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Buying Propane for Your Barbecue

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Buying Propane for Your Barbecue, in PDF format, 268 KB

How Is It Sold?
January 2000 and the "Fill" Method
To Receive Accurate Measure
Safety First
For More Information

How Is It Sold?

In Canada, several methods of sale have been used for the filling of propane cylinders. The following four methods of sale were deemed to be acceptable in the past:

• Propane sold by volume, on the basis of the quantity delivered.

• Propane sold by weight, on the basis of the quantity delivered.

• Cylinder exchange programs, where an empty cylinder is exchanged for a cylinder that has been filled and marked with a net weight prior to being offered for sale.

• Propane sold at a fixed price for filling a cylinder to 42% of its marked water capacity (WC), commonly referred to as the "fill" method. For many years, this was the most common method of sale. Using this method, you paid a flat fee on the premise that your cylinder would be filled to 42% of its marked water capacity, regardless of whether the cylinder contained any residual propane or not. A typical example of this was the "20 pound fill" for "X" dollars.

• the scale to be located so that you can clearly view the measurement process and results;

• the scale to bear a Weights and Measures verification mark, indicating that it has been inspected;

• the attendant to weigh your cylinder and any residual propane (empty weight), without the delivery hose attached;

• the attendant to connect the delivery hose and fill the cylinder while it sits on the scale;

• either the attendant or the OPD, if so equipped, to stop the filling process when the quantity of propane in the cylinder has reached the maximum safe fill level;

• the attendant to remove the delivery hose and reweigh your cylinder (filled weight);

• to be informed of the amount of propane that has been delivered into your cylinder (filled weight minus empty weight);

• if you are not present during the measurement process, to be provided with a written or printed statement of the quantity of propane delivered.