I have several of the older 20 lb. propane tanks and several of the new ones. Can I exchange the older ones or have them updated with the new valve? Thanks in advance.
You can do either but it might be cheaper to find a place for exchange. Around here I can exchange a old empty cylinder for a full cylinder with a OPD valve for $20.
OPD valves-- http://www.opdvalve.com/ I saw this link posted on another forum. I have not used it nor can I say anything about the quality of the valves they sell. It is pretty tough on some bottles to change the valve without the proper tool, i.e. special wrench that fits into the POL. Might be time the bottles were inspected properly so a dealer installed valve might be worth the safety margin and cost.
Better yet, find a propane supplier who doesn't bother with the new valves....in many areas, there is no law requiring it. There are also conversion valves as well, but I heard bad things about those.
Hi Tango; In the state where I live nO ONE will accept the older tanks for exchange. They were accpeted until about a year ago. We have an older r.v. in great shape , when the propane ran out we took them to several places but no one would refill them. WE tried to get one retrofitted but was told that was in violation of state law. All tanks are inspected and any that look altered are not allowed to be refilled either. We are suppose to take them to a hazardous waste collection day, we have one per year. Now we have to purchase 2 new ones for the camper. tamilee
Arkansas doesnt legally require the new valves however several places only fill tanks with new valves. Figured writing on wall and exchanged all mine last year at Wally World, Like $16 (last year price before increases) and old tank for trade in exchange for filled tank with new valve. Cheaper than I can buy the valve for. Hard as dickens to find a new style valve for sale. If they wont trade for old style tanks, the tanks make nice portable air tanks to fill tires. And the valves off them can still be used to replace bad one on a 100# tank which doesnt require new style valve.
I tried to exchange my 30#s 3yrs ago, I was told for the price of the valve, labor and inspection, I could buy new ones.
Well I'll try to exchange them here. Florida does require the new valve, so if I can't exchange them I'll take them to the landfill. More waste for the country but I guess they like it that way
Well, there are other uses--and, you could refill them yourself if you had a large tank and could set it up to do so. Well, I just wouldn't want to see more things needlessly in the landfills, you know...those valves are silly. You don't really need them, yet the propane/tank companies sure like the extra money they've gotten over them...
Here in Minnesota, thay need the new valve and; they need to be under 12 years old; or they need to be inspected, restamped, & are then good for another 6 (or 7?) years. At which point they are illegal to refill by anyone. Do to relative costs for a valve or an inspection vs the short time they will be useful, they are in fact good for 12 years from the date stamped on the rim, and then need to be taken to a hazardous waste site - not just the landfill. What a waste. The exchange places have various 'deals' on exchanging old or old-valved tanks, but is one way to dispose of them at least. Many times you can't take these exchanges to a refill station, as thet are not stamped correctly or otherwise do not allow generic refilling. With care & caution, can turn them into an air tank for filling tires & such. --->Paul
Yeah, this over-regulation is REALLY stupid! Try doing what the Amish do in some areas: make a gasoline lighting system tank out of it. They take out the valve and put in a pipe that goes towards (but not to) the bottom to pick up the fuel, and there is a pressure guage and valve for pumping it up with air at the top of the tank somewhere, and another valve the fuel comes out of. You'll need an extra pipe with a cap coming out as well to fill it. Got that? And, it is brought through metal piping (copper or iron or steel) to gas fixtures (often assembled out of piping) using old Coleman lamp burners (NOT modern lantern burners! These are old Coleman "Quick-Lite" burners which require heating the generator with long kitchen matches for a little while before they will light!) Well, fill the tank with Coleman fuel, pump it up to the right pressure, and you've got a lighting system! Only one tank to fill and pump up instead of several different table lamps... Here is a link to a site showing old lighting system stuff similar to this from the early 20th century: http://terrence.marsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/colehollowwire.html and: http://terrence.marsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/hollowwire.html Scroll to the bottom, click on lamps before 1931 or whatever it is, and scroll down...you'll see Coleman quicklite table lamps on the bottom and they sell oin ebay all the time real cheap you can get parts from them...Oldtownyucca.com/coleman under repair parts, generators, has "R55" generators which fit the old burners. Maybe you can make a set up like this Tango? I want to someday...
Tango, The local Walmart has an propane bottle exchange. If you bring them an old empty you get a reconditioned full. They do charge an extra $5.00 or so if they notice you have the old style valve but the folks at my Walmart aren't particularly observant or caring and I've returned a few old style valves bottles without being changed the fee
