How To Empty Propane Tanks For Disposal & Transport: Quick & Safe Methods

It is important to know how to empty propane tanks for transport and proper propane tank disposal.

There are several reasons you may need to empty tanks:

  • Your tank is damaged and needs to be disposed.
  • Your RV is going in for service and the tanks must be empty.
  • You are traveling/transporting your RV and your propane tanks are required to be empty (like on a ferry).
  • Other circumstances that prohibit full tanks.
How To Empty Propane Tanks by CampingForFoodies features a collage that includes different sizes of red propane tanks labeled with stickers that read ‘Danger, Propane, No Smoking, Flammable Gas’, a person connecting a 1 pound propane bottle to a camp stove, two large propane tanks connected to an RV system, a silver travel trailer with two propane tanks connected to it and a person connecting a 1lb propane cylinder to a torch with text over the image that reads How To Empty Propane Tanks.

Psst we’re compensated…see our disclosures.


Tagged And Certified As “Gas Free”

If a propane tank is not truly empty of all propane fuel and fumes, it has the potential to explode and cause serious damage and even death. That’s why you may be required to show proof that your tanks are entirely empty and no longer pressurized.

It is common to find shipping rules that require empty tanks to be “tagged and certified as gas free” by an authorized propane dealer or service company.

The propane professional will arrange for the tank to burn itself completely off to overcome the native propane pressure in the tank. This usually includes connecting the propane tank with an extension via hose attachments and a large propane-burning appliance that takes a lot of gas to power it (like a large patio burner) so it burns off as quickly as possible. Once the tank is empty they will inert it with nitrogen.

The process of emptying and certifying propane tanks can be quite expensive. Many RVers find it is less expensive to purchase a new tank and fill it with propane at their destination rather than emptying and certifying their existing tanks.

  • If you choose to just purchase a new tank at your destination and are looking for RV propane refill near me, I’ve got an entire blog post to help you find it when you are in unfamiliar areas.

NEVER Empty a Propane Tank This Way

You can find instructions all over the internet that tell you how to empty a propane tank but the advice should be AVOIDED because it is VERY DANGEROUS. This is how you SHOULD NOT empty propane gas cylinders:

  • Disconnect the tank from the plumbing gas line or equipment it is attached to (Don’t do this).
  • Take the tank into an outdoor location in an open space area (Don’t do this).
  • Invert the propane cylinder so the bottom of the tank is facing upwards and the handles are on the ground (Don’t do this).
  • Open the valve and let the liquid propane flow out (Don’t do this).
  • Close the valve (Don’t do this).

Why The Common Method Is UNSAFE

Propane is an invisible compressed gas that is heavier than air. When you take a tank to an open-air location and let the gas drain, you can’t see it so you have no idea where it is settling.

It can travel quite a distance and will settle at the lowest point creating a pool of explosive, invisible gas that can cause a deadly explosion.


How To SAFELY Empty Propane Tanks

There are only two method to do this yourself.

NEVER Release Propane Into The Atmosphere. ALWAYS Burn It Off Or Transfer It.

How To Burn Propane From A Tank

The safest gas is the one that’s on fire … because you know where it isyou can see it. If you don’t want to take your tank to a professional, you can empty the tank yourself by doing the following:

  1. Hook up your tank to a propane burning appliance.
  2. Use an appliance with a visible flame, if possible. We use our camping propane fire pit for this step. Alternatively, just run one of your RV systems, like the propane heater.
  3. Light the appliance.
  4. Let it run until the flame is out or the apparatus runs out of gas.
  5. Now you know the propane tank is empty, but, explosive vapors may still be in the tank. Don’t remove the tank valve yourself, let a professional do it after they have verified it has been purged of all vapors.

How To Transfer Propane From A Tank

The other way to empty a propane tank is to transfer the gas to another tank. If you only have a few pounds of propane, you can do 1 pound camping propane cylinder refills for your camping equipment. If you’ve never done it before, we have a complete blog post and printable instructions to show you how to refill 1lb propane tanks.

How To Refill 1 lb Propane Cylinders, Tanks And Small Camping Propane Bottles, Invert The Connected Propane Tanks, Open Valve And Fill - Camping For Foodies .com

Gauges Can Lie

A fuel gauge is great to tell you how much propane is in a tank you have in use. They are not accurate enough to tell you if the tank is safe for disposal and totally empty of all liquid and residual vapor fumes.

A propane tank’s external gauge indicator will tell you the liquid fill level of the tank, it WILL NOT tell you how much pressure is in the tank. So, even if your gauge is reading “zero” there could be liquid fuel that is not showing on the float. Some larger tanks have two gauges, one indicates the liquid level and the other indicates the pressure level.

As with all equipment, a gauge is never totally accurate. That’s why a tank should be emptied, purged and filled with an inert gas to ensure it is inexplosive.

kim cooking outdoors
Send me FREE camping tips!

I want "5 Secrets To Successful Camping Trips" plus weekly camping tips & recipes.


How To Dispose Of Unwanted Tanks

There are three things you can do with unwanted tanks:

  1. Put them out of service
  2. Recycle them
  3. Reuse them

Out Of Service

Your local public works department will be able to tell you what to do with tanks you want to put out of service. They often have hazardous waste collection events and may have instructions that allow you to throw them in the garbage with local household pickup. We have more information on how to dispose of small propane tanks.

AmeriGas is the largest propane supplier in the United States. You can buy, exchange and dispose of propane grill tanks through their local retailer partners in many convenience stores, grocery stores, hardware stores and home improvement stores.

Blue Rhino is another company that specializes in propane grill cylinder exchanges, recycling and disposal. If you have an old propane tank you no longer want, you can just place it beside a Blue Rhino display and they’ll take care of it for you.

Recycle

Scrap metal dealers will usually accept tanks that are fully emptied of all gas and vapors. You can usually find recycling events in local communities too.

Reuse

If your empty tank is in good condition, it can be reused. Refilling RV and grilling tanks is an option. We are members of the warehouse, so, we like using the Costco propane refill service.

For 20-pound propane barbecue cylinders, don’t forget about the convenient exchange options through AmeriGas and Blue Rhino we mentioned earlier.


How Much Remaining Gas Is In Your Tank?

If you just want to know if you have enough propane to finish cooking your burger on your propane barbecue grill, or have enough in your RV tank to run your refrigerator and hot water heater for a weekend, we have tips on how to tell if a propane tank is empty.

If you want something really fancy, you might want to get a couple of digital propane tank scales that have a magnetic sensor that mounts to the bottom of the tank providing a digital readout via bluetooth and work with smart phone apps.

Different models can provide a variety of information including:

  • cook time
  • gas fill percentage
  • pounds of gas left
  • gallons of propane remaining, etc.

LP Tank Check Dual Sensor, Monitor Kit, Propane Tank Gas Level IndicatorLP Tank Check Dual Sensor, Monitor Kit, Propane Tank Gas Level IndicatorLP Tank Check Dual Sensor, Monitor Kit, Propane Tank Gas Level Indicator

 

You can find digital scales at your local hardware store or online.


Camping Propane

There are so many awesome uses for propane on camping trips. See all of our tips for using it, finding it, cooking with it (to make AMAZING recipes) and the best gear!

Camping Propane Has So Many Amazing Uses At The Campsite by CampingForFoodies

Camping Food Ideas Using Propane

Whether you’re using a portable propane camp stove or your RV’s stove, here are some great camp stove recipes you should try!

Easy, Unique And Totally Delicious Camp Stove Recipes by CampingForFoodies. This is an image of a cast iron Dutch oven sitting on a propane gas stove on a table outside cooking at a campsite.

FREE Printable Camping Trip Planner

Make your next trip stress-free with a little pre-planning. Get your copy of our FREE printable camping trip planner template!

Camping Trip Planner Template Free Printable by CampingForFoodies is a whimsical illustration of a cute old orange car towing a blue and white vintage camper trailer down a road in a landscape of green trees, light green grass and brown mountains with fluffy clouds in a blue sky; thumbnail images of multiple pages of a camping trip planner under the text that reads camping free trip planner.

Enjoy cooking some awesome meals using propane, charcoal or campfire coals!

If you’re looking for awesome ideas for yummy camping food, you’re in the right place! Here’s our entire camping recipes list.

Get FREE camping tips and meal ideas emailed to you!

What do you think?

Leave me a comment, question or suggestion below. I’d love to hear from you so let’s chat.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

2 Comments

  1. Thanks for the great info, I often wondered what people do with old tanks.

    1. Kim Hanna says:

      Hi Ricardo! I’m glad you found this information helpful. Properly emptying propane tanks is an important camping tip that is often overlooked. Thanks for stopping by. Happy Camping, Kim