Propane ripoff?????


 
Jon K

Jon K

TVWBB Super Fan
Over the past few years the use of my Genesis has dropped dramatically as I've embraced the charcoal,lump world. What hasn't dropped though is my use of propane. It seems that I've been going through a tank/year. As a matter of fact the gauge usually goes down 1/4 to 1/3 on the 1st cook. I recently took the tank to another propane dealer and the process took 2x as long to finish. What he did was put the tank on the scale, open the nozzle and stuck a screwdriver into a slot on the side and let a tremendous amount of air out over the course of 10 minutes. He then attached the propane filler hose to the tank and slowly started to fill the tank all the while having the screwdirver in. Air continued to come out for about another minute and then some propane started escaping. He tightened the screw (?) and filled the tank. He told me my tank should last 2x as long now that it was truly filled. Have ay of you dealt with this before? I was paying $20 for a fill up at the original station and $22 at this new one.
 
Maybe the tank was never purged properly before it's first fill? Sounds like that's what the guy did at the other propane dealer where the process took 2X as long.

It will be interesting to see how long your tank lasts now.

Regards,
Chris
 
Sounds like he "purged" the tank first, before filling. (Chris and I apparently posted within a minute of eachother...)

Not sure about the logic behind it, but an old-timer at a trusted gas fill-up back in my home town recommended that it should be done every ten tankfulls or so. Removes moisture and other stuff that can take-up space / mess-up proper pressurization in the tanks.

Anybody here know the "why?" behind this?
 
I will keep an eye out, but I take mine to get it filled and I can see how many gallons are being put in the tank. It usually is around 4.5 gallons. I've never heard of a tank being purged after it's first filling.

What I think is a rip off is the tanks where you swap out your tank. Those things are never full. I think the last one I saw was $20 for 15lbs. That's only about 3/4 full and the price is a couple bucks more than when I get mine filled.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jerry N.:
I will keep an eye out, but I take mine to get it filled and I can see how many gallons are being put in the tank. It usually is around 4.5 gallons. I've never heard of a tank being purged after it's first filling.

What I think is a rip off is the tanks where you swap out your tank. Those things are never full. I think the last one I saw was $20 for 15lbs. That's only about 3/4 full and the price is a couple bucks more than when I get mine filled. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's correct about swapping your tank. Read the notice on the front of the tank bin, it's says you get 15 lbs. (And, btw, propane is sold by weight (lb) not volume (gal).

As far as the purge, the place I get mine purges EVERY time I come in so I always get the 19.9 lbs. the scale says. (The tank should not be filled more than that.)

Rich
 
I also get my tank refilled locally and at one place some of the people purge it and others forget or did not know how to, But my got to place always purges it and it costs me 15 buc a refill. They go by weight and meter also.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by RichPB (richlife):
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Jerry N.:
It usually is around 4.5 gallons. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

(And, btw, propane is sold by weight (lb) not volume (gal).

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

True, it is sold by weight, but the place I go also has a meter that shows volume (gallons). They weight it to know when to stop, but I look at the meter to see how much they put in. Given that I pretty much empty the tank, it should be pretty close each time I fill it by weight or volume.
 
I've used the gasser 3 times since the tank was purged and filled and the gauge hasn't budged. Case solved!
 
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