Resources for when your propane cylinder is ready for retirement.

propane tank Dauphin County, PA Summer may be over, but the weather is still gorgeous in Central and Southeast Pennsylvania, and many Koppy’s Propane customers are still getting a lot of use out of their gas grills, patio heaters, fire pits and RVs. That means our team is answering a lot of questions about grill tanks and other portable propane cylinders.

Propane cylinders are built to last, but they don’t last forever. It’s vital to know the signs that your container is past its prime and no longer safe to use. In this post, we’ll talk about the signs that a portable propane tank needs to be retired and how you can dispose of it in our service region.

Signs You Should Stop Using Your Propane Cylinder

You might have heard a Koppy’s Propane team member or some other propane professionals refer to your propane cylinder as a DOT tank. DOT refers to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the government entity that regulates the usage, testing and certification of portable propane containers.

Typically, the DOT stipulates that you have your propane cylinder inspected by a licensed facility 12 years after its manufacture date, then every five years after that. This will help you avoid using an unsafe tank, and Koppy’s can handle the requalification process.

Beyond arranging regular inspections for your propane cylinder, you should also look out for these warning signs that your cylinder may not be safe to use:

Dents, bulges, cuts and cracks on the tank surface
Excessive corrosion
Signs of burning
Damaged or missing collar, footing, or valve cover
A defective valve
The smell of propane gas (rotten eggs, skunk spray) around the cylinder

If you notice any of these issues, immediately stop using your cylinder and dispose of it.

Disposing of Propane Cylinders in Central and Southeast Pennsylvania

As a general rule, propane cylinders should not be left out for your normal trash pickup. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania offers this advice to residents for disposing of their old containers:

See if your local household hazardous waste (HHW) collection program will accept refillable grill tanks. To view a list of HHW collections in PA, please go to Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs. (This page includes a list of collection sites by county.)
Look in your local yellow pages under “gas-propane” or a similar heading. Call them and see if they will accept refillable grill tanks for recycling.

Koppy’s Propane is always available to help customers in Dauphin County and throughout our service area if you are concerned about getting rid of a defective propane cylinder — particularly if there’s still fuel inside.

Need to Refill a Cylinder? Koppy’s Propane Has You Covered!

Camping and cookout season is still in full effect for our customers. If you need propane to power these good times, drop by our Williamstown, Carlisle or Wapwallopen offices Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., to refill your portable tanks. We can also inspect, safety test and requalify your cylinder while you’re here!

Koppy’s Propane is committed to helping you use our fuel and equipment safely. Never hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.