Do Propane Tanks On RVs Need To Be Recertified After A Certain Amount Of Time?

by Ron C
(NY)

Do propane tanks on motor homes need to be certified after a certain time period?

ANSWER: Greetings Ron thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

Yes the propane tanks installed on RVs in the US do require recertification. According to Federal Law DOT Propane Tanks (the type used on RVs) must be recertified after being used for 12 years after the date the tank was manufactured. All DOT tanks are stamped with the date they were manufactured.

In fact it is against the law for sellers of Propane to fill a DOT propane tank that is 12 years or older that has not been re-certified. The propane tank must be recertified by a facility that is certified to do DOT Tank recertification. Some large Propane suppliers and some RV repair facilities are certified to do the DOT Tank recertification.

When the DOT Tank is inspected and passes it is recertified for 5 years and must be re-inspected and recertified every 5 years thereafter. Every time it is recertified a new re-certification label is affixed to the DOT Propane Tank.

Important Note Just because your RV's DOT propane tank only needs to be inspected and re-certified after 12 years of use after the manufacture date does not mean you should not inspect your RV's propane system for 12 years.

In fact at least once a year you should have your RV's whole propane system inspected for leaks and proper propane pressure. The leak check can be done by a do-it-yourselfer using a spray bottle full of soapy water. Unfortunately checking the system for proper pressure requires special equipment and is best to have done by a Certified RV Technician. Take a look at the video below to see what needs to be done during the annual propane system inspection.

Hopefully the above information has been helpful to you.

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Happy RVing

RVing Al

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