Some Businesses Will Not Fill My Tank. What Should I Do?Updated 6 days ago
Some businesses will not fill my tank. What should I do?
Propane fillers are an eclectic bunch of businesses. Some will refuse to fill small tanks, either because they are not comfortable doing it, or because they have a minimum fill amount that is larger than the capacity of the tank. While we encourage you to support local businesses, we have found that larger businesses like UHaul, Cenex, and even Costco know and understand the rules and are the most likely to be able to fill your tank consistently.
What to tell the propane attendant -
Some attendants just don’t see 3.8 lb / 5 lb / 10 lb cylinders as often so you can help them out by easing their concerns with filling—this script should preemptively answer a lot of their questions:
“This is a DOT refillable, propane cylinder that is Pre-Purged and equipped with an OPD. Please fill it like a standard cylinder. Important: Connect the fill hose first, then open the filling control, then slowly open the cylinder valve, and open the bleed valve last.”
That specific valve sequence matters because these compact cylinders have overfill safety features and can be harder to fill if the process is rushed or done out of order.
Standard fill steps (for the refill station)
Recommended: let trained refill staff do this.
If the station asks for the basic steps, here’s the correct sequence:
Connect the station fill hose securely to the cylinder fitting.
Open the station filling control FIRST.
Slowly open the cylinder valve NEXT.
Open the bleed valve LAST (this is a fixed liquid level gauge used during filling).
Fill until:
By weight: the cylinder reaches its correct filled weight (best method), or
By bleed valve: vapor/mist is normal; the fill is complete when the correct fill level is reached per the station’s standard procedure.
Close in reverse order: bleed valve → cylinder valve → station control, then disconnect and leak-check.
How much propane does my Gas Growler hold?
Gas Growler 3.8: holds 3.8 lb (0.9 gal)
Gas Growler 5: holds 5 lb (1.2 gal)
Gas Growler 10: holds 10 lb (2.5 gal)
Tip: Some stations prefer filling by weight. Your cylinder has a stamped TW (tare weight) on the collar/handle area—your attendant can use that plus the propane capacity above.
If you do find smaller, locally owned businesses who will fill your tank consistently, please do support them, and even share with us so we can give them some love!