🚀 go-pugleaf

73115.1041@compuserve.com wrote:
> 
> baldwin@netcom.com (J.D. Baldwin) wrote:
> 
> >Yeah, and fairly brutal one.  I'm not sure why *anyone* does this.
> >The prices are absolutely ridiculous.  I've seen propane tank
> >exchanges that cost around half that, for those who like the
> >convenience enough to pay that small premium.  Me, I prefer to know
> >where exactly my propane tanks have been and how exactly they've been
> >treated through their lives.  I don't much care for the idea of
> >keeping that quantity of volatile LP on hand in a tank that has been
> >thrown into the back of Bubba's pickup with carefree abandon.
> 
> There is one good use for these services. I had an older (still
> servicable, but slightly rusty) tank. The local exchange service was
> just gearing up and had a rack full of brand new tanks....
> 
> I figure a new tank was worth the $10 over market propane rate.
I'll second that.  I tried to have my tank refilled and the station
refused, saying that it was too old.  Only 17 years!  It seems that
those tanks have to be re-certified every 12 years.  My choice was to
take the tank to a re-certifier some 15 miles away and have it re-cert'd
for $10, or buy a new one at ~$25.  I took the tank to WalMart and
traded it in on a Blue Rhino filled w/ propane for ~$11.50  I pointed
out to the clerk that the date was 1981 on the tank and it made no
difference.  I now have a 1994 certified tank which I can get refilled
anywhere.  Of course, it has a shrink wrapped Blue Rhino label which
says "do not remove" but a quick slash with the swiss army knife and it
was history.

I assume that part of the Blue Rhino service is that they re-certify
tanks as required.  Anyways, my other tank is also an oldie.  Guess
where I'm going to take it!