20 lb propane tank fill up costs

[NCLee]

Yesterday, we had a 20 lb tank filled. Almost keeled over when I found out the cost was $18.00!

Since we have a number of 20 lb and 2 100# cylinders didn't have any 20 pounders refilled last year. Year before last it was $9 to fill one, at the same place.

At 80% fill rate on a 20 lb tank, that equals 16 lbs of propane.
16 lbs divided by 4.11 lbs per gal = 3.89 gal used
$18.00 divided by 3.89 = $4.62 per gallon

Bulk propane cost us $1.79 (last fill up in March)

I expect to pay a premium for filling small tanks. But $2.83 per gallon is a ripoff!!

What are you paying to fill 20 lb cylinders?

Lee

[DM]

I happen to ask about 20 pound refills at my propane refill place just the other day, and she said $17.00. I thought THAT was bad... Electric is looking better and better! lol

DM

[Andy Jones]

In my area it's $13 for a 20 lb. bottle.I had my 100lb bottle filled in October for $75.

The Blue Rhino bottle exchange at Walmart is $14.95 plus tax.

My major gripe is the OPD (overfill protection device?).I have several older bottles that cannot be filled,unless I have them converted,which is not worth the cost.I think the OPD is a scam.I think some propane industry pencil pusher thought"Hey,we can require everyone to buy these and we can make even more money".

I never had,saw,or heard of anyone having problems with the old bottles.I think it's to keep from accidentely putting 10 cents of extra propane in someone's bottle.

I've been a career fireman for 32 years and I have been to many propane emergencies and I've never seen a case of over filling causing a problem.It's usually a rusted through bottle or a broken supply line,or a container hit by a car.

Andy J

[firegirl969]

I got our filled today for $15. They just put the refilling station in at our local hardware store this past week, and that is the cheapest 20 lb cylinder refilling has been for several years around here.

[NCLee]

In my area it's $13 for a 20 lb. bottle.I had my 100lb bottle filled in October for $75.

The Blue Rhino bottle exchange at Walmart is $14.95 plus tax.

My major gripe is the OPD (overfill protection device?).I have several older bottles that cannot be filled,unless I have them converted,which is not worth the cost.I think the OPD is a scam.I think some propane industry pencil pusher thought"Hey,we can require everyone to buy these and we can make even more money".

I never had,saw,or heard of anyone having problems with the old bottles.I think it's to keep from accidentely putting 10 cents of extra propane in someone's bottle.

I've been a career fireman for 32 years and I have been to many propane emergencies and I've never seen a case of over filling causing a problem.It's usually a rusted through bottle or a broken supply line,or a container hit by a car.

Andy J

I agree with you Andy. In addition to what you mentioned, probably one stupid person did something as equally stupid with a tank. Then the nanny state decided that EVERYONE had to be protected from themselves. :mad:

We swapped out a good OPD tank for a Blue Rhino, thinking we'd get it refilled, later at our local supplier. Paid more for the propane than we would have otherwise. (Sunday and local supplier closed.) No dice! Local supplier couldn't refill it. Not that he didn't try. Something about the way the intake was designed wouldn't allow his nozzle to fill it. So, we got ripped off, once again. Blue Rhino had our tank and the premium price (at the time) we paid.

Since then, we've bought new tanks at Sam's Club (best price found) so we wouldn't get caught in that trap again. Now, this price jump. I'm sure that wholesale propane is lower than $1.79/gal. (in our area). So, IMHO to add $2.83 per gallon ($11.00/20 lb tank) profit on top of difference between wholesale and $1.79 is outrageous. Since it only takes 5 minutes to fill a tank, it can't be recooping labor expense.

Please don't misunderstand. I believe in making a decent profit, regardless of the product or service. Just hate to get ripped off because, at this point, I can't refill a 20 pounder, myself, from our bulk tank.

Sure hope Home Depot has their Memorial Day sale on charcoal again this year. And that the gas grill turned solar cooker works out well. :wink:

Lee

[DM]

In my area it's $13 for a 20 lb. bottle.I had my 100lb bottle filled in October for $75.

The Blue Rhino bottle exchange at Walmart is $14.95 plus tax.

Andy J

I don't think they fill those "exchange" bottles full... That's why they "seem" cheaper.

DM

[Not2L8]

I agree with you Andy. In addition to what you mentioned, probably one stupid person did something as equally stupid with a tank. Then the nanny state decided that EVERYONE had to be protected from themselves. :mad:

We swapped out a good OPD tank for a Blue Rhino, thinking we'd get it refilled, later at our local supplier. Paid more for the propane than we would have otherwise. (Sunday and local supplier closed.) No dice! Local supplier couldn't refill it. Not that he didn't try. Something about the way the intake was designed wouldn't allow his nozzle to fill it. So, we got ripped off, once again. Blue Rhino had our tank and the premium price (at the time) we paid.

Since then, we've bought new tanks at Sam's Club (best price found) so we wouldn't get caught in that trap again. Now, this price jump. I'm sure that wholesale propane is lower than $1.79/gal. (in our area). So, IMHO to add $2.83 per gallon ($11.00/20 lb tank) profit on top of difference between wholesale and $1.79 is outrageous. Since it only takes 5 minutes to fill a tank, it can't be recooping labor expense.

Please don't misunderstand. I believe in making a decent profit, regardless of the product or service. Just hate to get ripped off because, at this point, I can't refill a 20 pounder, myself, from our bulk tank.

Sure hope Home Depot has their Memorial Day sale on charcoal again this year. And that the gas grill turned solar cooker works out well. :wink:

Lee

Lee, Keep in mind that a good portion of that cost is taxes to pay for the nanny state, so it can decide what we need protection from.:sad:

[keydl]

Here Blue Rino is $19.95 for 14#, the next over fill is $14 for 20# and will do old tanks for the 'tar kettle'

[MrGreenJeans]

The Blue Rhino with exchange of one of their tanks is $30 here. To buy a starter 20 lb tank here is over $70. Have no idea why it is so high here except looks like no one else is selling them. You can get refill,s at some place,s but i heard some not so even dealing,s.

[NCLee]

Twenty pound tanks for $70. WOW. I thought things were bad around here. :sad:

Last time I checked new tanks at Sam's Club were a little less than $30. Even with that outrageous refill price mentioned earlier, that's only $48, give or take.

Just checked.... Lowes has them for $32.97 here. Google: Lowes propane tank, then enter your zipcode to see if they are available near you and the price.

Lee

[King Hugh]

Last 20# tank refill here was $19.00

[MrGreenJeans]

I checked again yesterday $29.99 to exchange an empty tank for another one. $59.99 + tax for a starter tank without exchange. Not as much as i thought still dang near the 70 mark. Seem,s they are cheaper at the local wally world, i don't know how much i don't shop there but maybe once or twice a year. The local propane co. is said to fill a 20 lb. tank for $18 + change, i guess it's the tank that up's the cost on blue rhino.

[NCLee]

No, IMHO, it isn't the tank. They have a captive audience. Once a $60 investment is made in a new full tank, people are reluctant to shell out more money for tanks they can have refilled, themselves.

To me, that's the only reason that makes sense. Charging $30 vs $18 is because a person can't get a Blue Rhino tank filled anywhere else.

Read somewhere that the refilled tanks are at less than 80%. Don't know if it's true, but it easy to check. We have 2 of those blasted tanks. One came "free" with a grill. All we have to do is weight the exchanged tank. Weigh the empty one before it's turned in. That'll give the tare weight.

Lee

[nhlivefreeordie]

It is $13.00 here for a refill, but a local propane dealer has a special on Thursdays, $11.75 for 20#ers. I just noticed at the local grocery Weis' they have a seasonal display in front of the stores where they sell all kinds of outdoor supplies, tables, coolers grills etc. They had a sign on several new 20# propane tanks, $19.99, they are empty, but I still thought that it was a reasonable price for a new tank, and if I didn't have 3 already, I might have picked a couple more up.
I never liked the idea of those exchanges, and have never used them.

[ScrubbieLady]

We got out extra propane tank at Sam's. I think we paid $23.00 or thereabouts. It does cost over $20 to refill unless I go to the gas company. They are refilled by weight and so I don't take them until empty because the price is the same no matter how much gas is still in there. We don't exchange tanks. Too expensive around here and you can get stuck with someone else's problems.

[justmyluk]

Around here we just set our empty 20# tanks out by our large tank in the yard.
When the man comes by to fill up the big tank he always fills our small ones and we just pay the bulk rate. Works out great...

Talk to the driver the next time he fills up your bulk tank and see if he will fill your 20 pounders. Most of them don't have a problem with it...

[NCLee]

You are lucky!

Around here, the trucks aren't equipped with the nozzles anymore to fill tanks smaller than 120 gallon ones. That's according to our propane supplier when I asked about leaving empty 100# ones beside our big tank for filling.

Lee

[12vman]

$2.67/ lb. 100# bottle filled for $65. (Measured by actual weight)

[NCLee]

Had 2 100# ones filled a few weeks ago. $75 each. Both were empty. Had to replace the valve in one that I've had for several years. Was used when I got it.

Lee

[bjacobson]

I get mine filled at the local Amish bulk store for $12 for a 20# tank. I think it was only $10.50 last year, the swap out tanks at the gas stations are about $20 for exchange.

[Wyobuckaroo]

Some one mentioned weighing a tank, then filling to get a tare weight.

Tare weight should be stamped on the collar of the tank that protects the valve, on smaller tanks anyway.
Not sure about 100lb tanks.

Wyo

[12vman]

My 100# bottles have the weight stamped in the protective collar. Each tank varies slightly by a pound or two.

The new 20# bottles have a float valve inside to avoid over filling. They are not filled by weight. The float valve will shut off the input when it gets filled to approx. 80% by liquid volume.

Sometimes this float valve will screw up and not allow gas to exit the tank when connected to a grill or whatever. Usually you can take the tank, invert it upside down and slowly return it right side up. Most times this will free the float valve. If not, turn the tank upside down, open the valve just slightly to let a little amount of propane to release, shut it off and slowly return it back right side up..

[keydl]

I get mine filled at the local Amish bulk store for $12 for a 20# tank. I think it was only $10.50 last year, the swap out tanks at the gas stations are about $20 for exchange.


Here you get 14# in a 20# tank out of the rack and they are $25 at Walmart and $30 most others. They fill while you wait $16 for 20# in any legal tank.

[Nancymw]

$15 for 20lb refill at local propane company. Of course, that was 2 weeks ago!

[warriorwolf47]

Read somewhere that the refilled tanks are at less than 80%. Don't know if it's true

Lee


Yes it is true , I had my 20# tank refilled last summer (19 $) and the guy
at our local service station took 30 - 40 minutes to do it .
He told me that the propane provider told him to just fill only what would be needed to fill the tank and then charge for a full amount , needless to say he just wouldn't do that , it just took alot longer to bleed excess air and pressure out as the propane was filling .

I like this guy ! :D

[KarenBC]

Last time I filled two 20 lb bottles it was $27.50 or so, at Costco.

[cubcadet]

I think it`s cheaper to use charcoal; even cheaper to use live embers from a good wood fire. Of course it`s less convenient. But heck, where`s the fun in that?:

[offgridbob]

I have been collecting several 30lb tanks and have enough for about a years worth of gas. I don't worry about the price to much because we are held captive. So every time one tank emptys, I just get it refilled and it doesn't seem to much. If I had to get them all filled at once it would break me. I'm fooling myself but keeping my mind.

[Wyobuckaroo]

Agree............

I still have several "old style" tanks to trade in on "new" tanks.

When I get them all recycled, I'm going to get refills at the local co-op.
That way I also get extra points on my Cabelas credit card............

Wyo
(saving for that new bass boat, chuckle, chuckle, snort)

[slappy888888]

I sell propane for $18.00 for a full 20# . you think that's a ripoff?? then pay my rent electric etc, and pay my employees too.....or do you think I should pay them $2 an hour? pay my insurance and and the money I spent installing the tank, backhoe concrete electrician block fence etc......you pay that and you can buy it for cost!!

same price as walmart except 5 pounds more!!!!!

[grumble]

Or, you can buy a wet valve, and just fill all your smaller tanks off your 250 or 500 gallon tank. I've been doing that for over 20 years now.

[Westcliffe01]

I have paid up to $50 to refill a 20lb cylinder on the western side of the rockies (Grand Junction) when I did the $18 "exchange" and got a basically empty cylinder from the machine. Last time I used one of those exchange systems and I got a nice rusty cylinder back in exchange for my shiny one...

At $18 for a full refill, I think it is a tough way to make a living, especially when the business only has 5-10 customers a day. The RVers make up for the BBQ types, since some have LARGE horizontal cylinders.

Now for $50 a refill, its a rip off, plain and simple.

[Musky]

I have been getting my tanks filled @ the Flying J truck stops. They have some of the best rates I have found and keep pretty current with the market with price. ( they do of course charge more than bulk price).
My 30# tanks for my camper are about 1/2 what I was paying at the campgounds etc.

[offgridbob]

I just hook up to our local politician and get all the free methane I want. now all I have to do is figure out how to use it in the cook stove with out it smelling like B.S.

[CarolAnn]

BOB!:sarcastic:

I'm picturing the ugly plumbing you've got there! :sarcastic::sarcastic::sarcastic:

[Plowpoint]

I paid $9 the other day, but I go to a refill location that weighs your tank "empty" then fills it and calculates the amount of propane still in it, and what they put into it to fill it.

If you go to a refill station that charges a flat rate, you probably are paying far more then you would for a station that calculates their input into the tank. Swap-out tanks are a rip off; pure and simple.

[HuntingHawk]

$17 at local hardware store to fill a 20# tank. $20 to exchange at the convenience store across the street. Out dated tanks I hit with some spray paint if bad rusted & have no problem exchanging.

Ross

[Beaniemaster2]

Just had to brag alittle, found 2 fifty pound tanks FILLED for $75 at the flea market :)

[GAWayne]

I sell propane for $18.00 for a full 20# . you think that's a ripoff??

Welcome to the forum...I see that was your first post.

Just so everyone is aware, the comment just before yours was from last summer and the original post was from 2 years ago.

Maybe that explains some of the pricing.