How to gauge how much propanes left...

Big class action lawsuit(s) over fill amounts a few years ago. 4 gal is OK if you are only paying for 4 gal...otherwise u are being ripped off.

 

State sanctioned or NOT state sanctioned, bullshit and bullcrap in measuring gasoline is surprisingly more prevalent than you might think. I see no reason at all why it would be different with propane, particularly if you use the masters of bullcrap and bullshit, walmart*.

Big expose' a little while back on how you're getting flipped over and done dry by places selling you gas. I thought it was a wee bit curious that my tank on my truck pretty consistently takes 19.8-20.0 gallons on a refill (if you wait till it's just at the point where the light comes on**), but one day it mysteriously went to 21.0 gallons. I suspected charlatanism but didn't have enough time to mess with it that day. I should have asked for a receipt when I swiped my card tho, because if there's anything I can't stand, it's deceptive business practices or intentional ripping me off (if you're open about your rip-offs, I won't get pissed tho). If you have a receipt I guess it's possible to file a complaint with weights and measures (I'm sure it'll be like calling animal control tho ... "what? 9 rabid pit bulls on steroids roaming neighborhood, consuming small children? We'll send someone out there to assess the situation in 5-7 business days").

*did I ever mention I can't stand walmart? I really should avoid that place at all costs. It's to the point where I can't even count the number of altercations*** I've had in walmarts on one hand anymore.

**I live very close to a gas station, and the light comes on about a long ways before you actually run out of gas, so I have checked this various times

***major altercations that is, where it either went to actual blows or store security had to be alerted or both . Like the douche that thought I was a secret shopper and was following him around (well, we wound up on the same isle twice, but I thought he was following me). Decided I was accusing him of shoplifting and proceeded to attack me with a huge elbow shot to the chest and raised fists. Last guy in the universe I would pick a fight with, 6'5", 280 lbs, solid muscle, felt like a friggin' freight train hit me. The wise thing to do would have been to take a huge, dramatic dive into the display of heavily salted snack treats and feign injury. But I am living proof that there's a difference between intelligence and wisdom (I'm quite smart on the intelligence, my mom told me so, but when it comes to wisdom, I don't have any, that's never been in debate).

 

I use water like most folks, but I heat up the water in the microwave and then pour it over the tank. I feel the steel with my hand and you will notice a temperature difference (cold) where the remaining propane is.

 

When I worked at a place that filled propane tanks, we used to open the vent on the side of the valve and fill until there was a solid stream of gas, instead of filling with a scale... You got a truly filled tank.

 

This way works. My grandma did it this way, so it's been around for a while.

Oh the thing I was gonna say was that I never seem to get less than 5 batches per tank (5 gallon system, turkey fryer). Sometimes it runs out on six, sometimes 7. Always have a spare or you'll soon wish you did (proven true fact).

 

As does mine. Tares it out, and give it a full 20# fill.

 

“They were filled to 20 lbs safely for decades and, indeed, still are. Anything less is purely to enhance profits.”

@mikehartigan is dead nuts correct here.

A number of years ago (when the cost of Propane went up), Home Depot made a business decision to only fill their propane tanks to 17 lbs. This decision was simply an economics decision. I read an article in the business section of my newspaper where the journalist asked the spokesperson of Home Depot about the change (particularly since at the time there were no signs or other notification of the change from 20 to 17 lbs.). The Home Depot person actually had the chutzpah to say: “Well, no body has contacted us to complain.” Of course nobody contacted Home Depot to complain since they thought they were getting 20 lbs. of propane; it would have taken somebody with a scale and the motivation to check to know at that time they were getting less.

Cheers to Mike!

 

I only use propane for my road show, so I don't get my tanks filled very often - maybe once every two years or so. The two closest places to my house give me a full 20 lbs refill. Virtually all of the places around here that swap give 15 lbs, though there are a handful that give 17. There's a small sign that reflects that, but you really have to look for it. The icing on the cake is that they virtually all charge the same price, regardless of the quantity you're getting - about $20.

FWIW, I get the same number of BTUs piped directly to my home for about $2. I've made about 80 batches of beer and haven't run out!

 

I asked the guy about it at the place I get mine refilled. The scale they use is pre-set at 38lbs, enough for the tare on the vast majority of tanks plus the 20-lb fill. the way it's set, and 3 other places I;ve been, is that you (the customer) can easily see the weight bar, so when it starts to move, you know it's full.
I have only once gotten a Home Depot fuill - that was when I had to run out mid-boil for a second tank (I wanted a second anyways for a while, and thought I had enough for that brew...)

 

my Agway fills the bottle until the overflow protection device, the OPD, floats and stops the flow of gas.
easy. I think they are "full" at 80% capacity, the remaining 20% to allow for gas expansion if left in the sun or under a hot bbq.

pre-filled bottle exchanges are for suckers. come on, you think the bait shop has an in with the energy industry that allows them to sell propane at a discount? the only industry with more weight than Wal-Mart are petro refineries after all.
you're getting shorted!
Cheers.

 

If gauging by weight, this relatively cheap little guy will aid in your endeavor:

http://www.amazon.com/Grill-Gauge-G...cp_2_9E9F?ie=UTF8&refRID=0GKHZ7W8Q5CDJZ4V0ZW8

 

If the OPD stops the flow at 80%, then evidently the tank's actual capacity is 6 gallons, or 25 lbs. Otherwise they couldn't routinely fit 20 lbs of liquid in there.

FWIW, years and years ago, the rule of thumb was 18 lbs tare weight. Thus a 'full' tank weighed 38 lbs.

 

you can put a lot more than 20 pounds of propane in a tank. just increase the pressure. you can over inflate the tank. not recommended. some retailers know you can also underinflate the tank.

but the 80% capacity rule is not related to weight. a 20# tank can hold 5 gallons of propane. the OPD closes the valve at 80%, or 4 gallons. that's all.

 

Since 20 lbs of propane is 4.7 gallons, how do they squeeze the extra .7 gallons in there?