# New Propane Tank Valve With Gauge



## SDCampers

Just a look into the future for that nagging question, "how much propane do I have left?" We just got in a new type of valve for propane cylinders manufactured by a company called SCG that has a quantity gauge. The valve is of good quality and the gauge seems pretty accurate. The gauge is plastic and has a metal clip that clips it to the valve with a nipple housing a magnet that fits into a hole on the valve. The magnets control the level indicator as the float on the valve drops. We have played with this set up in the shop not installed in the cylinder and it seems to be pretty accurate. Today we put a couple in cylinders and tried them out. They seemed to work pretty good. The test of time will show how durable the plastic indicator is. Right now they are only available for 20 lb cylinders (BBQ size), but shortly they will be available for 30 and 40 lb cylinders. The ones for the 20 lb cylinders will sell for $17 - $20 depending on your local propane dealer. We are charging $20 installed. Thought this may be of interest.

Another issue you may not be aware of......A major national propane company has just been sued for misrepresentation. Those exchange cylinders that you see all over, you think you are getting 20 lbs in.......read the print on the label. They used to fill these bottles to 17lbs, and recently dropped them to 15 lbs. yet still charging the same price. They claimed this was done so they did not have to raise the exchange price per cylinder. So, the 20 lb cylinders only have 15 lbs in them.
Bottom line, take your cylinders to your friendly local propane dealer to have them filled to 20 lbs for a fraction of the cost.


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## GarethsDad

Did they look like this. I bought these back in April. I'm still waiting for the tanks to empty. There are some other 30lb tanks with gauges out there but are close to $200.00 a tank. James


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## SDCampers

GarethsDad said:


> Did they look like this. I bought these back in April. I'm still waiting for the tanks to empty. There are some other 30lb tanks with gauges out there but are close to $200.00 a tank. James


They're the same principle how they work, but are a bit different. Not as expensive.


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## Scoutr2

SDCampers said:


> Another issue you may not be aware of......A major national propane company has just been sued for misrepresentation. Those exchange cylinders that you see all over, you think you are getting 20 lbs in.......read the print on the label. They used to fill these bottles to 17lbs, and recently dropped them to 15 lbs. yet still charging the same price. They claimed this was done so they did not have to raise the exchange price per cylinder. So, the 20 lb cylinders only have 15 lbs in them.
> Bottom line, take your cylinders to your friendly local propane dealer to have them filled to 20 lbs for a fraction of the cost.


Yeah, I noticed the sign on one of those exchange stations outside our Lowe's store. A quick glance at the fine print on the sign revealed that they were only filling the 20# tanks to 17#, and the price was $24.95. Just last week, I refilled my spare 20# BBQ grill tank for about $18 at the Suburban Gas place, just a few miles from here (closer than the Lowe's).

Exchanging tanks at one of those places is simply a convenience and has never been a good deal. Even when they filled them to 20#, you were still paying a lot more than getting them filled. Now, they are still charging the same high price, but putting less in the tank. (If they had just raised the prices proportionately, nobody would buy them!)

Mike


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## GarethsDad

Wow thats like highway robbery. I only pay $12.00 for a 20lb and $18.00 for a 30lb. When they run a special its $8.88 for a 20 and $15.15 for the 30. James


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## Tom W.

SDCampers said:


> Just a look into the future for that nagging question, "how much propane do I have left?" We just got in a new type of valve for propane cylinders manufactured by a company called SCG that has a quantity gauge. The valve is of good quality and the gauge seems pretty accurate. The gauge is plastic and has a metal clip that clips it to the valve with a nipple housing a magnet that fits into a hole on the valve. The magnets control the level indicator as the float on the valve drops. We have played with this set up in the shop not installed in the cylinder and it seems to be pretty accurate. Today we put a couple in cylinders and tried them out. They seemed to work pretty good. The test of time will show how durable the plastic indicator is. Right now they are only available for 20 lb cylinders (BBQ size), but shortly they will be available for 30 and 40 lb cylinders. The ones for the 20 lb cylinders will sell for $17 - $20 depending on your local propane dealer. We are charging $20 installed. Thought this may be of interest.
> 
> Another issue you may not be aware of......A major national propane company has just been sued for misrepresentation. Those exchange cylinders that you see all over, you think you are getting 20 lbs in.......read the print on the label. They used to fill these bottles to 17lbs, and recently dropped them to 15 lbs. yet still charging the same price. They claimed this was done so they did not have to raise the exchange price per cylinder. So, the 20 lb cylinders only have 15 lbs in them.
> Bottom line, take your cylinders to your friendly local propane dealer to have them filled to 20 lbs for a fraction of the cost.


I have often debated about buying one of those inline gauges that you screw in to the propane tank outlet but have read they are notoriously inaccurate. My rule of thumb for propane tanks is to always start with two full tanks each trip.


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## SDCampers

Yeah, those ones that screw into the line are worthless. They only read the pressure. When you are empty pressure goes down. You can have two pounds left and still have 100 psi tank pressure if it's hot.
The only accurate gauges read off the float position.


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## battalionchief3

WHAT!!!!! Holy cow I gotta move!!!!! I had 2- 20lb tanks and 1- 30lb tank filled for 75 bucks !!!! We get so ripped off around here. They gouge us for everything. Gas is up to 2.53 a gallon too. Ugg I hate the socialist, communist state of Maryland.....









I do like those gauges. I see you have to unscrew the neck off of them, I assume thats not hard. Where can I get a pair of them?


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## N7OQ

battalionchief3 said:


> WHAT!!!!! Holy cow I gotta move!!!!! I had 2- 20lb tanks and 1- 30lb tank filled for 75 bucks !!!! We get so ripped off around here. They gouge us for everything. Gas is up to 2.53 a gallon too. Ugg I hate the socialist, communist state of Maryland.....
> 
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> I do like those gauges. I see you have to unscrew the neck off of them, I assume thats not hard. Where can I get a pair of them?


You think that is bad you should try the Communist state of California.


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## zrxfishing

I recently filled 2 20# and 2 30# tanks at $5 a gallon and the total was $115.00 If I remember correctly the 20# took 4.8 gallons and the 30# took 7 gallons. It felt like I was filling my diesel van last summer when diesel was $5.02


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## SDCampers

WOW! And to think we have people still complaining about our prices. We're $.60 a pound plus tax, $12.72 for a 20 pound bottle, and we only charge for how many pounds you get.


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## CamperAndy

I buy it by the gallon to the tenth of a gallon here in ID and it is running $2.49 at the moment.


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