Safety standard causes run on propane tanks for barbecues
That's because some retail outlets are having trouble meeting consumer demand for propane tanks that meet a new safety standard: an "overfilling prevention device" (OPD) that shuts off the flow of gas after 80 percent capacity has been reached.
With the peak barbecue season upon us, some stores are in a race to keep OPD-equipped cylinders in stock. Costco Wholesale, for example, reports it has periodically run out in recent weeks at many of the 43 stores in its five-state Northwest region.
A new shipment of 60 to 120 units arrived at most stores Saturday, "and it looks like a third of our stores still have inventory left," Gary Ojendyk, general-merchandise manager, said yesterday. "Everything we can get our hands on we're selling very quickly because of the shortage, and I guess it's an industrywide shortage, so it's affecting all retailers," he said.
Spokesmen for Lowe's and the Home Depot said they had generally been able to keep pace with demand. The devices sell for $20 to $25, local retailers said.
About 50 million households use propane-powered grills, according to industry estimates. Nearly three out of four consumers buy their own tanks and have them refilled at gas stations or other outlets rather than exchange empties for filled ones. Exchanges generally cost less than $20.
This year, partly because of liability concerns, some refill stations are turning away non-OPD tanks, according to Bruce Swiecicki, vice president of technical services for the National Propane Gas Association, an Illinois-based trade group.
Also, in some instances, tanks retrofitted with OPD valves by propane-tank suppliers such as Blue Rhino and AmeriGas PPX Plus are not arriving at the exchange stations fast enough to meet consumer demand, according to suppliers and retailers.
All cylinders made after Sept. 30, 1998, are equipped with the upgrade, but there are about 15 million tanks in circulation without OPD valves. The old valves are round or star-shape; the new ones are triangle-shape and marked "OPD" on the side.
The change was driven largely by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission because of an increasing number of accidents resulting from overfilled propane cylinders, Swiecicki noted. He also cited a class-action case in California that alleged product liability.
The regulatory and liability background on the OPD valves is confusing. The National Fire Protection Association, a nonprofit group, upgraded codes to include the OPD valve for propane tanks. It went into effect in many states April 1.
But Washington is among 24 states that have not adopted the new code. That means there is no enforcement by the state fire marshal.
On the other hand, Anjela Foster, chief deputy state fire marshal, noted that there are 454 fire departments and districts in the state, plus 39 county fire marshals, and each is free to adopt more-restrictive standards.
"It's possible they could, though I'm not aware of any of them that have (mandated the OPD valve)," she said.
Foster said she was unaware of any accidents in this state tied to the old tanks.
"It's been very confusing since that standard went out (on April 1)," she added. "We've been getting calls every day."
The confusion is not limited to the public. Bill Crayton, Northwest divisional sales manager for Home Depot stores, believed it was mandatory to use OPD-equipped tanks in Washington. "I just assumed that they were (required)," he said.
But even if a state hasn't adopted the new code, some industries and retail refillers may require OPD-equipped tanks. That's because of liability concerns raised by their attorneys or pressure from their insurers, said Swiecicki, of the trade group.
So it comes as no surprise to him there's strong demand for the OPD tanks.
"The manufacturers of the OPD valves are running 24/7 to keep up with demand," Swiecicki said.
Peter Lewis: 206-464-2217 or plewis@seattletimes.com.