Disposing of a Propane Tank

Most rural homes have large propane tanks of 500-1,000 gallons or more set up somewhere on the property. They don't last forever and at some point need to be replaced.

Matt Terry is a propane industry veteran, and also the owner of Propane 101 dot com. He says a tank that has rusted or has become deeply pitted needs to be replaced. The law also says if you can't read the manufacturer's data plate anymore, the tank is no good. It's time to call your propane company.

"They'll come get the tank, they'll pump it out, make sure that it's safe to transport, and then they'll take care of it. Anything that the company owns, they're primarily responsible for," says Terry.

Even if you own your tank, Terry says you should call the gas company for disposal because of the safety concerns. Sometimes the tanks still have liquid propane in them, which could be dangerous. Many scrap yards won't take propane tanks of any size due to the hazards of residual gas.

If yours is no longer fit for service, it could be used for something else.

"What most people do actually when the tank is dead, they usually fill them up with water, take them to a welder, or a welder will come pick them up, and they'll make a barbecue pit out of them," says Terry. "But that's not something that I encourage for consumers to try and tackle on their own."

No matter what you'd like to do with a tank, a licensed propane company needs to be involved for safety's sake.

Terry says people who run their tractors off propane can also hook up a line to the old tank and use it as a nurse tank to fill their machines with gas. Propane companies often take large tanks out to be used on temporary jobs such as construction.