Author Topic: propane tank recertification  (Read 48191 times)

Offline backwoodswalker

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propane tank recertification
« on: Dec 18, 2011, 08:50 AM »
Yesterday I took my 2 10 pound propane tanks in to be filled. Was told 1 needed recertified. I personally have never heard of this before. It says right on collar it has to be recertified within 12 years of build date. Well tank was dated 4-98 so it was past due. I asked how much to recertify it an it was 25 bucks for 5 years. Well can buy a new one for 50 bucks good for another 12 years. What the hey, save 25 buck. All he did was look at it and spray soapy water around valve for 25 bucks. What a rip off. He put a sticker on tank with barcode on it. Says it is good for another 5 years. How long will sticker last?? I use these for camping and fishing as well as ice fishing. Said all 4 pound to 100 pound tanks have to be recertified. Government ripping us off at every chance they get. Anybody else run into this yet? When my other tanks are up I will buy new. He also told me this was federal law not company or state, Go figure eh??? ???

Offline CharlieBrn

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #1 on: Dec 18, 2011, 08:55 AM »
Have not yet run into it backwoodswalker but I have heard of it.  Heck, for 25 bucks you can pick up a new 20lb at walmart.  Yup, they always find ways to take away from us dont they!!!

Offline UP jigstick

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #2 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:06 AM »
I turned my last one that was in need of recertification into a portable air tank. Though the guys I talked to said they  actually pressure test the tanks before they certify them.

Offline gearheart

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #3 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:06 AM »
There's more than just a squirt of soapy water involved. :o  The rubber seal in the valve will fail due to the oils in the propane attacking the rubber.  The entire valve should  be replaced and then the thread seal checked with the soapy water.  Recert around here goes $30 and includes new valve. a purge and fill. The recert date is stamped into the hand grip ring below the date of manufacture.  It's not exactly a bad idea because if the valve fails and leaks and blows your garage or house up you're out a lot more than $25-30 bucks. ;D

Offline justfine

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #4 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:06 AM »
never heard that around here most convenient stores have bring in your empty tank get a different full one good bye old tank
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Offline Lobes

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #5 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:11 AM »
Oh yeah, why not. Polititions need to keep dreaming up more crap to over regulate us to keep their jobs alive. Not likely we'll ever find out which one thinks this was necessary. The cost to do it is outrageous but probably won't find a politition out there anywhere to try to regulate costs of recertification to make it reasonable.

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Offline backwoodswalker

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #6 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:19 AM »
I see I can buy a new 20 pounder at menards for 24.99. The little 10 pounder is 59.99. Half the size= twice the price. I really like my 10 pounders but I can see them getting replaced by 20 pounders. And like my son says, You can exchange the 20 pounders all over and not worry about recerts. But they only have 15 pounds of gas in them. Another ripoff. Looks like gas companies and government are out to break us. Notice how it is only the customer owned tanks? anything over 100 pounds does not need inspected. Wonder how old some of our propane tanks are in our yard?? Oh yeah they are owned by gas company. Cant bother them.   Steve

Offline BIGJim223

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #7 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:21 AM »
I have a one hundred pounder on my house that is at least 25 years old, and it gets filled up every 2 months. No one has ever said that it is out of certification- yet. I also have a 100 pounder that is brand new, from Lowe's, just had gas put in it 3 weeks ago, and the date on the badge is over 2 years old. Seems like recertification is just a way to make money to me. Just like when they changed all the valves a few years ago on the 20 lb tanks. I had 6 tanks at that time, a couple were basically new (1 or 2 fills max), and could no longer get them filled. I ended up taking them to convenient stores and passing them off for rusty, repainted tanks with new valves to the drone kid who works there.
  Just another fee put on us to make sure we are safe!   RANT OFF

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Offline NoMe

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #8 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:23 AM »
Liberal politicians imposing more regulations, hard to do business in the states.

Offline jperch

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #9 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:36 AM »
I believe it is the DOT that regulates the re-certification process.  Around here the process for inspection is much more involved than slopping soapy water around.  The valve is removed and the interior is inspected for oxidation.  Rusting is an issue with steel tanks.  The tank is pressurized with water to see if the stretch falls within acceptable levels.  Microcracks may be detected by passing an electric current through certain regions of the tank, at least where my tanks are certified.  Tanks do fail and are rejected.  They don't last forever.  Fifty bucks for 12 years works out to about 4 bucks a year - I likely would not bother to re-certify for that type of tank, especially given the cost to re-certify.  There is a word for a pressurized tank that suddenly fails (and they do, happened at a local school a few years back) -  "bomb".  jperch

Offline UP jigstick

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #10 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:38 AM »
Oh yeah, why not. Polititions need to keep dreaming up more crap to over regulate us to keep their jobs alive. Not likely we'll ever find out which one thinks this was necessary. The cost to do it is outrageous but probably won't find a politition out there anywhere to try to regulate costs of recertification to make it reasonable.

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NBG

It's not the politicians dreaming up this crap. Frankly I doubt many politicians care much at all about most of the legislation they vote on. It is the companies that insure the propane industry, and insurers in general, that write/influence these types laws. They're simply looking for ways to reduce their costs, so they can increase their profits. That it costs us little people something never even enters into the equation.

Offline Gamalot

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #11 on: Dec 18, 2011, 09:54 AM »
I had both a 5 and 10 pound tanks with the old style valves that no one would fill. I asked about getting the valves replaced and they all told me it would be cheaper to buy new tanks.

Sold both tanks to a guy at a yard sale who said he could get them updated for free. He stopped back a week later and both had the new valves and recertified stamped on the handle.

I guess it is good to have a brother who works for the gas company, same company that told me it would be cheaper to buy new tanks! :%$#!:
If I agreed with you we would both be wrong!

Offline esox slayer

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #12 on: Dec 18, 2011, 10:05 AM »
I see I can buy a new 20 pounder at menards for 24.99. The little 10 pounder is 59.99. Half the size= twice the price. I really like my 10 pounders but I can see them getting replaced by 20 pounders. And like my son says, You can exchange the 20 pounders all over and not worry about recerts. But they only have 15 pounds of gas in them. Another ripoff. Looks like gas companies and government are out to break us. Notice how it is only the customer owned tanks? anything over 100 pounds does not need inspected. Wonder how old some of our propane tanks are in our yard?? Oh yeah they are owned by gas company. Cant bother them.   Steve

Bull, if your gas supplier isn't doing recerts, they're in violation.

Whether it's a DOT or ASME tank, they all need recerts done.

How does he know there's only 15 pounds of gas in them?  Because he thinks they're only to be filled to 80% max capacity?

80% full on a 20 pound lp tank IS 20 pounds, or 4.7 gallons.

I worked in this industry for 13 years so I know what I'm talking about in this.

Yeah, it's a government "rip off".  Lets say you have your tank and gas supplied by (you choose the company) with NO regulation set forth on tanks recerts, etc, and they leave the tank there for a few dozen years and the bottom rots out, dumps it's gas (at an expansion rate of liquid to vapor of 274), finds a source of ignition and blows up half the neighborhood...if they weren't regulated, they could tell YOU "sorry, we didn't have to do anything except supply you, YOU have the misfortune and won't get a penny in damages from us".

Is that what YOU want to have happen?
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Offline UP jigstick

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #13 on: Dec 18, 2011, 10:16 AM »
This might be where he gets the 15 lbs from. From the Blue Rhino FAQs page.

Quote
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.

To ensure our consumers are properly notified, Blue Rhino clearly marks the amount of propane contained in our tanks, right on the package.

We have a second, exchange tank supplier locally and their tanks contain the same 15 lbs of propane too. Caveat emptor, eh.

Offline campfindit2

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #14 on: Dec 18, 2011, 10:29 AM »
I used to work for a gas company. Your lucky if they'll even offer recertification. Not enough margin, much better to sell a new one.

As far as your home tank having a far longer life that is due to classification. "Tanks" vs "Cylinders". You will have overlap at the #100 size. If it has a BBQ type valve it is a cylinder. A multi valve, fillable from truck is a tank. The DOT figures these tanks don't travel on the roads as often. Tanks do need to be recertified but after a much longer time.

The regulations are written in DC by boards of "experts". You actually run into two regulatory boards with gas, the DOT & NFPA. My old boss volunteered his time for helping write these sort of regs. He said if he didn't do it college professors would write regs that weren't feasible to implement in the field.

As for the cost difference between a #10 and #20 it comes down to supply and demand. If you can place an order that fills a trackter trailer the shipping cost per unit goes down.

The "little green bombs" were not designed for refilling, the #10 was, justice saying:)

Offline UP jigstick

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #15 on: Dec 18, 2011, 10:44 AM »
campfindit2,

Watch yourself there or you'll set off the never ending "little green bombs" soap opera.  ;D ;D ;D

Offline Lobes

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #16 on: Dec 18, 2011, 10:54 AM »
It's not the politicians dreaming up this crap. Frankly I doubt many politicians care much at all about most of the legislation they vote on. It is the companies that insure the propane industry, and insurers in general, that write/influence these types laws. They're simply looking for ways to reduce their costs, so they can increase their profits. That it costs us little people something never even enters into the equation.

Since this is madated at the federal level then the law had to be invoked by federal lawmakers (polititions - congressmen). These are elected political officials.

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Mecosta County / Lakeview, Michigan

Offline rambo51

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #17 on: Dec 18, 2011, 02:11 PM »
Around here all you have to do is write. Torch Only. with a black sharpie and they will fill it up


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Offline Lobes

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #18 on: Dec 18, 2011, 02:22 PM »
I did see some really nice woodstoves made out of scrapped 20 lb. tanks on this site so they can at least still be useful.

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NBG

Mecosta County / Lakeview, Michigan

Offline icekid86

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Re: propane tank recertification
« Reply #19 on: Dec 18, 2011, 02:32 PM »
paint ball tanks have to be re cert to.and blue rhino is in a class action lawsuit for not filling tanks full.even under the 17lbs

 



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