Propane Tank Cost & Filling Hassle Questions

judypdr

Active member
Jul 23, 2011
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Costambar
Hi all. Right now, I use propane for cooking (stove top and oven) only from a common tank in the condominium project. It's just me, but I do cook for myself most days on the stove top and use the oven maybe one a week to cook a chicken or roast. I'm paying 770 pesos per month for the gas that I do or don't use. My question is whether it would cost me less to buy my own propane tank and have it filled as needed. Any ideas on overall costs/comparisons as far as hassle to keep it filled. I can't pick it up by myself so I would need to pay someone to take it to the propane station and return it as needed. Also, I'd be without gas while it was away...unless I also got a back up tank. What do you all think? Would I save enough over the course of a year to even bother? Thanks! Judy
 
Apr 13, 2011
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Because you say that you would have to pay someone to take it to the propane station and return it - then I recommend you stay with the common tank.
You might save a little having your own tank (depending on your usage), but you will increase the hassle by needing to get someone to fill it for you. And someone will mention that that person could possible "short-fill" the tank and keep some of the money, since you are there to see the tank is filled with the amount you gave.
 

gray

Member
Apr 11, 2013
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let me just tell you what i pay and you make your own decision

costs about $60 to buy a decent size tank ( dont know the exact voloume size)

we put $1000 pesos into the tank and have been running it now for over 4 months and we cook on it every day

the concho will pick up your tank and return it in 10min and return with a factura he charges me i think 70 pesos


each area has different prices though
 

Lucille

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Jan 14, 2007
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JudY:
I agree 100% with MJSD...
First, you have to invest to purchase the tank ( and it can be stolen)...
And the worst part is the "short fill", it happens either when you send out the guy ( motoconcho) ($) or when the gas company does it for you....
If you cook everyday, you are a free-hassle person and you pay $770 for unlimited gas usage, stay the way you are....;)
Oh...I forgot ..If you have some guess or a party that's when the gas goes "off" in the middle of the cooking ..jajaja
You go crazy, trying to get some gas.....
Lucille
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Like so many things it depends on where you live. If you have Metrogas service you call them and they will come and bring a tank. Once you are a customer, you just call and they take care of everything else.

At 770 a month they are killing you, unless you are cooking for an army.

A full 24 gallont tank, what they call 100 pounds is about RD$2200 now.... I chain mine together so that it will make a big racket is someone messes with them...


HB
 
May 29, 2006
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For your situation you would do fine with a 25 pound tank, or even two so you can have a back-up. Getting them filled is easy if you have a regular moto concho guy who can run errands for you. If you're really only cooking a few times a month you could even look into getting 2 pound tanks, which run for about an hour each. Get a good cable and lock for your tanks.
 

Luperon

Who empowered China's crime against humanity?
Jun 28, 2004
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I would be surprised if someone in your complex has not figured out a way to siphon that gas into their car / tank. Which is why it cost you so much per month.

[video=youtube;XjMyveIvAAk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjMyveIvAAk[/video]
 
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dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
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you are paying several times over for the gas you actually use. we have two 50 lb tanks (so that one is always full). it costs about 1300 pesos to fill one tank and that lasts us 3 months: cooking every day and using gas dryer.
 

Lucille

Bronze
Jan 14, 2007
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Like so many things it depends on where you live. If you have Metrogas service you call them and they will come and bring a tank. Once you are a customer, you just call and they take care of everything else.

At 770 a month they are killing you, unless you are cooking for an army.

A full 24 gallont tank, what they call 100 pounds is about RD$2200 now.... I chain mine together so that it will make a big racket is someone messes with them...


HB

Thank you teacher....Good to know about Metrogas......:)
 

judypdr

Active member
Jul 23, 2011
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Costambar
Thanks, everyone for your input. I do think I'm paying way more for gas than I should be so I'm going to look into getting my own tank with a small back up one. Thanks again!
 
May 29, 2006
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Propane is subsidized to prevent charcoal from being worth the trouble. The DR also has better economies of scale with it because they aren't competing with natural gas which is cheaper than propane in the US.

A gallon of propane is 4.24 pounds at 60? at a so many PSI. If the gas is at 80? the PSI either goes up or there has to be less gas by weight. Propane isn't a liquid so it compresses/expands with temp. When you get propane delivered to a big tank in the states, the charge is by weight, not volume.

Buying propane by volume anywhere is a bad idea.

The molar weight of propane is 44g(1.5oz), which is what a liter of propane weighs at ambient room temp and pressure.
 
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I pay 1300 for about 2 months of cooking and hot water. Filling our propane tanks is the most annoying thing in the world to me. I dread it and they always run out before i fill up the back up one. It takes forever at the gas station!
For the trouble I would pay more to not have to deal with it!!
 

Lothario666

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Oct 16, 2012
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I pay 1300 for about 2 months of cooking and hot water. Filling our propane tanks is the most annoying thing in the world to me. I dread it and they always run out before i fill up the back up one. It takes forever at the gas station!
For the trouble I would pay more to not have to deal with it!!

Science 101 - an empty tank remains empty until you fill it back up.

Fill up your tank "when" it runs out of gas, not when the "backup" runs out of gas.

In years, I have never waited more than 15-20 minutes to fill up my car and/or home tank.
There are certain times of the day when the propane stations are not packed, investigate.
Hint - early morning the public cars fill up, so it's busy.
Many motoconcho drivers will get your tank filled up for you.
No hassle, no waiting in line, they normally go ahead of the cars waiting in the line.

No wonder so many ex-pats get taken advantage of here, they are so helpless/clueless.

 
May 29, 2006
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I was amazed that the moto-concho drivers could handle a 100 pound tank, but to them it's *No Problem!* they use bike inner tubes and other straps. Just have them keep the receipt for you. Def worth a couple hundred pesos to save the hassle. Just make sure you know the guy!
 

flyinroom

Silver
Aug 26, 2012
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If you buy a brand new tank and engage the services of a moto-concho guy for refills, there is a pretty good chance that, at some point, when you least expect it,............ba-boom.
The brand new tank suddenly morphs into an old beaten up tank. A dinged and danged and rusty piece of "you know what".
How did that happen. You let your guard down for just a moment and allowed yourself to get too comfortable.

At that point, you will in all likelyhood pour yourself a stiff drink and get on dr1 to wail about life in the D.R.
You can't fight city hall.
There are a million sad stories..............:classic:
 
Science 101 - an empty tank remains empty until you fill it back up.

Fill up your tank "when" it runs out of gas, not when the "backup" runs out of gas.

In years, I have never waited more than 15-20 minutes to fill up my car and/or home tank.
There are certain times of the day when the propane stations are not packed, investigate.
Hint - early morning the public cars fill up, so it's busy.
Many motoconcho drivers will get your tank filled up for you.
No hassle, no waiting in line, they normally go ahead of the cars waiting in the line.

No wonder so many ex-pats get taken advantage of here, they are so helpless/clueless.


Ya I realize all of this, I HATE THE 20 minutes waiting for the tanks to fill up!!! That is why i let them both run empty, I DON'T want to do it. OBVIOUSLY I should fill up one when the other is empty!

Of course I could get my gardener to do it for me but i don't like other people doing all my **** for me.
 

wrecksum

Bronze
Sep 27, 2010
2,063
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I have a restaurant on the side and I don't use anywhere near 700 a month or I'd go broke pretty quick!
Get a small tank, regulator and tube and you'll be surprised how long that lasts.
A motoconchisto will charge you a very small fee to take your tank, in maybe a year's time unless you cook for 20 every day, and fill it at cost.
 
May 29, 2006
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For that kind of money, you could go for all electric appliances and then you wouldn't need to mess around with tanks at all...