Thanks for all of the responses. My main concern was really how much
difference in price it is to buy or rent tanks. I didn’t really
clarify that in my post, however. I don’t know if it’s possible to
rent such small tanks anyway. I just thought it was kind of expensive
to buy pristine new tanks and then have to trade them in right off
the bat. At about $90 for the 5lb. Propane tanks and $100 for the 20
cubic foot O2 tank I just wanted to see what would be most cost
effective. In other words should I get the kit with the tanks or
should I get the one without the tanks and rent the tanks from the
gas supplier? I guess I’ll do a little more digging before I decide.
I do realize the risk of transporting Propane and O2 tanks, and
without owning a pick-up truck I will be checking out how much it
will cost to have them delivered.
here in columbus ohio if you buy your tank at supplier A then
supplier B will refuse to trade in your tank because it has someone
elses name on it
Here in Lancaster, PA I brought in an empty tank I had gotten from a
different place when I lived in the next county. I don’t recall now
if they just gave me a full one they already had, or if they filled
mine up for me (I’m thinking the former), but either way they
accepted it only after they ran a test on it & stamped their approval
on it working correctly. That cost something extra, of course.
By the way, Alma, that’s an interesting thought about having it
delivered. I’ve never even thought about that, and have gotten fairly
accustomed to, though still a bit wary of, transporting it myself in
my car (though I’ve only had to do that a handful of times). I never
seem to live very close to where I get my tanks, I’m probably 45 mins
or so away where I live now, so I don’t know what they’d charge for
delivering, or if they’d even do it, but I will definitely at least
look into that possibility next time!
Not all suppliers swap tanks only...some will fill your tank. But
you have to wait around while they do it if they'll do it while
you wait. I see no problem swapping tanks as opposed to refilling
yours.
Certainly the practices do vary. When I first moved to Heidelberg,
Germany, I sought out a new torch and tank (funny, I couldn’t bring
mine with me from the US!). I found a local place, asked them about
acetylene/air & they looked at me like I was crazy. I think they
misunderstood & thought I wanted acetylene/oxy & didn’t understand
why I’d want that. Well, I didn’t. Anyway, their standard is
propane/oxy, which of course is a common thing to use. Problem was
it was much more expensive than what I’d paid for my previous setup
in the US, AND when I needed a tank refill they wouldn’t simply swap
it. I’d have to bring it in and come back like FIVE DAYS later for
the new one. Maybe that was only for the oxy tank, but either way it
was a problem. Exactly how was I to fit that into my schedule if I
was in the midst of working on things? Well, the cost wasn’t good
anyway, so I ended up getting just a propane torch, and the tank was
a loaner from the gas place. I gave them a DM35,00 deposit, and when
I was done (i.e. moving back to the US) I brought it back & got my
deposit back. How simple (and inexpensive) was that! I did have to
buy the torch, though. And of course I didn’t love that torch, wasn’t
really hot enough, but I was going to school in Pforzheim at the time
and could take advantage of a “proper” torch there, while still able
to do a fair amount at home. Sorry, I wandered a bit on that one.
Lisa, I had two B tanks delivered, in exchange for my 2 empty ones.
I had to pay the regular delivery charge, plus a hazardous charge.
The cost for them both was $97.62. Had it been only one tank, it
would have been half of that. I checked an old invoice and three
years ago, I paid $45 for one tank, so the price has not gone up
much.
My studio is within their regular delivery route. However, as you
live quite a distance from the place where you get your tanks
refilled, you may have to pay considerably more. However, given the
possibility of getting a leaking tank, or even worse, being in an
accident, it might be worth having it delivered if you can do so.
Lisa, don’t know about where you live, but here in Sarasota, they
will not deliver if you have only 1 tank (which I do). So I have no
choice but to take mine in, swap it out and get another one that is
filled. But they do hook it up for me and periodically I have them
check the hose etc. Been going to the same place for nearly 10 years
now, so they know me and are very nice. Now they even carry it out to
the car (but by law they cannot and will not put it IN the car - but
they have said that I was required to transport it in the back seat
(so I put it behind the passenger seat and jam the passenger seat
back onto it so it is stable and won’t tip, and needless to say, I
usually go very early in the morning before there is much traffic and
I go the round about way, not the expressway. Been doing this for
some 20 years now and knock on wood, never had a mishap.
no choice but to take mine in, swap it out & get another one that
is filled. Now they even carry it out to the car (but by law they
cannot and will not put it IN the car - but they have said that I
was required to transport it in the back seat
During the gas shortage in the 1970’s, I worked for a national
propane company and we did many auto conversions to propane (dual
gasoline/propane). Studies showed that the safest place for a
propane tank in a sedan was in the trunk, underneath the ledge
immediately behind the backseat. Of course, these propane tanks were
permanently mounted.
Propane conversions continue to be legal in the US and Canada, which
is an indication of their relative safety. Of course, a tank which
is immobile during an accident is a key consideration.
Jamie
p.s. This is not a recommendation, but I was recalling the time that
I successfully transported a large, valuable antique vase in a
toddler’s car seat, in the middle of the back seat.
