Portable propane tanks

No idea about BC but from what I have read they have adopted the Canada Standards. Tanks have to be recertified every 10 years. There is a manufactured date stamped into the metal guard around the valve at the top of the tank. 10 years past that and it is expired. I have no idea of cost. It is illegal to fill a tank that is out of date. NEVER heard of a fee for filling what amounts to an illegal tank.

Sounds like you were shafted. You could have purchased a new bottle for that price! Now I can only speak for Ontario but I have a 5th wheel trailer and it too has two 30lb tanks. Tanks can be refilled or exchanged. JAB is absolutely correct tanks have a ten year life span after which they cannot be refilled unless recertified and re-stamped. Very few locations do this (in my neck of the woods). It usually involves a pressure test and a new valve. Then it is good for another ten years. I have a number of tanks for a number of applications. I would never trade in one of my good purchased tanks for an exchanged one as you do not know what you are getting. Also it is much cheaper to refill than exchange. I also know of cases where exchanged tanks have leaked all the propane in less than a week!

That being said, one local distributer of exchanged tanks is not fussy about what is traded in, I guess somewhere in the distribution chain they are recertified. I know of individuals who have "acquired" discarded tanks from the local landfill and then taken them in for exchange. Then, once during the exchange process when you come across a tank that is only a couple of years old hold on to it and only refill it from then on. This way they save the $39 for the purchase of a new tank and at least $8 on each refill. Around here it is about $13 to refill a tank or $21 for an exchange. The prices I quoted are for 20lb tanks, 30lb tanks cost about $10 more to purchase and $6 more to refill. Not sure on the exchange price for a 30lb tank.

Hope that helps a bit.

Thanks for the information.

From what my friend and I had been told, you can no longer get tanks refilled at all.

I shelled out 40 bucks for the local dealer to take my old tank, and another 35 for a filled tank, so lesson learned the hard way. I'm glad I only brought in the one tank.

I have a 5th wheel trailer also with 2 - 30 lb propane bottles.
From what I have found out propane bottles do have a manufacture date stamped on them and they are not supposed to be filled after exceeding 10 years. Personally I would not want to have my bottles re-certified but rather buy new ones, which I believe is about the cost of the recertification.
Depending on where you live you can either get propane from certain gas stations, which usually charge you a flat fee, or possibly do what I do and go to a propane distributor who does nothing but sell propane and propane accessories and they charge by the actual pound they put into the tank, and as well they can tell you exactly what the rules are..

Thanks for the information.

From what my friend and I had been told, you can no longer get tanks refilled at all.

I shelled out 40 bucks for the local dealer to take my old tank, and another 35 for a filled tank, so lesson learned the hard way. I'm glad I only brought in the one tank.

So long as your tank hasn't expired it is fine to be refilled. NO WAY do you need to get a new tank every time. Some places have exchange only such as Canadian Tire and some hardware stores but many gas stations and dedicated propane supliers can and do fill your tank.

Thanks for the replies.

When my tank went empty yesterday, I consulted with a couple friends that I knew had tanks to see how they were getting refilled. They basically got the same information that I did, and that was the tank HAD to be exchanged.

This is a small town with no refilling station and two dealers that only do exchanges, so unless one has knowledge to the contrary, or travels enough to check on this in other locales, you kind of have to hope the dealers are giving you valid information. Now that I know differently, as do my friends since I told them this, we can make arrangements to do a batch of refills whenever one of us travels out of town.

I'm still perplexed on this four dollar a year fee after the expiry date though. I can't find any information about that so maybe it's something that these dealers have cooked up to recomp themselves for tank replacements. Sometimes being in a small town has its disadvantages in that regard.

I have a family member traveling to Smithers soon, so I'll have to compare buying a new tank vs just paying the expiry fee for this second tank I have.

Personally, I think you're getting hosed. The standards for tank refilling seem to be federally governed, so the same across the country. Older tanks that do not have an overfill safety valve cannot be refilled without being recertified, and thus a safety valve installed. All tanks must be checked every 10 years. If your tanks are less than 10 years, then your dealer is probably just trying to keep your business by telling you that they have to be exchanged. Try canada411 to locate a refilling station somewhere in your area.

edited to add another idea...
you could also check for regular delivery service from a refill truck.
This would save you from dragging you tanks around to get them refilled.

When they recert. your tank they have to purge the tank prior to removing the valve and pick up. after they replace the valve with a new one they then use high presure inert gas to test the tank for leaks and to a standardised presure rating, Then they re stamp it. That takes time at least 2 - 3 hours (what do you get pais an hour) the cost of the valve assembly (CSA) and the inert gas.
Much cheaper to buy a new tank. I get mine filled (30lb.)at the local Husky station for $26.00

Oh and if you have a laydown LP Bottle double the re & re thats a rip off been there done that.

I think I'm going to get hosed no matter what.

When I bought the trailer several months ago, I was under the impression that the tanks had been tested and were still good so I'm still feeling discouraged about that.

I checked at the local home hardware store which is the only place in town to get a 30lb tank and that will run me 70 bucks.

I could do what most of the locals do and just make a trip to Prince George to shop around. That's a 2-1/2 hour drive one way and the fuel cost wouldn't make it worthwhile unless I had plenty of shopping to do.

Our Husky station did do propane refilling at one time but not any longer. I've learned that we will be getting another refilling station possibly as early as the end of this month.

Sadly, the most economical way it seems is to pay the expiry fee at the local dealer and exchange it for a filled tank. After that I can just go to the refilling station once it opens.

I'd check with whatever agency you have that checks standards there. See if it is indeed even legal for them to charge that fee. Of course if you push it you will then have to perhaps seek alternate source.

Hey guys if you have an expired pro tank or need a new 20lber go to the dump and grab the oldest one you can find =their free then take it to the home depo for their tank swap =any expired tank is swapped for a brand new 20lb updated filled tank for 25 ish bucks! It's soo good that i have a surplus at several different locations-also while we are on the topic, bulk plants such as petrocan sell small barrels of indoor low odor kerosene for your Dietz lanterns and heaters for cheap!

Just thought i would mention cabelas u.s. or canadian tire sell an adapter to fill those little green propane bottles that everybody chucks =it fits on your 20/30lb tank it costs 15 to 30 bucks ...it sure has made my friends very happy!
Cheers!

Thanks Grizzly
Great info I'll try the used tank swap next weekend. Please tell me more about the Adapter and how it works.
Thanks