20 pound propane tank exchange for $12.99!

[Boomerweps]

If you are in Pa, eastern OH, or the vicinity that has Giant Eagle grocery stores, they are having a pre Memorial Day special on 20 pound propane tanks. Exchange one normally is $19.99. $4 off right away and a $3 mail in rebate.
I'm swapping one out tomorrow.

[Kimber45]

read the small print you are still getting hosed. The tanks aren't full youre getting about 15 pounds of propane. that's why they can afford to fill and deliver them around.

[Flybob]

See http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ng-133760.html

Post 2

[marinerjoe]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

read the small print you are still getting hosed. The tanks aren't full youre getting about 15 pounds of propane. that's why they can afford to fill and deliver them around.

However, if you’ve got a tank close to or beyond the date where they can be refilled, this can be a good deal to get a “new” tank to work with. I don’t recall the drop-dead age for propane tanks, but I think it’s either 10 or 15 years old.

[heavynlori]

Originally Posted by marinerjoe

However, if you’ve got a tank close to or beyond the date where they can be refilled, this can be a good deal to get a “new” tank to work with. I don’t recall the drop-dead age for propane tanks, but I think it’s either 10 or 15 years old.

Some places refuse the outdated tanks around us....the exchange companies will refuse to take the outdated tanks from the gas station or whomever happened to get one - then the station owner is stuck with it themselves

[KyDan]

Originally Posted by heavynlori

Some places refuse the outdated tanks around us....the exchange companies will refuse to take the outdated tanks from the gas station or whomever happened to get one - then the station owner is stuck with it themselves

Big box stores don't check. In fact they are often self service. Home Debit for one.

I donno what I'll do when my grill tank expires... I'll most likely do the right thing and buy a new one from my local hardware store. I think they had a sign where I could get a new tank- filled for about $40.
Yeah, I could save some bucks by exchanging it at a big store but that little hardware store has stuff you just can't find any-where else. He's got a wall of gaskets and O-rings and specialty nuts and bolts nobody else has. I like to support those guys because once they're gone- they're gone for good and we (DIY guys and gals) are worse off for it....

AND like they said- exchange tanks are 3/4 full. My hardware store fills them until the safety valve cuts off. AND I have 30s on my TT so I gotta get them filled and need that guy to be there for me!!

[dblr]

A store near us is doing the same deal but without a mail in rebate, this past weekend I filled 3 of my bottles, 1-40lb and 2-20lb for $40 total all 3 were empty and the Amish hardware store only charges for what they pump.

[KyDan]

80 Lbs of LP for $40

That's a heck of a deal!!

[dblr]

Originally Posted by KyDan

80 Lbs of LP for $40

That's a heck of a deal!!

YUP another member ( Buskirk) let me in on his secret place

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Boomerweps

If you are in Pa, eastern OH, or the vicinity that has Giant Eagle grocery stores, they are having a pre Memorial Day special on 20 pound propane tanks. Exchange one normally is $19.99. $4 off right away and a $3 mail in rebate.
I'm swapping one out tomorrow.

$13 for an exchange cylinder is a good deal.

However as explained in the link that Flybob provided, exchange cylinders usually only have around 15 pounds of propane instead of the 20 pounds you would get if you had it refilled. So if this is the case, you are paying $13 for 15 pounds of propane by exchanging it. You may want to check the signage on the exchange cage to see how much propane is in the cylinder to be sure.

I glanced at your profile and see there is a Tractor Supply in your town. Their website says this store also refills propane cylinders at $2.99 per gallon. A true empty cylinder will normally hold around 4.6 to 4.7 gallons of propane (which is 20 pounds)

Doing some calculations, that equates between $13.75 to $14.05 for a fully filled 20 pound cylinder. So for .75 to 1.05 more, you would get an extra 5 pounds of propane vs exchanging.

This is also assuming the cylinder you are going to exchange is completely empty too. If there was propane left in it, then if you let tractor supply refill it, they only charge you for the amount of propane they put in...so your refill costs could even be less.

Since you are going to have to take the cylinder to be exchanged, it's really not much more labor to just drop by tractor supply and let them refill it instead, You will be getting more propane for your money.

EDIT: I checked this grocery chain and they are using Blue Rhino exchange cylinders:

https://www.bluerhino.com/gianteagle

Blue Rhino states they only put 15 pounds in:

https://www.bluerhino.com/propane-in...ino-tanks-faqs

How much propane does Blue Rhino put in its tanks?

Today the propane exchange industry commonly fills tanks with 15 lbs of propane. At Blue Rhino, we also fill our tanks to 15 pounds, which helps us manage product costs and achieve production efficiencies. We clearly mark this amount on our sleeves and display signs.

[CHICKDOE]

getting ready to go out next week and I filled a 30 lb cylinder yesterday for $15.04. it took 6.7 gals. the propane was $2.05/gal and the rest was taxes. plus they stamped my card. after 5 stamped refills they give a free 20 lb refill.

[Boomerweps]

According to refill standards, they are only supposed to fill propane tanks to 80% capacity, the safety relief valve is to stop you from filling to full capacity. So Blue Rhino fills to 15# vice the 16# they could for 80%.
Part of the exchange deal is you also get a newer or repainted tank. My SIL & his Dad pick up any tanks they can find at auction and then exchange them as needed or desired.
My grille tank was looking rusty nasty. Yes, I gave away 3# of gas to get the deal.
After some measurements today, I plan on staying with a single mounted tank on my TT. For now, a spare 20 will be carried when traveling. I'd like a 30 mounted but I've only found those at about $70 each locally so far. 40 is $100 and I would have come up with a larger bracket to support it, especially horizontally. These are empty prices, of course.
I plan on minimizing my gas use anyways. If I have electric, my only gas use will be the water heater. I intend to turn on the gas only prior to hot water use and not keep water heating all day

[CHICKDOE]

a 20 lb propane cylinder can hold 20 of propane (4.7 gals). at this fill level it is filled to 80% of total capacity. the prefilled exchange cylinders are only filled to 15 lbs of propane (3.5 gals). take the price of the exchange cylinder and divide by 3.5 to get the effective price per gallon. then compare to the price per gallon for a refill. the price in the original post $12.99 calcs out to be $3.07/gal. I just refilled at $2.05/gal

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by Boomerweps

According to refill standards, they are only supposed to fill propane tanks to 80% capacity, the safety relief valve is to stop you from filling to full capacity. So Blue Rhino fills to 15# vice the 16# they could for 80%.

Please Please read this link, as that information quoted above is incorrect. Many people are confused about this, as you are. Hopefully, it will get you fixed up.

You are confusing a cylinders water (liquid) capacity with it's propane capacity..as many people incorrectly do.

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ng-133760.html

If you have any questions after reading the link, please let us know.

[Boomerweps]

Thanks for the clarification. I bookmarked that propane link. Part of my goal today was to swap out a rusty looking tank. I will get my tanks refilled in the future.

[Photo Lab]

This string is interesting to me, as I've been using LP gas for lots of years, including one period where my pickup was LP powered. At that point, whenever I filled up, the unit of measure was gallons.

My questions now involve the number of gallons in a standard 20 or 30 pound tank. A 30 pound tank looks like it probably holds 10 gallons if it were 100% full of liquid, although this would be asking for disaster. I believe however, that since the Acme thread tank valves came in about 20-25 years ago, the portable tanks cannot be overfilled. Is this correct?

[A32Deuce]

I got turned on to UHual for getting tanks refilled. Several I have used were 3 to 5 dollars cheaper then swapping with Blue R. plus you get a little more!

[Joefire50]

Just went to Costco and had two 30lb. filled @ 1.99 a pound. $27.00 to fill both tanks.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Joefire50

Just went to Costco and had two 30lb. filled @ 1.99 a pound. $27.00 to fill both tanks.

At $1.99 a pound, $27 should have got you 13.5 pounds. That's not even 1/2 of ONE 30 lb tank.

What am I missing?? Did you mean $1.99 a GALLON?

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

At $1.99 a pound, $27 should have got you 13.5 pounds. That's not even 1/2 of ONE 30 lb tank.

What am I missing?? Did you mean $1.99 a GALLON?

Yup. $1.99/gallon at Costco. I was really happy to see that price in Huntsville, AL at the Costco there. And they do partial fills.