Propane tank telemetry system

[SHOZ]

We have an HOA rule for above ground propane tanks larger than a BBQ tank. Not allowed.

I doubt they sell below ground tanks smaller than 500 gal. I did have my tank corrosion resistance checked and they replaced the bag of galvanic anodes.

I have to chain mine to a tree incase the waters get too high. Don't see many buried ones around here. In fact I've never known of any. I did have issues at -25F though once. The new tank is a two regulator one, one at the tank and one at the house so maybe that will make up for the low vapor pressure in the super cold tank then?

 

[Donald]

I have to chain mine to a tree incase the waters get too high. Don't see many buried ones around here. In fact I've never known of any. I did have issues at -25F though once. The new tank is a two regulator one, one at the tank and one at the house so maybe that will make up for the low vapor pressure in the super cold tank then?

Some people chain their generator to a tree. But it's not because of high water.

 

[Pablo]

 

[SHOZ]

I called and asked for my fill the other day. The only notice I got was the dually tire tracks in the gravel. Went and looked and sure enough 85%....

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

@D60, assuming both "Toyota" trucks and "GM" trucks drive a route past your home, if Toyota charges you prices that you feel are high, what stops you from dropping service with them, and contracting with GM? Do the contracts bind you for a time period?

If you rent your tank from a propane company, it’s spelled out that you cannot use any other provider to fill the tank. Either you swap tanks to a new place you’re going to rent from, or you buy your own tank and then you’re free to leverage the market.

It’s kinda BS; after you’ve paid enough “rent” that the purchase price of the tank has been paid you should be free to use whatever supplier you want.

 

[SHOZ]

When I was looking for another propane company I looked for a free tank/no rent install. I needed the bigger tank due to switching heat fuel. So I'm stuck with them but I only use one tank a year and always get it at the lowest price they offer for the year.

My neighbor uses the local grain company and gets it cheaper.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

When I was looking for another propane company I looked for a free tank/no rent install. I needed the bigger tank due to switching heat fuel. So I'm stuck with them but I only use one tank a year and always get it at the lowest price they offer for the year.

My neighbor uses the local grain company and gets it cheaper.

I even called my current company because of their prices, and told them since I rent ($12/yr) that I wanted a 1000 gallon tank vs 500, and they said “No. We size the tank so normal use takes about 3 fills per year.”

Once I’m down to ~20% on this tank I’m ditching this company. They’re about $1/gal higher than another local company, don’t price match, and also stick a $15 delivery fee on top of the price even though I’m less than 3 miles from their facility!

 

[D60]

I even called my current company because of their prices, and told them since I rent ($12/yr) that I wanted a 1000 gallon tank vs 500, and they said “No. We size the tank so normal use takes about 3 fills per year.”

Once I’m down to ~20% on this tank I’m ditching this company. They’re about $1/gal higher than another local company, don’t price match, and also stick a $15 delivery fee on top of the price even though I’m less than 3 miles from their facility!

This is another huge problem with renting. They basically tell you what you want (notably, also the Steve Jobs approach).

Even when I was buying mine every place fought me and asked why I wanted to BUY 1000 gallons for a 1500 sq ft house.

Today there are a couple places here who simply will not sell you a 1000, but they'll sell you a 500.

If I had to do it over again I'd say I have a 5000 sq ft place with five kids, in-laws and siblings living with me and every single appliance is LP including multiple refrigerators-- IOW spin a tale of lots of propane consumption so they have fewer reasons to balk at a request for a "big" tank. Or I'm close enough to UT I could just say I'm Mormon (nothing against the Mormons!!)

If anyone here has the least bit of prepper mentality and lives rural, grab a 1000 tank while you can. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks they'll only be harder to come by as time passes. We all know gas stoves are really dangerous. Ya know, like how every one of us narrowly survived childhood with that dangerous gas stove in the home. It's practically child abuse. Much safer to go all electric and sleep next to giant li-ion battery charging in the garage each night.

 

[SubieRubyRoo]

This is another huge problem with renting. They basically tell you what you want (notably, also the Steve Jobs approach).

Even when I was buying mine every place fought me and asked why I wanted to BUY 1000 gallons for a 1500 sq ft house.

Today there are a couple places here who simply will not sell you a 1000, but they'll sell you a 500.

If I had to do it over again I'd say I have a 5000 sq ft place with five kids, in-laws and siblings living with me and every single appliance is LP including multiple refrigerators-- IOW spin a tale of lots of propane consumption so they have fewer reasons to balk at a request for a "big" tank. Or I'm close enough to UT I could just say I'm Mormon (nothing against the Mormons!!)

If anyone here has the least bit of prepper mentality and lives rural, grab a 1000 tank while you can. The conspiracy theorist in me thinks they'll only be harder to come by as time passes. We all know gas stoves are really dangerous. Ya know, like how every one of us narrowly survived childhood with that dangerous gas stove in the home. It's practically child abuse. Much safer to go all electric and sleep next to giant li-ion battery charging in the garage each night.

I want to buy a 1000 gallon tank that I can bury so it’s not getting eyeballed all the time. I can put the fill port inside my outbuilding so it’s on the DL

 

[SHOZ]

Farmer up the road has 6-1000 gal tanks for his grain driers and a1000 gal tank for the old brick house.

I knew I would not be using a lot, about one tank a year heating as I do. I'd rather own the tank because I'll always be using it. But I needed a free one at the time.

 

[Donald]

If you rent your tank from a propane company, it’s spelled out that you cannot use any other provider to fill the tank. Either you swap tanks to a new place you’re going to rent from, or you buy your own tank and then you’re free to leverage the market.

It’s kinda BS; after you’ve paid enough “rent” that the purchase price of the tank has been paid you should be free to use whatever supplier you want.

If you rent a tank they have you over a barrel. Rental fee plus higher price per gallon. If you heat with propane they may wave the rental fee. Still probably more per gallon. Worst case is if you rent a propane tank just for a generator. You will use hardly any propane so the rental fee may be high.

Buying your own tank is the only way to go long term. But if it's in the ground (at our HOA it must be) then you need to get the propane company to test the anode bag every 5 or 10 years. They won't do it on their own if you own the underground tank. And replacing the anode bag is on your dime.

 

[Snagglefoot]

For anyone interested here is today’s graph. The blue arrow indicates where I switched on the in-floor heat in the walk-out basement. A propane boiler provides the hot water to the hydronic tubes in the concrete floor. Once the outside temp drops to 27 F the blown air furnace will switch from the electric heat pump to a heat exchanger supplied with hot water from the propane boiler and the curve will start falling fast. Enjoy.

 

[Pablo]

No heater kick in yet! I think the float is sticking again

 

[SHOZ]

I lit my pilot light today. Ten days later than last year!

 

[alarmguy]

I wish some would post bills in here. Once my latest is online I will too. On previous page I did post a bill from the spring. First time in my life having propane and I am being taking to the cleaners in taxes, fees, delivery charge and tank rental. Total cost is from a low of $4 a gallon to $4.36 a gallon on today's delivery. Plus $8 a month tank rental.
Im ready to kick them out as soon as I find out the charges in the older section of our community that use a more local company. Ours is a big company Suburban propane.

 

[thastinger]

I wish some would post bills in here. Once my latest is online I will too. On previous page I did post a bill from the spring. First time in my life having propane and I am being taking to the cleaners in taxes, fees, delivery charge and tank rental. Total cost is from a low of $4 a gallon to $4.36 a gallon on today's delivery. Plus $8 a month tank rental.
Im ready to kick them out as soon as I find out the charges in the older section of our community that use a more local company. Ours is a big company Suburban propane.

Bought my own 1K underground tank in August, found a local company to buy the tank from, they buried it and they filled it. I payed 2.77 a gallon for 800 gallons.

 

[SHOZ]

My company sets prices in July for the year unless you are on call fill. At the time I switched they offered a free tank and install. Only use one 500 gal tank a year and get it at the summer fill lowest price. Since 2012 the price has ranged from $.85 to 1.99. This year was $1.59.

 

[SHOZ]

I've never heard of burying the propane tank around here in Illinois. Do they popup out of the ground in floods?

 

[Pablo]

I wish some would post bills in here. Once my latest is online I will too. On previous page I did post a bill from the spring. First time in my life having propane and I am being taking to the cleaners in taxes, fees, delivery charge and tank rental. Total cost is from a low of $4 a gallon to $4.36 a gallon on today's delivery. Plus $8 a month tank rental.
Im ready to kick them out as soon as I find out the charges in the older section of our community that use a more local company. Ours is a big company Suburban propane.

Our tank rental is about the same $85/year. Makes zero sense to buy a tank when I'm 66 and even if we stay 10 more years.

Our propane cost was $1.99/gal last fill in Sept

 

[97prizm]

We’re already there. The propane company owns the tank and doesn’t offer an option to sell the tank to the home owner. The tank rental is about $100 per year. On the 800 gallons I buy each year, it works out to 12.5 cents per gallon. There is one other propane supplier in the area, but has similar prices. The prices seem to be about 1/2 the price of regular gasoline.

Can you buy your own tank of whatever size you need, then contract the refilling when needed? When I'm back in Kentucky visiting relatives I see several propane tank supply places. One looks like it has acres of used propane tanks.