How does an LP tank exchange compare to a straight refill in $?

[Acer]

So, what's the premium on exchanging your tank, e.g., Blue Rhino, at a Home Depot, et al. compare cost-wise to refilling a tank? In these parts, a refill requires a special trip to a small distributor with inconvenient hours, so there is some convenience factor. I wonder what I'm paying for the convenience.

[riley5108]

Most LP tanks contain 20 lbs. Lowes shows Blue Rhino exchange only has 15 lbs for $12.82 https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Rhino-15-l...ll/4781959 in our area. That's about what I pay for a refill of 20 lbs.

[Psurfer]

If there's a U-Haul truck rental place with propane in your area, they often have a good price for refilling.
You also get the convenience of refilling a not-yet empty tank, only paying for the added fuel it takes. And the full 20lb fill lasts far longer than the short par-fill that the exchange tanks supply.
I usually pay U-Haul between $13-16 for a refill.

[Racer X]

BUT, if your tank is scrodey looking, every now and then, a Blue Rhino exchange can be worth it for a much nicer tank. Just saying.

[Carm]

Tank exchange is $18 to $20 here in So California.
Most tanks exchanged are NOT filled to the max capacity on purpose. They short the customer (hopefully they label the fill capacity properly) and charge more for convenience and for the occasional bad tank they have to refurbish or trash.

I haven't taken a tank to get refilled only because it's inconvenient for me. But it would cost less if I refilled it. As the saying goes, "Time is Money"

[M A V I C]

The exchange price keeps going up here. I think it's over $25 now for 15lbs. Filling it is around $12 for 20lbs. Sometimes I exchange the tank when it gets older.

Exchanging it is easily 2x of filling it. It wasn't that way when I first bought the Blue Rhino tanks.

[MarkD]

I recently had to face this issue. I have 2 tanks that get refilled from the local propane dealer (Blue Flame in Houston) I had a tank they refused to refill because it needed to be recertified. Went to home depot because Amerigas said on the Home Depot web site "We take any tank, no matter the condition". The swap costs $15.97. At Blue Flame the refill was $15 for a 20# tank--always starting with empty tanks. One of the better and the most interesting articles (including reader comments) I found about the refill or swap issue was https://www.orangecoat.com/the-truth-abo...pane-tanks

Lots of places apparently do refills now: Tractor Supply, some Costcos, U-Hauls, some Ace hardwares, etc

I had to dispose of one too--had to drop off at a government recycle. The metal recycle would not take the tank unless a hole had been cut into the tank.

[max]

Would not Blue Flame take it in at no charge?....

[Will Collier]

Psurfer wrote:
If there's a U-Haul truck rental place with propane in your area, they often have a good price for refilling.
You also get the convenience of refilling a not-yet empty tank, only paying for the added fuel it takes. And the full 20lb fill lasts far longer than the short par-fill that the exchange tanks supply.
I usually pay U-Haul between $13-16 for a refill.

Yep. I just did a full refill for $15.

[Ombligo]

$17 refill to 20lbs
Lowes (Blue Rhino) is $20 to 15lbs.

I just bought the tankand take it to Taylor Rental for fills. Of course I forgot to refill my tank yesterday, and Tayor is closed until Tuesday. I'm tempted to do what my dad did - just hook the grill up to my house LP tank (then when I forget to close a valve, I can blow through a few hundred dollars of gas).