Propane tank recertification along East Coast

[SVRocinante]

Good day all

I’m having trouble finding a vendor to recertify my two propane tanks.
Currently in Cape May and heading North.

Has anyone had their tanks recertified recently?
The last place I called before coming here used to do it, but no longer does...

Thanks for any help offered!

[wingless]

Welcome to our disposable society.

The expectation is your likely perfectly good tanks will be discarded and replaced.

Try you local welding gas supply company to locate a certification facility.

[wingless]

AmeriGas does tank recertification and they have a NJ location

HOW TO RECERTIFY YOUR PROPANE TANK

[sailorboy1]

You need to call a distributor location and not an outlet

[SVRocinante]

Thanks Wingless.

Yep, their website says yes, but in reality, they don’t!
I called the Amerigas office in Woodbine, NJ and was told they don’t do it.
They referred me to someone else, that no longer does it...

Which finally brought me to the CruisersForum!

I think your welding supply suggestion might be my next attempt.

Thanks again,

[Pete17C]

are they typical 20lb propane tanks? just find a convenience store or gas station and swap them out

[pcmm]

Where I am is costs as much to recertify as to just purchase a new tank, Its not done very often as a result.

[sailorboy1]

I had my expensive aluminum 10# tank recertifications a few years ago and I started a thread here about it.

But to tell the truth it was a lot of running around to find a place that did it, take the tank there, and then go get it afterward. Now that I’m a full time cruiser unless there was an easy place near by that I could cheaply uber to or combine with a day car rental to do other things, I would just buy a new tank. I now even have two tanks as the $175 it cost to buy a second tank is priceless where the other runs out in the boonies .

[markcleary]

I have the same problem. I would gladly swap the tank but my tank is aluminum and the tanks at the swap shop are steel.

[john61ct]

Local propane dealers in small towns are certified and charge well under $30. Maybe try calling around inland a bit.

[a64pilot]

Usually a place that says they will recertify actually won’t.
I couldn’t even find out what the requirements are, the filling station is allowed to do a visual inspection and fill. Some will charge you money for this and put a sticker on it, which will of course fall off or be washed off, and I don’t think is recognized by any other fillers.
There is no hydro done, I do know that, I believe it’s actually just a visual and meant really to find excessively rusted steel tanks, not aluminum. Aluminum tanks are unusual outside of the marine world, I’ve seen some forklift tanks that are, but that’s it.
I finally gave up and just stamped my own tank, it won’t hold up to real scrutiny of course cause it’s supposed to have a symbol that I don’t have, but they only look to see a stamped date and fill it.

I’d like to get it actually recertified , but gave up.

[Orion Jim]

No one has mentioned fire equipment companies. Shipmans, in Waterford, Ct. recertified my expensive aluminum propane tank while I waited. The charge was less than $20.00 a few years ago and I’m good for another 12 years.

[Geoff54]

If "heading North" takes you as far as Boston -
Toleman Manufacturing and Supply in South Boston (617) 268-1025
They did mine a few years ago but probably worth calling first to make sure they still do.

[grantmc]

I'm in New Zealand. Last time I had a tank re-certified for another 10 years I found it was more expensive than buying a new tank. Clearly a business model that wasn't going to work, nor did it. I would doubt there are any firms in that business country wide now. As someone said, gas bottles are now a disposable item.

[flyingfin]

If they re-certify and it blows up, they get sued.
If you buy new tank from them, and it blows up, the tank manufacturer gets sued.
They make the same profit from either transaction.

Guess what their business plan is?