New propane law

[Tom]

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.



TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Mario]

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.

I believe it's national. As I understand it, those of us with horizontal tanks are exempt from this because they cannot fit the new valves on them. Is that correct?

Mario



capedory252@aol.com

[Bruce Janssen]

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.

I believe it's national. As I understand it, those of us with horizontal tanks are exempt from this because they cannot fit the new valves on them. Is that correct?

Mario

I have new horzontal tanks with the new valves, you turn them vertical to fill, so if they are fixed? My tanks have to be filled with an RV type filler as there is a check valve in the outlet, I've had problems getting them filled at gas stations better luck at a propane distributer.



bvj@rkymtnhi.com

[Tom]

I'm not sure about any exemptions. I'm not a propane dealer or anything like that, I was just filling tanks yesterday and the attendant was warning everybody. The guy behind me asked that very question. The kid who was filling tanks didn't know and said that he hadn't heard of any exemptions. So if there is such an exemption you might want to get it in writing so that you can convince the guy when you go to fill up.

If your tanks go empty in the next two months, rather than refill them you might want to have the valves changed while they are empty rather than refill them. Alternately, you might want to fill everything you have before April first so you can go as long as possible before you have to deal with it.

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.

I believe it's national. As I understand it, those of us with horizontal tanks are exempt from this because they cannot fit the new valves on them. Is that correct?

Mario

TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Catherine Monaghan]

You'll find info regarding the OPD (Overfilling Prevention Device) that will be required on propane/lpg tanks in most states at The National Propane Gas Association's web site at:

<a href="http://www.npga.org/">http://www.npga.org/</a>

or you can go directly to the OPD Info page at:

<a href="http://www.npga.org/public/articles/ind ... ?cat=67</a>


catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay



catherine_monaghan@merck.com

[Tom]

As usual Cathy is on top of it. For those who don't want to open the link, along with a lot of other information, it basically says that an exemption for horizontal tanks has been proposed but as of the writing of the information had not yet been approved. The new law also only applies to tanks in the 4 to 40 lb range.

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.

TomCambria@mindspring.com

[Richard Feffer]

My two 10lb. aluminum tanks are dated 1987. Most probably original with my 1988 CD30MKII. Recently I had both refilled (on two separate occasions). Nobody checked the dates! Since replacements are $130 at BoatsUS and $175 at Fawcett, I would be very interested in getting them recertified! Can anyone suggest where I may have this done. Since they never bothered to check the dates, I don't think my local filling facility would provide that service.



RichFef@Prodigy.net

[Ken Coit]

Rich,

And the answer is: National Welders Supply or the equivalent. In this area, NC, SC, VA, TN, and GA, they have several locations and they recertify tanks for all sorts of gasses. Cost for a CNG tank was $15 recently, about the same as it costs to fill it. If you have no National Welders Supply, look in the yellow pages <www.yellowpages.com> under "gas tank service" for additional clues.

By the way, our natural gas company put me onto National Welders, so you may be able to call your local gas company and get the info you need. Check with the people who fill the natural gas fleets, they know more than the accountants about this sort of thing.

Keep on sailing,

Ken
CD/36 Parfait
Raleigh, NC

My two 10lb. aluminum tanks are dated 1987. Most probably original with my 1988 CD30MKII. Recently I had both refilled (on two separate occasions). Nobody checked the dates! Since replacements are $130 at BoatsUS and $175 at Fawcett, I would be very interested in getting them recertified! Can anyone suggest where I may have this done. Since they never bothered to check the dates, I don't think my local filling facility would provide that service.

PPPPparfait@nc.rr.com

[Catherine Monaghan]

Dick,

The OPD is currently not being enforced in CT.

See the following document for the current status of the OPD regulations in the various states.

<a href="http://www.npga.org/public/articles/NFP ... ons.pdf</a>

That's why the technician simply refilled your tanks. It's not being enforced in NY or RI either. But it is in NJ, MA, NH and ME. So as long as you don't cruise anywhere outside of the NY/CT/RI vicinity, you'll probably be able to refill the tanks without a retrofit or recertification. But since this is a safefy issue, you may want to get the new OPD anyway.

Cathy
catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32 <a href="http://www.hometown.aol.com/bcomet/real ... ization</a>, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay



catherine_monaghan@merck.com

[Tom]

The local propane dealer informed me today that at least here in Central Calif. the new OPD valve will cost $ 35 with a minimum fee of $ 10 labor to put it in. Re-certification though is $ 2. Thus it will be about $ 47 to upgrade the valve in this area. New tanks at Costco are less.

I'm not sure if this is a national law or just for the state of California, but starting April first you will not be able to re-fill your propane tanks unless they have the new, safer valve. The new valves have a triangular handle whereas the old style (and now illegal to fill)have a round handle like your garden water faucet has.

You can convert your old tank by replacing the valve with the new style and then having the tank re-certified, but the chances are that will cost more than a new tank will. I'm guessing the new valves will cost at least $15 and re-certification is around $ 15.

There's probably going to be a shortage of tanks and valves in the beginning, and much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth at the refill point at first. Manufacturers have been switching over for the last several years so if you bought recently you may have the new style.

Just a heads up.

TomCambria@mindspring.com