Think you pay about what it costs to really fill your own tank at Home Depot for their approx 3/4 fill. That is their margin for propane and tank rental fee is how I would look at it.
Thereās a sign some where that tells you what the fill is in the swap out tank. Usually behind the poinsettias or ferns. Just move the foliage away and it will tell you the fill is 15lbs
At the fill on the spot places they fill to 20lb
I pay $16.50 for 20lbs refills. HD or Walmart are around $19.99 for 15lbsā¦
Okay, great guidance and comments. Seems almost unanimous: go for the natural gas line. Thank you all!
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So one more questionā¦I currently have two blue rhino tanks that I swap out as needed at HD. Can I take those tanks to a refill place, or do I have to buy a tank from the refill place?
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hard line for sure ā Iāve hit 700F on natural gas with a 4-burner grill. Youād never need more BTUs (plastic handles melt at that temp) and you wonāt have to swap tanks.
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The Weber Genesis II E-315 is the one recommended by The Wire Cutter. I recently bought the propane version and itās a great grill. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Genesis-II-E-315-3-Burner-Natural-Gas-Grill-in-Black-with-Built-In-Thermometer-66015001/307574928
no problem with refilling ANY tank as long as it is within the 12 years from the date on the tank
I recall paying a premium for my first blue rhino tank
You need to make sure all the air in the tank is bled so you can get a full tank. The guys at my local U Haul will do it is asked. I never trade tanks.
Yes
If you donāt have a tank to swap out
You buy the tank on your 1st visit and pay an additional charge for the tank
Thereafter you swap and pay refill price only
The tank is yours and can be taken to a refill shop for refilling the tank you bought from the blue rhino location
Or take to the swap shop again and swap for a different one refilled
Once you have a tank in your possession you choose the way you want to replenish the propane
Thanks guys! Would have never had any idea about this.
Hereās a simple gadget Iāve used for years that many people donāt seem to know about. It saves you from running out of propane in the middle of a long cook. Less than $15 at most big box hardware stores.
First i would always choose to hard wire if available just for convenience.
I use propane for the turkey fryer/crawfish cooker, to start my egg and to burn weeds.
Costco charges $8.95 for a refill. My recollection was blue rhino was quite a bit more.
I would recommend you consider adding better grates to whatever you choose. Or, buying a set of searing grates that will help sear at high heats.
Yep, having LP tank filled a better option than swapping. However if you do have an out of date LP tank that canāt be filled, then swap it out. Voila you now have current tank without having to discard your out of date tank and buy a new one.
As a side note, we bought two of those propane powered outdoor patio heaters for our backyard. Itās made a world of difference for us as itās allowed us to continue to spend time outdoors. They do use up propane quickly though. When I bought the two heaters, I bought four propane tanks so I could swap them out. Iāve easily collectively refilled all my tanks 30+ times since buying the heaters. Thatās 150 extra pounds of propane Iāve received thanks to the information from this thread. Plus, itās $2 cheaper per fill than swapping at HD.
Iām very happy with natural gas but had problems with the connection. The plumber used a hose for convenience and the squirrels kept chewing through it. Wrapping in tin foil and/ or wire failed so now I have a pipe and an immobile grill.
Iāve got a gas grill, gas smoker and gas Ooni. Very convenient to swap tanks between the three and I can put them wherever I want. I swap out a couple tanks at a time when I go to Menards. For me itās a lot more flexible than if I had a line and had to install everything in a specific spot.
I know that thereās different strokes for different folks and all of that, and certainly the mobility aspect for something like an Ooni makes sense to me. However, I see people commonly referring to the benefit of āmobilityā with respect to their grills and smokers which begs the question (in my mind at least) of, are people really grilling in different parts of their yards on any given day? Every place Iāve ever owned had a dedicated (though not necessarily built-in) spot for the outdoor activities we do (ie the pool is here, the garden is there, the play structure there, and that spot is where I grill)? Do you grill in different parts of your yard? And if so, why and what determines where to move your setup?
My deck is rather large and sometimes I move things around depending on lighting and wind conditions. I could probably have everything installed and make dedicated spaces for them but it would be a large project that seems unnecessary. I think Iād also need to retrofit all my equipment.
Having said all that, I am thinking of redoing my backyard next summer and will strongly consider going the pipe route after reading all of the opinions here.