Propane - Fill vs. Exchange


 

Xavier G

TVWBB Member
Hi Gang -

Long time no talk.

I just wanted to share a revelation I had - nothing groundbreaking or that you probably don't know already, but it really just sunk in for me this past weekend.

You could probably guess that refilling your tank is a better deal than exchanging for a freshie. But just how much better?

When I was last at the exchange place (Blue Rhino), I noticed a ton of fine print at the bottom of the sign. I initially was drawn to the sign as it advertised $15 for exchange which seemed like a pretty good deal.

The print basically said that due to market conditions and the increasing price of steel blah blah blah they NO LONGER FILL THE TANKS UP ALL THE WAY.


You: "Xavier, you dolt - of course they don't. Regulations dictate that they have to leave 20% of the space for expansion as a safety measure"

Me: Ya, I get that - I'm saying that they only fill 75% of the total that they COULD fill. Like, they CAN fill 20lb and they only do 15lb.




Yeah.



I also ran the math on what I was paying for the propane I actually got vs. refill at my local garden center. Verdict?

Pound per pound of actual gas delivered, the exchange gas costs about 70% more than fill gas.


SO


If you want the best price on propane, and you want your tanks to be actually full up to the 80% safety threshold, you gotta refill them yourself.


If your tank is high mileage, ugly or out of cert, or if you want a new(er) one, I still think exchange is a good deal.


-X
 
Yup, I always fill mine up at Tractor Supply Co. They have the best price in my area. If it is "expired" then I usually do the exchange at Wally World.
 
Yes, also a good point from Sam. If you want propane, get it filled. If you need a new tank, go to an exchange and pick a winner. Pretty much the way to do it!

Slainte,

Tim
 
I agree with all the above. Tractor supply is much less than any other refillers in my area and it is definitely cheaper than exchanges. But, if your tank is out of date, they won't refill it, so then take it to Walmart for an exchange.

One gallon of propane weighs slightly over 4lbs. The last time (a month ago) that I refilled at TS, it was $2.89 per gallon. So, nearly $.75 per lb. Doing an exchange comes to about $1.00 per lb.

This might interest you: https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?71284-Propane-Exchange-vs-Refill
 
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A few of our refill places charge a flat rate. Usually 15 bucks which is still generally better than exchange. Walmart is cheapest around here as far as exchange at around 16 to 17. We have a tractor supply but they don't do refill. I've read that the amount they refill them thing vs. exchange is kind of a myth. They only fill them a certain amount due to safety reasons. I haven't weighed a refill vs exchange. That might be worth trying to put that to rest one way or the other.
 
... I've read that the amount they refill them thing vs. exchange is kind of a myth. They only fill them a certain amount due to safety reasons. I haven't weighed a refill vs exchange. That might be worth trying to put that to rest one way or the other.

Hi Dustin

I can tell you definitively that the dude who filled my 2 empty tanks pushed 9.4 gallons of liquid propane in to fill them.

Per this link, one gallon of LP at 60 degrees F is 4.23 pounds.

9.4 gallons x 4.23 pounds per gallon = 39.762 pounds divided by 2 tanks = 19.881 pounds in each tank.

Blue Rhino says right on their site that they only put 15 pounds in each tank:

"How much propane does Blue Rhino put in its tanks?

Inflationary pressures, including the volatile costs of steel, diesel fuel, and propane, have had a significant impact on the cylinder exchange industry. In 2008, to help control these rising costs, Blue Rhino followed the example of other consumer products companies with a product content change. We reduced the amount of propane in our tanks from 17 pounds to 15 pounds."


But the boys above are bang on - exchange is still a wonderful way to get an old, out-of-cert or ugly tank swapped for a new one.

-X

EDIT: The refill cost me $33.92 after tax, or $16.96 for ~20 pounds. The exchange would have cost me $16.20 after tax for 15 pounds.
 
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I saw something interesting a blue rhino tank that I got with a used grill I bought. The tank had no expiration date stamped into the handle, just a sticker with a like serial # on it. So there was no way to check to see if it was expired, I think they did that so you couldn't get it refilled somewhere else. Only Blue Rhino would know with that sticker if it needed to be recertified.
We have a propane dealer in town that will recertify your tank for $6.00 and with Costco as of yesterday filling tanks with a maximum cost of $6.85 that's the only way to go.
 
Wow, I didn't know that Costco filled propane tanks. I am a member but my nearest one is 50 miles, so I will have to check to see if that one fills propane tanks and then try to coordinate it with another trip down.

Edit: Unfortunately, neither of the two closest Costco stores refill propane.
 
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That's a bummer Bruce. Costco is by far the cheapest around here. I always go Monday - Thursday, because Friday Saturday and Sunday the lines in the summer can be up to a two hour wait to get your tanks filled. They have two filling stations and on the weekend they have two people out there all day just filling propane tanks. For the last year or so they have always been $8.00 or less maximum for filling an empty 20# tank.
 
Wow, that is great Rich. You have the weather and the propane. What else do you need?

Oh, well, I just got 6 tanks filled a month ago at Tractor Supply. The lady screwed up I am sure. It cost me $80 and was supposed to be $2.89 a gallon. Either she filled them completely full which I doubt, or she screwed up the charge. She didn't seem to know what she was doing and I think she messed up and just guessed at how much she put in the tanks. She seemed totally incompetant and even refused to fill a guy's 100lb tank because she was afraid to fill that big of a tank. hahaha.
The one good thing is that I don't think she knew how to tell if a tank was currently certified or not which was to my benefit because I was sure that most of them were going to get rejected. I actually had ten knowing that most would get rejected and she accepted the first six.
 
Most of our refill places are only open 8 to 5 M thru F. I think u-haul is our best that charges by the gallon that you can get on weekends. Sometimes the convenience of an exchange is the only way to go depending on your location.
 
I really hope our next house has natural gas ...

That's what my E320 runs on, it's really great the bottle never runs out. It was funny when we bought the house 4 years ago I didn't even notice the gas valve for about a week after we moved in. Once I saw it I had the E320 2 days later.;)
 
When I was growing up we had a grill on NG. I can remember a couple of times where it was left on for sometimes two or three days straight before anyone realized it. LOL.

But, I shouldn't talk, I have killed off nearly full tanks of propane doing the same thing.
 
When I was growing up we had a grill on NG. I can remember a couple of times where it was left on for sometimes two or three days straight before anyone realized it. LOL.

But, I shouldn't talk, I have killed off nearly full tanks of propane doing the same thing.

I left the gas on for an extra hour about a month ago, and I'm sure it's due to stress. I'm forgetful when there is too much crap going on. Otherwise, I leave it to my wife to forget to turn off the Bunn coffee maker and have me do a good scrub on the pot!

- - - Updated - - -

Two or three days, wow. Just imagine how easy that was to scrape :)
 
Those of you who can get your tanks re-filled at Costco are getting a great deal! The closest Costco is about 55 miles from here & unfortunately doesn't re-fill propane.

One thing with doing the tank exchange when your current one expires..

You are getting someone else's used tank and you have no way of knowing how that tank was taken care of, etc. Seems like most of the tanks at the exchange places are old expired ones that have been re-painted and then get a recert sticker slapped on them.

Better to just get a new tank. They're good for 12 years. The peace of mind and safety for me and my family is worth the $30.00 IMO.
 

 

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