Buying propane for the grill

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
one 5 pound container

Never seen a 5 lb container. What's it look like?

Are you sure it's not the standard 20lb one?



5 gallons?

Yeah, standard grill tank..

 

[crinkles]

yup, 9 kg nominal bottles here fill to 8.5 kg net. $40 for a swap or $20 - $30 for refill. Empty cylinder runs $40.

The tank should have empty weight stamped on the collar. You can then weigh the tank at home to get your net LPG content. I always do this and have never been cheated on a swap. Benefit of a swap is the bottle is always within date (10 years since last inspection for us) with a fresh lick of paint. This year had the first cylinder that had been re-conditioned after 10 years.

i love LPG. One day when I have my own place will have instant on gas hot water, and gas stove and oven.

 

[Shannow]

^ what he said...however, the 9KG bottles around here are only marked 8.5Kg these days.

I have a 9, and a 4.5...run the 9 dry, then sneak a bit out of the 4.5 to finish cooking. Exchange and use the 9, and repeat until 4.5Kg is nearly empty, then run it dry and get it exchanged...getting them refilled is a pain, and when the filler is in a "hurry" doesn't run it until it vents liquid from the dipper.

A guy I know has a car on LPG, and has tapped in his own bottle filling station, at 80 odd cents per litre...Another guy got the darks with buying 100Kg refills at his house, and bought on-line a tank that he can refill at the service station, then connect to his home heat.

Others are making adaptors to fill the little propane torch bottles that are sold as refillable...but not in Oz.

 

[crinkles]

Sure. But then you have butane thrown in (autogas).

No chemist though, but performance could vary.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
one 5 pound container

Never seen a 5 lb container. What's it look like?

Are you sure it's not the standard 20lb one?



5 gallons?

Yeah, standard grill tank..

Is this what you have?

FYI, I found this article regarding the economics of refilling them...

http://www.orangecoat.com/the-truth-about-filling-20-lb-bbq-grill-propane-tanks


I typically just swap them out when I'm at my grocery store. Don't feel like going to another place just to get the refill. We only go through one, maybe two tanks a year, so I don't worry about it much.

 

[JHZR2]

Yes, that's mine...

 

[rshaw125]

Costco. They refill my tanks for $10. 20 lbs. While I shop.

 

[Cujet]

I use a bunch of propane.

The 30 pound tanks are, in my opinion, the way to go for typical homeowner use. The really do hold very nearly TWICE what a 20 pounder holds.

AND, they do last twice as long in real world use. As often the last pound in a 20 pounder cannot be effectively used.

I'm filling the 30 pounders at the local Amerigas for $17, about $3.00 less than the 20 exchange price at the local homeless depot.

 

[itguy08]

Just visited our Flying J to fill the propane tank for the smoker. Paid $14 and some change for 4.2 gallons of propane. I believe their exchange was $22. That's a huge difference for an exchange!

 

[volk06]

My gas grill is very efficient, I grill out atleast 3 times a week during the summer and I only need a new tank once a year, usually in the spring. I just go down a few blocks and exchange it for $17.50/tank. Where I use to live there was a conoco station where you could refill fill your own tank. Mostly around here though, its a just go exchange your tank process.

 

[JHZR2]

Finally refilled my tank, as I was by the flying j on Friday.

Filled it with 4.56 gallons, and paid $2.99 per gallon. It was $13.xx.

Had I done the exchange, it would be $19.99 where I've seen it, and the local station that fills does it flat rate for $18.

Since I didn't go on a special trip and it was not out of my way for my travels, I used less gas then even filling/changing locally.

 

[rshaw125]

Got my two filled yesterday ready for summer. I run the first one completely out and then install the second. Usually lasts 11 months or so. Costco $9.99 each refill. They do it on a scale.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Here its $2.49 a GALLON.

The old tanks take close to 5 gallons if empty and the new ones around 4.25-4.6.

The problem with the exchange tanks (around here I guess) is they have a different valve that prevents normal filling. So I have 2 tanks that I KNOW can be refilled and keep a full one in the garage.

We go through 2 tanks a year. We also grill all year.

Never heard of buying propane by the pound....