Commercial Propane: Should You Refill, Exchange, or Sign a Delivery Contract?

If you run a warehouse, a small manufacturing shop, a food operation, or a couple of forklifts, you have three ways to keep propane on hand: refill your own cylinders, swap them at an exchange cage, or sign a bulk delivery contract. For most small commercial operations around Duncan, Greer, Spartanburg and Greenville, refilling wins on both price and hassle — and you can do it at Ridge & Co. with no account and no minimum.

Here's how the three options actually compare.

The three ways to buy commercial propane

Refill. You bring your cylinders in and pay by the gallon for exactly what goes in the tank. A standard 33-lb forklift cylinder holds about 7.9 gallons — roughly a full 8-hour shift of run time.

Exchange. You drop an empty in a cage and grab a "full" one. Convenient, but you pay a premium and you rarely get a full tank.

Delivery contract. A bulk supplier runs a route and bills you on an account. Built for high-volume users — and usually written with minimums a small shop can't hit.

Refill vs. exchange: read the fine print

Exchange looks easy, but the tanks are short-filled. A standard 20-lb cylinder holds 20 pounds of propane — but most exchange cages put in only about 15, roughly three-quarters of capacity. You pay for a full tank and drive off with most of one.

Run the per-pound numbers and refilling usually gives you 30–50% more propane for the same or less money. Measured per pound, exchange can cost 40–70% more. For a business topping off cylinders every week, that gap adds up fast.

Exchange earns its keep in exactly one situation: your cylinder is damaged or past its recertification date and you want a compliant tank without paying the recert fee. Otherwise, refill.

Refill vs. a delivery contract: it comes down to volume

Bulk delivery makes sense once you're burning enough propane to justify a tank on-site and a standing route. Below that line, a contract just means minimums, fees, and scheduling you don't need.

A good rule of thumb: if you're running somewhere between two and eight forklift cylinders a month, you're almost certainly better off refilling on demand than locking into a contract. You pay for what you use, you're not tied to a delivery window, and there's no account to babysit.

The quick decision guide

• A few cylinders a month, tanks in good shape: Refill. Cheapest per gallon, zero commitment.
• Damaged or out-of-cert cylinder: Exchange once to reset to a compliant tank, then go back to refilling.
• High volume, on-site storage justified: Look at a bulk delivery contract.

Where to refill commercial propane in the Upstate

Ridge & Co. refills commercial forklift cylinders — plus grill and RV tanks — on demand in Duncan, SC. No contract, no minimum, no account setup. Most stops take just a few minutes, and you can grab building materials on the same trip.

We're at 620 Duncan Reidville Rd, minutes from I-85 and Hwy 29, serving Duncan, Greer, Spartanburg, Greenville and the greater Upstate. Call ahead — especially if you're bringing several cylinders at once — and we'll have you filled fast. Regular customers often set up a standing schedule so tanks are ready when they arrive.

For the nuts and bolts of a local refill, see our guide on where to refill forklift propane tanks in the Upstate. You'll find every tank type we fill, plus current hours, on our Propane page.

Common questions

Need a commercial propane refill? Call (864) 334-5715 or request a quote.