Propane Tank Recommendations

[Kainedogg]

I am presently renting a propane tank from a less than reputable company in Tampa (Heritage Propane). From price gouging on fuel to charging you a fee for picking up their own equipment, they have all the tricks covered. With that said I want to return their tank and buy my own.
The tank I have now is a 57 gallon, and it is solely used to grill, for the fire place and to rarely heat the sauna.
Where can I find a similar sized tank and does anyone have a local company they use for their refills?
I see Northern Tools selling a 100lb tank for $129 but it only holds 23 gallons. I can see the sauna blasting through that after 2 or 3 uses. The only way such a small tank would be useful I guess would be convenience of being able to load it up and get it refilled; though the idea of driving around with a 100lb propane rocket has limited appeal as well..lol. I am just trying to find some ideas here.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,.... If yer gona get a tank that big, yer gonna need a supplier to fill it,....

Call whoever that's gonna be, 'n ask to Buy a tank, rather than rentin' it,....

 

[Kainedogg]

Definitely not renting again. I am not opposed to getting 2 100lb bottles with an automatic regulator either. I can put them I the back of my dually and fill them at Uhaul or Costco as needed....

 

[Richard Cranium]

Just purchase a 120 gal tank that will give you 100 gal of usable propane then you can call around and see who has the best prices when you need gas.

 

[Kaizen]

strange up here we only pay for a tank "rental" if I don't use more then 100 gal in a year.
you have to have more choices in your area? I have no less then ten. agree though I've had a few that gotcha by the gonads. I have a 120 dollar tank and its no picnic bringing it to the filler. esp on my truck which has a 4 foot tall bed.

 

[southalabama]

Costco has a 100 gallon tank. They also do refills.

 

[ctfjr]

Definitely not renting again. I am not opposed to getting 2 100lb bottles with an automatic regulator either. I can put them I the back of my dually and fill them at Uhaul or Costco as needed....

The company I work for sells propane tanks. a 100lb tank would be about 23.5 gallons, not a whole lot of propane.

As Richard Cranium noted a 120 gallon tank is available and is the most popular size sold. However, filled it would weight about 500lbs - not the easiest thing to safely get off your truck.

The propane business is very monopolistic. It is sop around here that propane dealers will only rent tanks and no one will fill a tank owned by another dealer. The 120's are readily available from several sources around here outside of propane dealers - the monopoly is starting to crack.

I have been told you can pipe several of these 120's & have them against your house because a fireman can knock them over & roll them away. Take that fwiw as I haven't read any code books on the subject.

 

[Adk Mike]

A 120 gallon tank is the way to go. Filled to 80 Percent they hold 100 Gallons. Buy one and a twin stage regulator. Make sure it has a gauge. At 20 Percent call a supplier and have it filled. Pretty simple.
I have sold propane for 30 Years. What I just advised is the way to go.
Make sure the tank is an ASME 120. It will never have to be resertified. Mike

 

[Bob Warner]

I know farmers around me that have about 200 gallon tanks or thereabouts on trailers and just haul them in for filling. Park them where they need them and use them for several months and then go back.

Around me there are places that will fill any tank if you can get it to them.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

100# tanks are manageable. Most RV places will refill them cheap as well as other places around here. You can plumb them to a manifold to use multiple tanks. It's be easy to haul 100# tanks in the bed of a PU truck.

Look on CL for good used tanks and also at auction in the area. Farm auctions usually have some. Check the date codes on the tanks. Doing a little homework can save you a lot of $$$$.

 

[CNGsaves]

Costco has a 100 gallon tank. They also do refills.

^ ^ ^ Think you are confusing . . . . 100 pound tank . . . vs 100 gal.

Lowes sells 100 LB tanks for $129 which is around 24 gallons. A 100 GALLON tank propane tank would be rather large, compared to the skinny 100 lb tanks.

Lowes - - - - - Item #: 28370 | Model #: 303953 - - - - $129.00
http://www.lowes.com/pd_28370-743-303953_0__?productId=1080473

P.S. If OP is in potential flood area in Florida, thought he had to bury the large propane tank so it can't be washed away. For that I'd go with 250 to 500 gallon.

 

[TheEquineFencer]

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee/for/5535325809.html
https://sarasota.craigslist.org/hvo/5525472546.html
https://lakeland.craigslist.org/mat/5536527126.html
https://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/for/5509263049.html <----deal?

 

[NUTTSGT]

Is it posssible to switch your appliances over to natgas ?

 

[Kainedogg]

Thanks for all the comments gents. I have my mind made up on grabbing a 120gal (500lb) tank.
I would rather buy new.
I will contact as many dealers as possible.
There is definitely a monopoly here, but owning my tank is the way to go.

ADK Mike, I will be taking this path.

 

[ctfjr]

fyi doggy - you 'should' be able to pick one up for around $450 or so. Don't get raped

 

[Adk Mike]

120 gallon tank holds 100 gallons at 80 percent
each region of the country they may call them different things. A gallon of propane weights 4.24 pounds. So a 100 gallon tank is called a 420. The tanks at Lowes are 100 pound tanks called 100 pounders they hold 23.6 gallons
not really a monopoly its just when the company owns and asset like a 450.00 dollar tank and the volume is low they'd go broke if the gas price wasn't high.
For that reason a customer owned tank is the way to go.
One last thing they can be DOT or ASME. a DOT tank has to be recertified every 12 years. The ASME tank never does.

 

[Richard Cranium]

When you own your own tank you can shop around and get fuel from who ever has the cheapest price.
If you rent one, then no one else will fill their tanks

 

[Randy in Maine]

I would buy a 120 gallon tank when you are home for the summer and bring it back down with you in the fall.

Then find the local guy to fill it .

 

[M-technik-3]

strange up here we only pay for a tank "rental" if I don't use more then 100 gal in a year.
you have to have more choices in your area? I have no less then ten. agree though I've had a few that gotcha by the gonads. I have a 120 dollar tank and its no picnic bringing it to the filler. esp on my truck which has a 4 foot tall bed.

I have a 120 tank for use on my Tankless H2O heater and clothes Dryer and Stove and with two teenage boys I get about 5 months between fills. So Kaizen mentioned if we use more than 100 gallons a year the rental is a wash. I am considering making a jump to having a second 120 unit installed.

 

[BD1]

I bought a 100 pound tank, [ the 23 gallon of propane ] from Tractor Supply. Worth it to buy new with current STAMPED date code and DOT number. I think it is good for 10 years or more. Best part is TSC is open 7 days a week. Worth it for me.
Looked at used ones that were beat and out of code and were still expensive. Peace of mind was worth the $130.00 .

 

[Beemer533]

When you own your own tank you can shop around and get fuel from who ever has the cheapest price.
If you rent one, then no one else will fill their tanks

This differs depending on where you live; my uncle bought a house here with a fairly new tank (I don't remember the size, but it was about 6' long) with an ASME stamp, but no one would fill it. He finally ended up having to pay one of the suppliers to remove it and drop one of their own tanks...

 

[dfiler2]

It seems odd to me that a supplier would not sell someone propane based on who owns the tank. Around here the companies are making money by selling propane. If they rent you a tank they hope you would buy from them but if you don't they are still making money by renting you the tank and of course they can decide to quit renting it to you but they would be foolish not to sell you propane when they don't own the tank.

 

[raddksn]

my tank rental is in the gas price, 10 cents a gallon more to cover rental.

 

[TheOtherChris]

The house we purchased included a 500 gal tank date stamped 1949!
We bought a new 1000 gal tank for the house from a dealer and asked if they would move the 500 to my shop. They checked it to see if it would hold pressure and then said "Sure".

Owning the tank is the only way to go for me. When I call the dealers about price the first thing they ask is "rented or owned". Propane price around here is cheaper for owned tanks.

 

[Kainedogg]

I have yet to find a 120 gal for $450. More like $750. The search continues.

 

[ctfjr]

I have yet to find a 120 gal for $450. More like $750. The search continues.

Around here the lp companies pay anywhere from <$400 to about $430. I would imagine you are in a bigger lp area than we are (CT) so prices should be more competitive.

I did a quick search in the interwebby and found several places selling them for ~$500 (plus freight). You just need to find a local one:
https://www.kleen-ritecorp.com/p-37891-120-gallon-vertical-propane-tank-asme.aspx

http://www.propanetankstore.com/100-420-lb-cylinders