How long can one expect a filled propane cylinder to stay filled sitting on a shelf? I'm talking about the small gas grill versions. I'm thinking of the portability of the small containers to go along with my small generator.

When I looked into the little one lb cylinders, I was warned they would freeze up running a genny.  You'd need to have 7 or 8 on a propane tree to run even a small genny, as I understand.

Propane has no shelf life. The only limitation is the integrity of the bottle.

This. Even a tiny leak and even bigger bottles/tanks can be empty years later.

Last I checked those little bottles were getting really cheap. I wouldn't expect them to last too many years; but if they do, then the propane will be good.

When you say small, do you mean 20 pound small or 1 pound disposable small?

Either case, as stated, propane has no shelf life: good forever (as far as you are concerned). Its only a matter if it leaks out.


We have a 750 gallon tank on the farm that literally hasn't been used for 25 years still 1/4 full of propane. Nobody remembers how full it was when it was left, but nobody thinks more than half.

Nice thing abt propane leaks, similar to radioactive stuff...

They are very easy to detect.

I have a propane cylinder, built in 1960. Still in service.

As long as the bottle don't leak propane is forever.
Here is a bottle of propane I bought new and forgot about it at my parents house.
I found it when they moved out and it was still just as good as when I bought it in 1987.

somewhat OT but ill ask her instead of starting a new post.

I got a tank refilled the other day and apparently the safety valve shut. Any way to get the damn thing flowing again?

The safety mechanism should disengage once a line is hooked up to it. The cone on the male end depresses the safety valve on the tank's female side, allowing gas to flow.

If the safety mechanism is not being depressed, I would wager it is malfunctioning or was damaged during filling. Take it back to where you filled it and have them look at it.

ETA: Forgot to mention if you open the tank too fast, it is possible the check valve will stick, too. In this case, simply closing the valve, waiting a few seconds, and then opening it slowly again should fix that particular issue.

I have used the small 1 lb disposables out camping 15 years after purchase with no issues and a few in laterns my parents had bought maybe 25 years ago. total maybe 30 or so total cylinders.
-sigadvantage-

The gas is good as long as the tank and valve contain it and disperse it when you need it.



I have run into some older folks who try to check their tanks by opening the valve with nothing hooked up, new tanks won't vent this way.  So they think the tanks are bad.



At first I thought there was a problem but then I hooked something up and it worked just fine.



If you take care of the cylinder it should be good forever.



Now I don't try to store the little 1lb cylinders for long term, They are expensive when you consider cost and I don't trust them to not have a problem with their little valve.



I prefer having an actual on/off valve I can work vs the little 1lb cylinders.



I do have several little cylinders around and I keep the empties to refill if I wish to do so, but overall I like them as a luxury but in times of tight money I won't use the little ones when the larger ones are cheaper to deal with.



And yeah I have hoses and adapters to let things run off the larger cylinders.  



The fact propane can sit for a few decades and still be as good as the day it was stored is one reason I like propane.  



My main reason I dislike propane is that it needs somewhat special equipment to get refills and the cost can change over time.



But then the same goes for gasoline or diesel for me in my world and what I can handle.

The actual gas (propane) has an indefinite shelf life, the tanks are the problem. With that said, I would argue you could set a new tank at the beach and come back in five years for a BBQ with no problem.




I have used tanks up until they no longer refill them (certification date), with no problems. I have also bought tanks on Craigslist, like the one above, to exchange them for new ones.....and they still had 1/4-1/3 tank of propane in them, which ran the BBQ just fine, the tank was 15 years old.

For 20 lb propane tanks, you have 12 years from the manufacture date before the tank must be re-certified with a new date stamped on it. The re-certification only adds 5 years before having to re-certify again.

17 years, at the very least.

YMMV.

Blackops, that is one ugly mother******, but if it's you're last one, it's your beautiful baby...

I'm thinking about long term fuel storage for a generator or grill use. Something I can set in the back of a storage shed for SHTF or lessor emergency.

And if the zombies come, I am keeping a mental note of all the gas stations with the propane racks out front for raid planning purposes.

Shit, I don't recertify. If I need to refill an old cylinder, I do a cylinder exchange. Costs a little more per ounce but that's okay because I can then refill that one for 10-12 years Let the BlueRhino company recertify it!

As long as the cylinder and valve aren't bad, they'll last indefinitely. Keep in storage away from rusting conditions. Those little tanks I keep inside the house. If one valve leaks, it's not enough to pool to make it a dangerous situation. I keep others in my vented garage or back patio. Propane is heavier than air, just for safety reference.

And LPG doesn't change without a reaction, such as combustion, so you're good on that front.

If I'm not mistaken there is also a "slam-valve" that is there to shut the flow off if the gas flow rapidly increases (a sign that a line may have blown or there is a massive leak). My gas grill does this if I forget to turn the tank on, turn the burners one (leaking off the gas in the system) then I leave them on and turn the tank on. The flow rapidly increases when the tank is turned on because it's trying to replace the propane I already bled out of the system AND it's trying to supply the needs of the burners. The slam-valve shuts and I get no gas flow.

I've found the only way to "reset" the slam-valve is to shut off the burners, close the tank valve and then re-open it more slowly...

ETA, I store several 20 lb LP tanks. Mainly I do it for several reasons. #1 I have multiple propane appliances that I use on and off. I have a turkey fryer that I smelt lead on and use for the occasional cooking, a small, portable LP stove that I do my canning on outdoors, and of course there is the grill. It's a PITA to unhook the tank from one appliance and move it to the other so I have multiple tanks. FWIW, I have NEVER paid for an LP tank except to exchange an old one for a new one. I have acquired every one of my tanks free. As a matter of fact, I just got another free one within the last week (and it's even a modern, OPD tank). There is a yard-barn place within walking distance of my house. My wife and I frequently walk past it and I noticed a pretty rough looking turkey fryer sitting behind the office. I went in to ask what the deal was with that and the guy said, "It was in a barn we re-possessed, one man's trash is another man's treasure, if you want it you got it". Upon closer inspection the fitting that connects the regulator to the tank was missing so I asked about that. He said, "Its stuck on the LP tank sitting right over there, help yourself". I told him I'd have to come back with a wrench and he said, "Take the whole tank, I don't want it sitting around here"...

You and everyone else.

We had a hard freeze a few years back and those stations could not get re-supplied for 3 days.
All the propane tank racks contained empty tanks by the middle of day 2.

We fill 40# ranks and keep them stored in an outdoor shed. Goal is to have those and 20# tanks for any winter outages, power grid tomfoolery, out. The upcoming shtf, we have a dual fuel genny, gasoline and propane, we also have a couple of those Mr Buddy heaters and kerosene lamps and space heaters.


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That was my point.
You better either have it before you need it,
or get there quick.

......having a note of where the stocks are will probably not be very helpful.

I just used a small propane tank (like the OP mentions, for a camp stove) that is marked K-Mart, purchased in 1983. It sat in my grandfather-in-law's basement since then, unused.

I just threaded it onto the campstove, and it fired right up.

So that's 30+ years at least.

I'll just repeat what others have said, no shelf life on propane, now if the container leaks, wellllllllllll.

I'm thinking you need to hook a HUGE grill up to it and invite everyone over or get your hands on a couple hundred pounds of tannerite.

The tank, let alone the gas, would be worth a bit of money. Would be real retarded to destroy it.

You suck at having fun.

Well, I *can*

I just really like LPG and see a good tank go to waste makes my heart go hhhhnnnnnnggg

Then again, a giant fireball with shrapnel flying for half a mile would make me.... hhhhhhnnnnnnngggg and then run for my damned life

When I worked at a landfill the trash machine (about 90,000 lbs) hit a full 100lb propane tank that someone had discarded for unknown reasons.

For a brief moment the vehicle completely disappeared inside the fireball. Poor Gary, the operator, just about had a heart attack. Fire on all sides of the cab. The engine ingested a lot of burning propane and was dead to the point it had to be towed off the fill for repairs.

Propane makes fire much more fun!

Well Zombies don't use propane so there should be an abundance of cylinders available.