Propane tank rental

[92utownxh]

I wanted to get your opinions and advice. We have central forced air a/c and propane heat. I also have an OWB. We've had one or another OWB for about 10 years now. The propane tank was at 75% then, and it's at 70% now, so rarely used. The tank isn't ours, and they paint it every year, replaced the regulator last fall, and checked the whole system. We would have to use a minimum of 200 gallons a year to not pay a tank rental fee.

We have 20 acres to cut on and use maybe 5 full cords a year. I also get free wood from a tree service. It's my wife and 3 almost 4 young boys.

Last year the tank rental was $75, but this year it is $120 for the 500 gallon tank. I'm really not wanting to pay that. I know we need some sort of backup heat though. Do you all have any advise? Just pay it and not worry about it since they maintain it all? Buy a small tank? No clue on costs of that. I just really don't know. Of course they send the bill at the worst time too. Expecting a baby in a month, just had a transmission rebuilt, and trying to get ahead before baby comes. What would you all do?

 

[farmer steve]

i don't know all the in's and out's of propane but my buddy bought 100 lb. tanks at tractor supply. he hauls them to the propane supplier in town and has them filled. did i mention he is a cheap a$$.

 

[92utownxh]

I had thought about the 100 lb tanks. Just don't know much about them. I'm not sure if the furnace can run on a tank that size. It looks like a new 100 lb tank at lowes is $137. If I had the propane company come get their tank wouldn't they have to pay me for the propane in the tank?

 

[Husky Man]

Your furnace won't care what size tank is feeding it, so long as it has fuel in it.

You may want to have at least a BBQ tank, or a 30# RV tank as well, so you can run the furnace while refilling the big tank, and to also have a reserve in case the big tank runs out at an inopportune time.

Doug

 

[sunfish]

No tank renal here, you might want to check around

 

[bear1998]

I have 3 ) 100# propane tanks hooked in series for heat in my detached garage....each tank holds about 24 gallons.
When we bought are home...there was a propane insert in fireplace.....there were 2 tanks left here...1 had a valve that could be filled by propane delivery...the other 1 (to get completely full) had to be taken to a propane fill station like u-haul so I installed a commercial fill valve (40.00) n also bought another tank filled n up to specs. for about 200.00 .

 

[olyman]

I had thought about the 100 lb tanks. Just don't know much about them. I'm not sure if the furnace can run on a tank that size. It looks like a new 100 lb tank at lowes is $137. If I had the propane company come get their tank wouldn't they have to pay me for the propane in the tank?

better have that in writing,,and signed before they come to take it out..been there..

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Young families do not get ahead much. It is part of life. Now that my kid and granddaughter are doing well getting ahead does not seem like a big deal and wished I did not worry about getting ahead years ago. Living like there is no tomorrow seems silly also.

Five gallon or ten gallon size BBQ tanks can run any system you need them to run. Furnace water heater whatever. Plumbing them in series or parallel should not matter. When I first built my house forty years ago there was no electricity, gas or telephone so propane was the back up heat. Just small refillable bottles was all I had so they worked fine. I had to remember to fill them or turn them off or?? It became a routine and few issues. Dump the tank or come get my 160 gallon here in Twin Peaks. Thanks

 

[olyman]

I had thought about the 100 lb tanks. Just don't know much about them. I'm not sure if the furnace can run on a tank that size. It looks like a new 100 lb tank at lowes is $137. If I had the propane company come get their tank wouldn't they have to pay me for the propane in the tank?

ted is giving you a good offer,,depending on distance...

 

[muddstopper]

You can also buy a large tank to replace your rental tank.. If you own your own tank, you can buy gas from whoever is cheapest at the time. The 100lb bottles are a good option as well. I dont think 100lb bottles are subject to the same inspections as the small BBQ and RV tanks. I bought 2-30lb rv tanks ( I didnt really buy them but got them with a bunch of other stuff), that where out of date on the inspection. I took them to the gas place and they inspected the tanks and installed the newer valves, filled with gas and it was $17 each. Now if I need them filled, I can take them to Tractor Supply or anywhere else that sales propane. I have a portable propane heater for backup heat, just in case I run out of firewood. They also come in handy burning brush piles and smoking meat. I am also considering converting my oxy/acet over to propane. Cant say enough about haveing a little extra propane just laying around. To bad you werent looking for a big tank a couple months ago. I gave a 500gal tank away just to get rid of it.

 

[svk]

We get free rental with X number of gallons purchased. I think it’s 4 or 5 hundred gallons.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

ted is giving you a good offer,,depending on distance...

I am pretty close. Only a few thousand miles to Southern California. It is destined for the metal pile. It is just taking up space as I do not know what else to do with it. The most reliable thing to do in that if you have your own bottles you decide when where and how to fill them. Likely if you look around you will find a owned replacement Thanks

 

[Justsaws]

$10.00 a month rental fee, you could easily burn a couple months rental fee running a truck around filling up small tanks if you ever needed to use the fuel, not mention the time.

That is cheaper monthly fee than being hooked up to natural gas by a large margin. I would look for other ways to save $10.00 a month.

 

[babybart]

I have 2 100# tanks for my whole house generator, plumbed to a auto changeover regulator, can remove and fill primary tank even if power is out and Gen is running.

 

[RyeThomas]

The way mine works is similar, if I don’t purchase a min (50% tank size and I have a 500 gal as well) amount of propane I get hit with a flat $120 annual rental charge. I have a wood stove and pellet stove, the propane furnace is a backup or if I get super busy or sick and can’t keep the fires going. To me it’s well worth it at $10 a month in the grand scheme of things. That said I cringe every year when I write that check.

 

[Cody]

I'm kind of in the same boat, although we own our propane tank. I use less than 5% a year between a furnace and gas stove. With the baking she does I'm looking into an electric stove and that leaves just the furnace. I plan to install a new furnace some time between this fall and next spring but it doesn't make sense to have such a large propane tank when one fill will last over 10 years. A 100 pound tank with a gauge would be ideal, just wouldn't be sure where to store the tank.

 

[bear1998]

I'm kind of in the same boat, although we own our propane tank. I use less than 5% a year between a furnace and gas stove. With the baking she does I'm looking into an electric stove and that leaves just the furnace. I plan to install a new furnace some time between this fall and next spring but it doesn't make sense to have such a large propane tank when one fill will last over 10 years. A 100 pound tank with a gauge would be ideal, just wouldn't be sure where to store the tank.

I can't find a gauge that will work with my 100# tanks....another place we lived before we bought our home had a percentage gauge...however..that was a 300# tank.
Please let me know if you have info on a 100# gauge....thanx

 

[laynes69]

We leased a tank for years, and every year they would charge us a fee. In top of that, a very inflated price per gallon. I got sick of it considering they did zero maintenance ever in the 12 years we had them. The last fill I paid 2.99 a gallon, and in years past hit 4 to 5 a gallon (I didnt fill at that time). I decided to just purchase a 500 gallon tank, and it's the best decision we made. Since owning the tank, I've only paid .99 a gallon, no non usage fees and no threats. I wash and wax our tank yearly and make sure nothing nests under the cover. We paid 1200 for a tank delivered and installed and we will recoup costs easily in the lack of fees and inflated gas prices. Even though we heat solely with wood (we do have a lp furnace), I kept the 500 gallon tank. We have a large home, lp dryer,stove and furnace. I had part of my lung removed one year and we had to use the furnace, so better safe than sorry.

 

[Cody]

I can't find a gauge that will work with my 100# tanks....another place we lived before we bought our home had a percentage gauge...however..that was a 300# tank.
Please let me know if you have info on a 100# gauge....thanx

Honestly, the best thing I can think of is an old (analog?) bathroom scale. Actually, one of those doctor's ones would be really nice but either way, I think the scale beats trying to figure it out by tapping on it, or doing the condensation trick.

 

[92utownxh]

Thank you all for the ideas and advice. I like the fact that the propane company we have does all the maintenance, plus a yearly pressure test. The furnace is the only thing we have that uses propane. We have to use 250 gallons a year to avoid the fee. Maybe I just need to pay it, keep the tank and not worry about any of it or filling tanks.

On a related note, I got on the wood list of a big tree company near us. Great guy, used to be a city firefighter, I work at the city doing other stuff. Anyway, since Thursday I have gotten 4 pickup loads with at least 2 more sitting waiting. All cut to length, just back up to it and load. It's all been a couple minutes from work. I can go get it at lunch or after work. I think I need a bigger truck though. The 1/2 ton isn't liking a full load. Just a bit ago I went and got a load of sugar maple, loaded in 5 minutes.