Buy two standard 20lb tanks (Blue Rhino, AmeriGas, etc.) so you always have a full tank on hand in case you run out. I have two tanks on rotation and just swap when empty it’s easier.

• While the former agreement, if reached, would clearly be per se unlawful, the latter would not necessarily be per se unlawful, in my view.
• They will tell you that they can only fill to no more than 80% capacity and this is a true statement.
• ALWAYS close the cylinder valve and, if required, seal with a plug, even if the cylinder is empty.
• I have nothing against the tank exchange companies.
• One can only assume that AmeriGas took comparable steps following the settlement.

You may be entitled to get back up to a $12.50 check from this AmeriGas & Blue Rhino Propane Settlement if you are eligible! Simply complete the short form by March 8th to submit your claim. ALWAYS close the cylinder valve and, if required, seal with a plug, even if the cylinder is empty. Ask your propane retailer if a plug is required. Have you been affected by a disease caused by the Camp Lejeune water contamination? Paynter Law is accepting claims on a limited basis.

Celebrate Earth Day with the clean energy of propane!

So I headed off to Lowes to exchange our three tanks for $19.97 each. And I knew ahead of time it wasn’t a good deal. If you only have one tank for your grill, you probably do not want to have it run completely out before exchanging or refilling. Many a family BBQ has been interrupted by a quick trip to get more propane.

It is well know they have proprietary fill https://coinbreakingnews.info/s designed to screw customers into being captive. The stations that charge based on temperature correct gallons or weight are being fair. If you have gas installed at your house already, you can have your gas company run an outlet to your barbecue and be free of the extra cost and many headaches of 20 lb cylinders forever. The FTC complaint alleges that in 2008, Blue Rhino and AmeriGas, which together control 80 percent of the propane tank market, each reduced the level of propane in exchange tanks from to 15 pounds from 17, without a reduction in wholesale price. Lowe’s, Blue Rhino’s largest customer, agreed to the 15-pound tanks but only if all other retailers went along with it, according to the complaint.

We’re doing this for your safety.” After all, some people do top off. You are not borrowing it from them, so you have the right to do what you want. If you get a full cylinder without bringing in an exchange, you pay extra to buy the tank (generally $25 – about what you would pay in a store for a brand new tank). They claim that some of their tanks do not have the TS2 valve. I have asked the place where I refill and was told that they have never come across one that they could not fill.

Experience

Our IP team combines top-notch technical and legal knowledge. We’ll handle the dispute so you don’t have to. If you’ve been harmed or cheated by a company, we’ll help assess the facts and build a plan of action.

When I was researching on how to build a website, I read that the “About” page is the most important page. That seems funny, I never click “About” unless I am an unhappy customer trying to get a hold of someone to resolve a problem. I have never built a website before, so this is a learning experience. Instructions for these warn of the tanks freezing up and suggest wearing gloves to prevent frost burns. There is no overfill protection on the 1lb cylinders and you are could over fill them.

Apparently there is a triangular indentation on the value itself on the TS2 valves . Since you have to come back more often with the ¾ full tanks, the exchange cost is $24.62 for an equivalent amount of propane. Substitute that number in all rows of the exchange. That way you can run your tank empty before refilling or exchanging, knowing that you have a spare to finish cooking that expensive steak. It will cost you about $20 to $25 up front, but you may save in the long run and will not run out in the middle of the BBQ.

For privacytools comparisons between per gallon and per tank charges, consider that an empty 20# tank will hold about 4.6 to 4.7 gallons. To keep the math simple consider 5 gallons times the per gallon price and subtract about a dollar. The 80 % safety factor is built in., the tanks are actually 25-pound tanks that can only be filled to 20 pounds. These special TS2 valves are only on a very small portion of Blue Rhino tanks. The majority of Blue Rhino tanks can be refilled by any qualified and trained propane supplier.

Blue Rhino Propane No Exchange Purchase

For the customer it is also quick and convenient. Filling a tank sometimes requires waiting a bit for the employee who is trained to become available to fill the tank. You don’t have to worry about your tank being out of date. The exchange places will take the out of date tank because the propane companies can easily recertify the tank. I know this is an old thread but I need to correct some false information. Contrary to what’s been erroneously claimed by others, 20 pound DOT cylinders are actually designed to be filled to 20 pounds.

Don’t let anyone tell you that the real limit is 16 lb. Someone selling you a tank filled to 15 lb will try to tell you that. The standard BBQ tank is generally referred to as a 20 lb tank as that is the amount of propane that it will safely hold. Some might hold slightly less than this as the OPD valve varies in size, but it is well over 19 lbs. So the smart thing to do is to fill or exchange the tank before it is empty.

One way to tell how much propane is in the tank is to weigh it. You can use your bathroom scale to weigh the tank, then subtract the Tare Weight, which is stamped metal piece that is welded to the tank. The tank is NOT filled all the way to the top with liquid. It is only filled to about 80% of the volume.

I voted against the issuance of the Part III complaint against AmeriGas and Blue Rhino last March, and I now dissent from the consent agreement proposed by the Commission. I write briefly to explain my opposition to the majority’s pursuit and now settlement of this novel, unwarranted enforcement action. The purpose of this Analysis to Aid Public Comment is to invite and facilitate public comment concerning the proposed orders. It is not intended to constitute an official interpretation of the proposed Consent Agreements and the accompanying proposed orders or in any way to modify their terms.

You did not purchase the tank for the purpose of reselling them to consumers. Paynter Law has experience fighting insurance companies, having successfully litigated against them not only in individual suits, but in nationwide class-action litigation. Our team combines top-notch technical and legal knowledge with strategy, creativity, experience, and passion. Our wrongful death team combines top-notch technical and legal knowledge with strategy, creativity, experience, and passion.

FTC approves settlement in Blue Rhino, AmeriGas propane tank charges

Also, Blue Rhino fills its propane tanks to 17 lbs. This is because national fire codes prohibit filling tanks to their designed capacity, for safety reasons. You can use our Location Finder to find local retailers who sell AmeriGas propane.

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I use a 20 lb tank with a distribution post to which I attach my lantern and stove. I also bring some 1 lb tanks for use when I need portability or multiple locations. The 20 lb tank is bulky and takes up a lot of space in the trunk or back of the mini-van. They do make smaller tanks in the 10 lb or so size, but these are EXTREMELY expensive. $60 to $80 or more vs. the $20 to $25 for the 20 lb tank.

The fill reductions had the effect of a 13 percent increase in the price of propane because neither AmeriGas nor Blue Rhino implemented a corresponding decrease in price. If the story had ended there, with merely unilateral action and no agreement between AmeriGas and Blue Rhino, there would be no violation of the antitrust laws and the Commission would not have pursued an enforcement action. The majority did not allege that the parties agreed on either their propane output levels or the prices that they would charge Walmart . In my view, that takes the alleged agreement outside the scope of classic per se prohibitions of price and output restrictions, including joint conduct aimed at a single customer, such as bid rigging. At this point in the development of the antitrust laws, if anything, we should be continuing to move categories of conduct out of the per se category—not trying to squeeze conduct that we rarely encounter into the otherwise shrinking per se box. Whether the initial decision to reduce fill levels was the result of independent decision-making has no bearing on the unlawfulness of the parties’ subsequent agreement to maintain a united front with respect to Walmart.