to own (or rent a propane tank?)greenspun.com : LUSENET : Countryside : One Thread |
what are the pros and cons of owning own 500 gallons propane tank. am thinking of buying one. where is the best place to buy. live in green county. thanks
-- judy (evergreens2000@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002
Why are you buying one? Most propane companies rent them out.
-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.
We finally bought our own 500 gallon tank when Amerigas started charging us almost double the normal gallon price. (This was when propane was $.86 a gallon and they charged us $1.45 per gallon because we "didn't use very much"). My husband told them they were penalizing us because we were careful with our usage. When you own your own tank, you can buy propane from any company and get the best price and since we don't use the whole tank in a year, we can buy when the prices are lower.
-- Dee (bdforce@theriver.com), January 12, 2002.
bought mine this year,, 500 bucks, new. as apposed to paying a yearly rent,, and only getting propane from the compnay that owns the tank. Its against the law to fill another compnaies tank,,unles its an emergency,, and then they can only put enough in to "get by" with. Usually,,when you own your own tank, they charge you less per gallon
-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 12, 2002.
I forgot to mention that if you are renting your tank and buy one, the company you are renting from will want to charge you to "buy back their propane" to empty the tank before they remove it and the new tank is set in. When we bought our tank, the company we bought it from transferred the propane into the new tank for free and then set the rented tank aside. Amerigas tried to tell us that was illegal, but the company we bought the tank from said it was not. Don't know if it depends on state laws or what.
-- Dee (bdforce@theriver.com), January 12, 2002.
i live in green county, wisconsin. would like to know where i can buy a propane tank.
-- judy (evergreens2000@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.
Hi, Judy, I work right below Green County, Wi, near Lake Summerset. A couple of years ago, Alliant Energy came down from Wisconsin and put natural gas into Lake Summerset. Most home owners had natural gas put in, and had their propane tanks taken away by whomever was supplying their propane. But I believe there may be still some propane tanks around that perhaps you could buy from the homeowner. I would put an ad in the Lake Summerset News that you wanted to buy a propane tank, and hope you'd get an answer. Or put a "wanted" ad in a newspaper near you. That's usually the fastest way to get something you want without a lot of hassle. Hope it works!!
-- Bonnie (chilton@stateline-isp.com), January 12, 2002.
if you rent a tank,,you purchase the propane,, its your to do what you want. When you buy a tank,,ask to buy the one they are renting to you. If you buy from another company,, you can have them transfer it,, not illegel. Check with a few proapne companies to purchasse a tank,,some companies dont liek to sell them,, they make more if they can rent you the tank,, and charge you a higher price for the propane
-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), January 12, 2002.
When I started renting the tank about twenty five years ago, you couldn't buy them. The rent is cheap AND when you're tank needs replacement, they (propane co) do it for free. Over the years the fittings/couplings have changed, whether it's on the 20# tanks or the 500-1000-gal models.We use maybe 800 gals in a whole year and that's for both heating and cooking. At the present, the rate is $2.43/gal if you bring in your small tanks (20-40#) and it's $1.68/gal delivered.
-- matt johnson (wyo_cowboy_us@yahoo.com), January 12, 2002.
Boy, I must have been lucky before. We leased a tank for a one time (forever)payment of $1. The only catch was you had to buy the propane from them. However their price was the same as all the competition. so I guess I must have lucked out.Talk to you later.
-- Bob in WI (bjwick@hotmail.com), January 12, 2002.
Same deal around here, except I think the nominal one dollar charge is annual. You are, however, married to the company which owns the tank. Judy, is that 'Green County' in which you reside in any particular state? ;o)
-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), January 13, 2002.
I've always heated with oil before this year. In VT. I am now using propane. I was not charged for the tank, but I am being charged $1.64 per gallon.
-- pc (pc@here.com), January 13, 2002.
My recomodation: buy several 100 "pounders" as opposed to the 500. That way you have the option of bringing empties to the best buy in town. I was paying 6 dollars to have a number 20 filled that way. Funny story about propane. When I moved to the "new" homestead in July of 00, there were two 250 (or 300) tanks out back. I was told by the seller (among other rubbish like the roof was sound) that the tanks went with the house and they were both full. I did check and both tanks were indeed full- I used to fill propane tanks and could tell that by tipping one up on its end a bit. well, November came and went (and aug, sept and oct too) and it came time to fire the heaters up- the house has a "gas pack" exchanger and a wall mounted heater. I looked the things over and found that someone had plugged both the tanks off with a big brass bolt. So I took the brass bolt out and rigged a barb be que line in place (a piece seemed to be missing from the hard line) and fired up the wall unit- no problems... until the next day. The local propane company truck was pulled up behind my house, with the two guys sent to get my tanks stranded in it because dogs wouldnt let them out. I heard the barking and came out. Walked up to the truck. Tied up the dogs. The guys got out and told me that they were taking "their" tanks, or, if I wanted to keep them, it would be 300 dollars payable THEN (not in 24 hours or next week). I told them - I was kinda mad that they had just driven in with no beep knock or phone call and driven across the septic field in a heavy truck- to buzz off, the tanks were mine. Well, the guy showed me a stamping on the tanks indicating that they did indeed own them. But, the gas in the tanks was not theirs, as the former owner had filled them. So I told them to come back the next day, as it would be 20 degrees that night and I had no other source of heat. The guy told me NO Im taking the tanks NOW>! Than I, usually the calm person that I am, lost it. I told him to get the heck off my place, 24 hour notice or else, enunciating this with a large kick to a kiddie swimming pool that sailed (I wasnt aiming) at him at a rather high velosity. The two propane thugs clamored into truck, and making sure not to drive across the septic field this time (I chewed him for that, too) left. Fifteen minutes later the sherrif pulled in. Ive never had the cops called on me in all my life. I explained the situation and he sided with me. The propane company had had since JULY to come collect and they waited until the first 20 degree night? And 300 bucks or were pulling the tanks? So outcome was, the propane comapny waited 24 hours to come get the tanks- they came with police back up the second time. By then I had gone out and bought a wood stove and two 20 gallon tanks (all totalled under 200 bucks). The wood stove has been the sole source of heat since and I vow NEVER to go back to gas. Sometimes it just takes some persuasion to see that wood is IT (wink).
-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), January 13, 2002.