "purged" before the first fill. The re-certification only adds 5 years before having to re-certify again. For 20 lb propane tanks, you have 12 years from the manufacture date before the tank must be re-certified with a new date stamped on it. There is also a month and year on the collar indicating the date the tank was made. This means a "full" propane tank should weigh about 37 pounds. Most 20 lb tanks have a tare weight of +/- 17 pounds when completely empty. For a grill sized tank you simply calculate the tare weight + 20 lbs, and that's how much the tank should weigh when it's full. This would be less of an issue if the relief value were bleeding to outside air.Īll propane tanks have a "tare weight" or "T.W." stamped on the collar of the tank. With enough of a temperature increase, the tank's pressure relief value will release a bit of gas. This is because if you leave a tank outside in very cold temps, filled the tank when the tank is cold, and then bring it into a hot basement/garage for a space heater, the gas will expand as the tank warms. In very cold winter climates, like Canada, there may be more concern/rules about filling a tank to a complete 20 lbs. Tanks can actually fit another 20% in the tank, but that extra space is designed for expansion as the temperature rises. Cooler = more propane in, hotter = less in. You may get a pound or 2 less, depending on the temperature of the tank and surrounding air when the tank was filled. These "20 lb" tanks are designed to take up to 20 pounds of propane. Now, where to fill it? A Little About Propane Tanks (Costco sells tanks for 28.99 compared to Amazon's roughly $45). I picked up a new 20 lb tank at the Home Depot for 29.97, minus 10% off competitors coupon and a 10% discount on a gift card purchased on eBay. I found that new 30 or 33 lb cylinders are at least double the price of a 20 lb, and finding lightly used ones on Craigslist wasn't happening. I also considered 30, 33, 40, 60, and 100 pound cylinders, to avoid refilling as often. When I moved earlier this year to an all-electric house I had to switch back to a standard 20 lb BBQ grill tank. As a result, I know a few things about tank tare weights (an empty tank's weight) and other propane lingo.įor the last 7 years I had my trusty Weber grill hooked into a 500 gallon underground tank at the house in Taylors. Few people know I was a mean propane filling machine in my high school days at Taylor Hardware.
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