Complaint Review: Blue Rhino - Winston-Salem North Carolina

All propane refill stations use standard equipment which limits the pressure in your tank. You can safely put more than 15 lbs in a tank.

I was also having problems with Blue Rhino tanks not lasting as long as others. My local Wal-Mart couldn't answer why, although others have had the same complaint.

I went to my local Ace Hardware and was told that they put air in the tank. He refilled my tanks, opening a bleeder valve on the side of the tank fitting which let the air out - and more propane in. Now I get a tank full of fuel.

The biggest benefit? The refill cost $12.95 vs. $19.95  for a half-tank exchange!

So by extension it seems that Blue Rhino is the only entity that seems to be able to safely fill a propane tank and, thus the need for the proprietary valve. You really expect anyone to believe that that is the reason for the proprietary valve? If so, I have some land in Florida I want to sell to you sight-unseen....

Our company contracted with blue rhino to process and deliver tanks with the blue rhino name. We received free tanks,wrappers, cages and valves for revalving tanks. We were sent the magnetic valve by accident. It was designed for profit at least until amerigas started the same service, and complaints from other parts of the country kept them from using them here. By the way, the OPD valve does'nt work about 5% of the time. The older the valve gets the higher the chance of failure. Always open the bleeder vavle on the side to check for over fill. Never check the bleeder near a sourse of ignition. The liquid propane should spit when the bleeder is opened. If the liquid comes in a constant stream the tank is too full. Let it bleed off out in the open away from ignition sourses. I suggest inspecting the vavle before purchase. Look for triangular indentation on the side ,if it has one don't accept it.

I've been in the propane industry for 12 years and have been affiliated with Blue Rhino for the past 6 years. I'm taken back by the lack of knowledge on the entity known as Blue Rhino. While Blue Rhino is a corporate entity, the actual deliveries are made by hard working individual propane companies - much like the ones responding to the opinions above. The TS2 valve was not created to "corner" the market as our competitors like to say, but to create a safer industry to work in. After the negative feedback, Blue Rhino changed the valve in an effort to "please" the uninformed consumer. Not all Blue Rhino Distributors used the TS2 valves, and not all distributors agreed with the implementation of the TS2 valve. But the bottom line is that the valve was created to stop Fill stations from filling "bad" cylinders in search of the almighty dollar and protect the consumer from such acts.

Hi, My name is Don, and I have been a Propane Cylinder refiller for twenty years. The Blue Rhino valve is different in only one respect from any other LP cylinder valve. There is a small steel bearing inserted into the inlet of the valve and is retained by a small piece of plastic tubing. When the consumer uses the tank, the pressure in the tank blows the bearing out of the way and everything works great. When a refiller tries to fill the tank, the bearing slams the door shut. The sole purpose of this mechinism is to prevent the cylinder from being filled by anyone except Blue Rhino. This device has nothing to do with the quantity of gas put into the cylinder. In my opinion, this is a rip off because you, the consumer, usually have no idea of the nature of this valve when you make your trade. Blue Rhino has only recently begun putting wrappers on their cylinders that explain the Tri-Safe valve, even though we have been seeing these for about a year and a half. We suggest to our customers that they return the cylinder to the Blue Rhino distributor where they got it and insist on some sort of satisfaction. We further suggest that the consumer complain to the Better Business Bureau and anyone else that will listen. We have discovered the secret to filling these tanks and will be glad to share our information with anyone qualified to fill LP cylinders.

Hi, My name is Don, and I have been a Propane Cylinder refiller for twenty years. The Blue Rhino valve is different in only one respect from any other LP cylinder valve. There is a small steel bearing inserted into the inlet of the valve and is retained by a small piece of plastic tubing. When the consumer uses the tank, the pressure in the tank blows the bearing out of the way and everything works great. When a refiller tries to fill the tank, the bearing slams the door shut. The sole purpose of this mechinism is to prevent the cylinder from being filled by anyone except Blue Rhino. This device has nothing to do with the quantity of gas put into the cylinder. In my opinion, this is a rip off because you, the consumer, usually have no idea of the nature of this valve when you make your trade. Blue Rhino has only recently begun putting wrappers on their cylinders that explain the Tri-Safe valve, even though we have been seeing these for about a year and a half. We suggest to our customers that they return the cylinder to the Blue Rhino distributor where they got it and insist on some sort of satisfaction. We further suggest that the consumer complain to the Better Business Bureau and anyone else that will listen. We have discovered the secret to filling these tanks and will be glad to share our information with anyone qualified to fill LP cylinders.

these tanks that can't be refilled are for restaurants that have heaters.this is so they won't enroll in the program just to get 20 tanks then go down and get them filled when they run out.once in a while one will get mixed up in with the other kind.

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Wes W.
Their phone number: 903-897-5687
Their relationship to the company: Owner

Rebuttal:
Blue Rhino does install a "variation" of the new OPD valve that can only be filled by a Blue Rhino representative using some sort of special adapter. The adapter is a magnetic device that 'unlocks' the valve to allow propane to flow into the cylinder. The valve contains a small, spring seated steel ball that moves when the magnetic device is applied against the side of the valve, and thus opens the valve for filling. Not all cylinders that are stocked at the Blue Rhino exchange cages have this new variation of the OPD valve, but they are being changed out when the cylinder is taken back to be filled. Some independent propane distributors have figured out how to fill these cylinders, however.

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Wilson

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
To report that the Propane cylinders can only be filled by Blue Rhino is not true. It only takes a new typpe of adaptor to fill these containers. However, the OPD (overfill Protection Device) is suppose to stop the cylinder from being overfilled. Even at that, the cylinder should be weighed on a scale prior to filling, check the amount of product to be put in the container. add that weight to the TARE weight(which is stamped on the cylinder) and fill it to the combined weight. This is the correct way in general how the Propane cylinders chould be filled. Make sure the cylinder is within the correct cylinder
test date. (which is stamped on the Cylinder)

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: Ben Juker

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
As of April 1, 2002, all LP tanks require a 'Overfill Protection Device' (OPD) that prevents overfills. Even if you have a tank that is within the ten year period stamped on the collar, if it doesn't have an OPD, it can't be refilled after April 1. (In the U. S.) With regard to Blue Rhino, some companies try to make their products 'exclusive' by offering special features that only they can service. This works for a while, but it usually doesn't take long for their competition to obtain the 'special tools' required to provide the same service- only cheaper. I avoid products that restrict my options for future service.

They filed the following to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: [email protected]
Their name: john smih

Their relationship to the company: Supporter

Rebuttal:
one of the biggest problems with lp gas cylinders is when you have them filled by just anyone they are to often overfilled. this is very dangerous. and they often don't check the cylinder for leaks or to see if they are in date.