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What I Just Learned About Propane
I was in a hurry today, so I stopped by Wal-Mart and did a (Blue Rhino) exchange. I noticed that it appeared a little light when I was carrying it to my car. When I got home I looked for the tare weight, which was 18#, and then weighed it. It weighed 34.4 pounds. That's just a little over 16 pounds of propane in a 20# tank.
So I called Blue Rhino and asked what was up. Well, they tell me that they only fill with 17# and that's what's on the label. I'll admit that the label is marked 17# net weight. I started asking why they didn't fill 20# tanks to 20# and they said they couldn't as determined by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Agency). I told them that I had always weighed my tanks in the past and they were always within a few ounces of being the tare weight plus 20 pounds. The discussion continued, at which point they hung up on me.
I know that the OPD valves limit how much you can fill a tank, but I didn't think they restricted the total volume that much. I've sent an email to the NFPA, but I haven't received a response. Needless to say, this will be my last Blue Rhino exchange. For what propane costs these days, I at least want a full tank.
Thanks
Jacab
Every place I go to get one filled is a based on a flat rate, not by the pound. After my Blue Rhino experience, this is still a good deal, because they have always given me close to 20 pounds of propane.
It is my belief that the OPD valve made sure that the refillers did not exceed the 20# limit. The tanks were designed to safely hold 20# with room for expansion. Many were not using a scale and overfilling them.
I believe that Blue Rhino is simply doing what coffee suppliers did many years ago and sell a 13 oz. can of coffee for the price of a 1-pound can. They didn't hide the fact that it was 3 oozes. Less, but it looked about the same and everyone was happy because the price didn't go up
Thanks
Jamal
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