portable butane tank expiration

[Dogma]

While trying to get two portable butane tanks filled at a different place than I usually do, the employee was looking intently at the tanks. I asked him, what are you doing? He was looking for the manufacture date on the tanks. One was four years out of date and couldn't be filled, the other will be out of date in four years. According to him portable butane tanks only have a life of 12 years before they have to be replaced. They're a 20# and a 40# tanks, not the little ones for lanterns and portable stoves.

He was going to fill that one tank and I told him to hell with that, I'll just take them where I usually go, they never check the date there, and they didn't, when I took them to my regular place.

Who knew they're only good for 12 years? That seems ridiculous to me. I didn't want to ask at the place I usually go to, in case they didn't want to fill them. My tanks are fairly new looking.

[Anonymous]

Actually it is 5 or 10 years, depending.

See

"Propane cylinders must be requalified or replaced every 5 or 10 years depending on the cylinder type, condition, and previous requalification method. (Ref. 49 CFR § 180.205(d) and 180.209(e).)"

[invalid unparseable]

On Sat, 22 Aug 2020 17:25:54 -0400, "\"Retired"@home.com posted for all of us to digest...

I believe he was citing *butane* tanks.

[Dogma]

Well I guess I can always exchange the tanks at Home Depot or some other place like that.

[rbowman]

True, which made me curious. I'm not sure anyone refills butane tanks around here although there are plenty of propane options. Butane has some advantages but I don't think convenience is one of them.

[Wade Garrett]

Hey, no problem....as long as your fire insurance is in force with coverage limits high enough to cover rebuilding costs ;-)

[gfretwell]

Walmart. They will even take a rusty old "Pre OPD" cylinder and swap it for $15. Nobody seems to look at anything except that it looks the right size to fit in the locker.

[Alexandria Omar-Whitmer]

Most retail employees are suffering from mask-induced hypoxia.

[Dan Espen]

Another idiot.

Consider this, maybe your simple mind can grasp the details, I know it's complicated for you.

The mask holds around a cubic inch of exhaled air. Your lungs push pull about 250 cubic inches of air with each breath.

Gee, simple isn't it?

Probably not for you though.

[rbowman]

You do know the normal tidal volume for an adult is 500 ml, don't you? You do know 1 liter is 61.02 cubic inches, don't you? You do know 61 time .5 is 30.5, don't you? Another f****ng fact challenged idiot spouts off.

[Frank]

Around here, I note that swapping for refilled propane tanks at Walmart is even cheaper than getting the old tank refilled.

[Ralph Mowery]

Have you noticed the ammount of propane in the tanks ?

Around here they only put about 15 pounds in the 20 pound tanks at the change out stations like Blue Rhino.

I think some I bought at Tractor Supply a year ago was around 50 cents a pound..

[Clare Snyder]

could still be the cheapest war to get a non-timed out tank though - but be sure to check the date on the new tank to be sure.

[Ralph Mowery]

Yes, if you have a tank that is expired then take it in for an exchange.

It may cost you $ 5 or $ 10 more for the propane, but the tanks I bought new a year or so ago were just under $ 35 empty. I think it was just under $ 100 for 2 new tanks with 20 pounds of propane in each.

[gfretwell]

Just bear in mind a Blue Rhino only has 15 pounds of gas in it.

[Frank]

Yes and that is annoying but it is cheaper enough to make up for that.

[Jen]

replying to Dogma, Jen wrote: From where I have read, Butane tanks do have expiry date (not butane) and when I purchased, they did say it lasts for 5 to 10 years post you open it. And at per your usage the expiry depends. If your cartridges are working just fine - it doesn't have any rust or do not seal the valve, then you can use it till whenever that happens.

[Jen]

replying to Dogma, Jen wrote: From where I have read, Butane tanks do have expiry date (not butane) and when I purchased, they did say it lasts for 5 to 10 years post you open it. And at per your usage the expiry depends. If your cartridges are working just fine - it doesn't have any rust or do not seal the valve, then you can use it till whenever that happens.