I found two full propane tanks on the side of the road..


 
C

ChrisArgentino

TVWBB Fan
Hello. I recently bought an older 90s Weber spirit grill and am in need of another propane tank. Lucky enough, bulb pickup in my town is today and I found someone getting rid of two grill propane tanks. One of them is blue rhino but has the triangular safety on it that they used to have so it can only be exchanged and the other tank is a regular tank with what looks like a quick disconnect on it. Both are pretty badly rusted. I don’t know if they are safe or ok to use for my safety or the grills safety. They still are almost completely full so I’d hate to waste gas. If they are not safe to use, I probably will exchange them for rhino tanks WITHOUT the triangular safety crap on it lol. Attached are two pictures of the tanks. Can they even be exchanged with full gas still in it?
 

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I don’t know about yours but our local Walmart has a dispenser outside. Kind of like a pop machine; you pay and it unlocks a bin I assume and you can exchange. Those would be sent off, and either cleaned, hydro tested, and revalved, or scrapped.

This eliminates a person being picky and not exchanging them.
 
Agreed. I have exchanged some nasty tanks at Walmart. Several with the quick disconnects. Always get back a clean tank with the modern connectors. It is not as economical as having them filled, but to get a decent tank out of the deal makes it a steal.
 
Propane has an extremely long "shelf" life. The chemical is stable and doesn't go bad like gasoline. If the tank is holding pressure I would just use the gas in it. When it comes to exchanging it most places don't look at the handle and will just take the tank.

The non-OPD tank is probably over 25 years old, but I'd still use up the propane in it before transporting it to exchange.
 
Oh, yah, I would use the gas in the tanks as well. I have actually converted my grill to quick connect, just to use up a bottle or two of LP that I had laying around and then switched back to the modern connector after they were empty.
 
Yeah definitely use the gas (if any in it) and then exchange it. Once you have a clean updated tank from BR or what have you, you can choose to refill or exchange them as you wish. If you ever get a "dud" simply exchange it again
 
One man's scary, dangerous, rusty trash becomes another man's treasure for sure. Bulk pickup by me would not take those with the valves still installed so you probably did him a big favor. Removing the valve on an older tank can be quite challenging.
 
Scott Smith said:
One man's scary, dangerous, rusty trash becomes another man's treasure for sure. Bulk pickup by me would not take those with the valves still installed so you probably did him a big favor. Removing the valve on an older tank can be quite challenging.
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They don’t pick them up here at all, regardless of condition.
 
One thing to consider when doing an exchange. While you will get a clean tank with the modern adapter in return, it may not be within official certification and many refill places are strict about that. If you can find one that isn't picky, great for you.
But, most places that I know of that do exchanges do not officially recertify tanks that come in out of date. The do "in house" inspections certifications on each tank but it is not official and is not recognized by other refilling outfits. What you are looking for when doing an exchange is to get back a tank that was turned in by someone while it was still under official certification. There is usually a month and year stamped into the top handle area of the tank. That is the month and year of manufacture. Most states recognize a 10-12 year window for certification. So if you find a tank within that ten year window, it should pass for refill no problem. When outfits officially recertify tanks, they stamp in a recertification code that extends the certification for a period of years but it starts to get confusing about how to interpret the code and how long it is good for. So, I just go with the original manufacture date code when choosing a tank to bring in for refill.
 
ChrisArgentino said:
Hello. I recently bought an older 90s Weber spirit grill and am in need of another propane tank. Lucky enough, bulb pickup in my town is today and I found someone getting rid of two grill propane tanks. One of them is blue rhino but has the triangular safety on it that they used to have so it can only be exchanged and the other tank is a regular tank with what looks like a quick disconnect on it. Both are pretty badly rusted. I don’t know if they are safe or ok to use for my safety or the grills safety. They still are almost completely full so I’d hate to waste gas. If they are not safe to use, I probably will exchange them for rhino tanks WITHOUT the triangular safety crap on it lol. Attached are two pictures of the tanks. Can they even be exchanged with full gas still in it?
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I would not try to use them. But I would not leave them where kids could find them either.
 
Bruce said:
One thing to consider when doing an exchange. While you will get a clean tank with the modern adapter in return, it may not be within official certification and many refill places are strict about that. If you can find one that isn't picky, great for you.
But, most places that I know of that do exchanges do not officially recertify tanks that come in out of date. The do "in house" inspections certifications on each tank but it is not official and is not recognized by other refilling outfits. What you are looking for when doing an exchange is to get back a tank that was turned in by someone while it was still under official certification. There is usually a month and year stamped into the top handle area of the tank. That is the month and year of manufacture. Most states recognize a 10-12 year window for certification. So if you find a tank within that ten year window, it should pass for refill no problem. When outfits officially recertify tanks, they stamp in a recertification code that extends the certification for a period of years but it starts to get confusing about how to interpret the code and how long it is good for. So, I just go with the original manufacture date code when choosing a tank to bring in for refill.
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Like Bruce - I only exchange tanks when expired. Then when they open up the locker I ask if I can pick the tank and I look for one with a current date so that I can get them refilled. It is 12 years for original stamping and 5 for a recertified one.
 
I don't believe there is any danger in using them so long as they are not currently leaking. Just use them up (if not leaking), as you use them up, bring the empty to an exchange center, and get another. Then do with that tank as you wish (exchange again or refill when empty). I currently am using some pretty old tanks but they look clean and free of rust, so my refill station doesn't say a word
 
Those look like they have been in a flood. I would defiantly use the soapy water thing on the valve when using and check for leaks!
 
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timothy said:
Those look like they have been in a flood. I would defiantly use the soapy water thing on the valve when using and check for leaks!
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I don't know if it is possible to sink a propane tank if it is full enough, but I do know that many will float right away like corks in a flood.
 
Bruce said:
One thing to consider when doing an exchange. While you will get a clean tank with the modern adapter in return, it may not be within official certification and many refill places are strict about that. If you can find one that isn't picky, great for you.
But, most places that I know of that do exchanges do not officially recertify tanks that come in out of date. The do "in house" inspections certifications on each tank but it is not official and is not recognized by other refilling outfits. What you are looking for when doing an exchange is to get back a tank that was turned in by someone while it was still under official certification. There is usually a month and year stamped into the top handle area of the tank. That is the month and year of manufacture. Most states recognize a 10-12 year window for certification. So if you find a tank within that ten year window, it should pass for refill no problem. When outfits officially recertify tanks, they stamp in a recertification code that extends the certification for a period of years but it starts to get confusing about how to interpret the code and how long it is good for. So, I just go with the original manufacture date code when choosing a tank to bring in for refill.
Click to expand...
Do you notice that most places will refill blue rhino tanks as long as they are within 10 years old?
 
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