# Cost of propane tank



## potter (Mar 7, 2009)

What's a reasonable price for a 250, 500 gal. tank? Who sells them besides the propane dealers. How much more for buriable?


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## jdemaris (Mar 7, 2009)

potter said:
			
		

> What's a reasonable price for a 250, 500 gal. tank? Who sells them besides the propane dealers. How much more for buriable?



I bought a new 500 gallon above-ground tank two years ago and paid $925 for it. I was told there was a big price hike right after I bought it.


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## DMX_512 (Mar 7, 2009)

I believe that another member, in the boiler room, said that he paid $1200 for a brand new 500gal around6 months ago.


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## John_M (Mar 8, 2009)

Purchased a new 1,000 gallon propane tank about 4 years ago. The tank is certified for direct burial and cost about $2,400. I do not know how much the "direct burial" coatings, etc added to the cost of the tank. I am very happy I purchased and installed an underground propane tank. 

Direct burial propane tanks must be buried a certain way and not just placed into a hole in the ground. The elevation of the water table in an area can affect burial considerations. For example: If the bottom of the tank is 6' under ground and the water table at the tank at any time of year is 3' below ground and the propane tank is empty, there is a chance the tank could "float" right out of the ground. Your propane dealer can explain all these considerations to you. 

Best Wishes, 

John_M


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## potter (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks for the responses.


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## mbcijim (Mar 8, 2009)

Anything made of mostly metal has crashed 30-50% in price in the last 6 months.

I bought some plate steel in November paid $550
Quote in August, same steel - $850

My memory is off a little, it's been a while, but the end result was a big price drop.  I can't tell you who to call, but I would be wary of getting just one price right now.  I'm sure there are guys who bought tanks (and still have them) at the price peak and are trying to recoup their $$$.


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## smoke show (Mar 9, 2009)

around here you can find used tanks for about a buck a gallon. I picked up this 1953 model over the summer for $200.


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## begreen (Mar 9, 2009)

I missed a 250 gal. tank for like that this summer. They were asking $200 too and it was half full of gas.


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## Chris S (Mar 10, 2009)

John M

Did you place a sacrificial anode in the ground with your tank?
In my area, there are LP companies that will sell tanks outright, and others that lease the tanks, are extremely picky about the installations, and install & monitor the anodes.  I prefer the latter, as do most people, no upfront costs, and they have excellent pricing for their product.

I have seen installs where the vendor drops the tanks in the driveway & somebody installs it ... sand ?  what sand?
Chris


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## smoke show (Mar 10, 2009)

BeGreen said:
			
		

> I missed a 250 gal. tank for like that this summer. They were asking $200 too and it was half full of gas.


that one is a 500 gal.


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## John_M (Mar 10, 2009)

Chris, My tank was painted with a very durable of covering of what appeared to be an epoxy paint. The label certifying the tank for burial was in clear sight on top of the tank. It came with two, 25lb sacrificial (I believe they were zinc) anodes attached. Each anode is attached to the tank with 10' of very heavy gauge insulated copper wire which is soldered to the tank. One is placed in the ground on top of the sand at the bottom of the hole at each end of the tank. As you know, the purpose of these zinc anodes is to prevent any static sparking when the tank is being filled and to "sacrifice" themselves instead of allowing the tank to rust and corrode from the action of electrolysis or other chemical activities.  

You are right about the need for sand. The tank must sit on a 12" bed of leveled sand. The tank must also be covered on the top and sides by a minimum of 6" of sand. Also, as you know, the purpose of the sand is to allow water to drain down and percolate through the soil below instead of saturating and being held in any soil which might come into contact with any exposed metal on the tank. 

I was fortunate to have the propane company deliver the tank to my house, out-of-the-way of all the construction. They gave me the installation instructions and I gave the instructions to the guys who did all the excavation and concrete work for the foundation. At the appropriate time, they ordered about 10 yards of sand and did the installation as part of their final leveling of the ground around the new house. The entire process was very efficient and done extremely well. When I called the propane company to return to make all the connections, the guys went out of their way to praise the installation. I passed their  kudos on to the excavator. 

A couple of weeks or so before the guys came to my house to make the propane connections they dug up a propane tank which had been buried by their company about 54 years earlier. They showed me photos of the tank and the original paint appeared perfect except for about a 3" patch on top of the tank which showed a little rust. They speculate that dirt, rather than sand had been in contact with that portion of the tank and each time the dirt became saturated with water it added just a teensy bit of rust. 

Like everything else we do, paying attention to the details and following the manufacturer's instructions will almost always give the best results. 

Best Wishes, 

John


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## Chris S (Mar 10, 2009)

John,  

You (& your contractor) did the right thing.  The company we work with insists on installations just as you described, and they stay to witness the backfill to make sure.  I saw one job where what looked like a painted tank was put in the ground and backfilled with dirt & rocks.  How long do you think that will last?


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