I have several of the small 1 pound propane tanks that are a few years old. I am wondering how long they can be kept. They have been stored in a climate-controlled area (no exposure to weather or temperature extremes).

Weigh them and you'll know if they are full and sealed or slowly leaking the propane away.

My experiences with the small bottle has been as Nighthiker has already stated.

The one thing to watch out for is rust, especially on the threads.

I have a few with some rust. Should I get rid of those? If so, where would I get rid of them?

I agree, 5-7 years at minimum, as long as they are stored correctly. I've seen the smaller propane cylinders (for plumbing torches) that were older than that, and they worked. The propane doesn't break down; it's just a matter of micro leaks in the valve over time.

I think the bottom line is: if you shake them and can feel liquid propane sloshing around, they're okay to use.

Rust, as has been mentioned, is a problem. If it's only on the threads, you can wire brush it off. It's critical that the top rim be smooth and flat, since that mates with the rubber seals on the appliance. It's also important that there be a minimum of crud on the inside of the rim, where the "nose" of the appliance pushes down and opens the valve.

I've resurrected a couple of old cylinders with wire brush, light oil and fine emery cloth. (Tightwad!) They worked fine, though I checked very carefully for serious corrosion to the cylinder walls and for leaks once mated to the appliance.

If I was storing for the long term, I would probably use a rag with light oil and lightly wipe the exposed surfaces. And I would keep the caps on. You could even wrap the entire top with electrical tape to discourage entry of damp air.

Welcome to the list Judy.

If it's propane, unless your tanks are rusting out from under it, it's fine. If it's in a climate controlled area, dry, and you don't crack the seals, it will be as "propany" five years from now as it was yesterday. Like fruit cake, so long as it is kept in a sealed container it won't disappear, and unlike fruit cake, it never gets stale.

For reference, I've seen unopened colman cylinders that have been in storage for ten years work fine. And while they were stored out of the rain and snow, they weren't stored anyplace heated. But I wouldn't make a habit of it.

They are, duh, hazmat. You'd want to talk to your local waste management folks.

Where is your rust? If it is on the body, scrub with a wire brush, gently. If it is on the threads... Yeah, dont' smoke around it.

Why the dismissive & disparaging tone to your reply ironraven? Weren't we all taught as children that, there are no such things as stupid questions? And just to clarify things, I do know that these tanks are hazardous, that’s why I asked about proper disposal. Also I don't smoke but if I did, I wouldn't do a fool thing like smoke around them. And lastly you asked where the rust is, it's on the threads. But don't bother with any replies; I got all the information that I was seeking from the other far more constructive posts on this thread..

It should be pretty obvious, so I figured I'd point it out since from the way you were asking you seemed to have not picked up on that. The "don't smoke around them" is me being a little sarcastic, and if you've been around here as long as you have you'll know that many of us are rather sarcastic.

But if you want to be whiny, that's fine with me.

....I see your internet muscles are firmly in place...I wonder if you'd act like such a wiseguy in person?

Thanks everyone for your quick and helpful replies! My tanks are in that 5-7 year range so I'll be checking them pretty closely before using.