LP Tank recall
One manufacturer, the Lite Cylinder Company, had a handful of failures. Ultimately DOT did shut them down for violation of manufacturing guidelines and plant practices. The tanks were recalled (if you have one that has this manufacturer's name you should remove it from service and take it to a propane re-filler for disposal), there is no recourse for replacement since Lite filed for bankruptcy.
I've written about this episode a number of times and thus am familiar with the details. No other FRP LP tanks are affected. The other major small size FRP tank manufacturer, Regasco (they changed their name to Viking a few years ago), has had no major issues or failures, and has full DOT and TC approval, these tanks can/should be refilled by any propane refilling station without concern.
From Regasco's website...
Viking Cylinders is the new North American brand for Hexagon Ragasco’s composite LPG cylinder, a product that has been in production since 2000. With more than 10 million cylinders sold around the world...Viking Cylinders previously sold in North America under the Ragasco name.
It's become more common to see these being supplied with new boats, they are lighter than metallic tanks, don't corrode, don't scratch surfaces, and the liquid within can be seen, for the most part, to check the level. Contrary to popular belief they are actually less likely to explode in a fire as they will not BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion) like metallic tanks, instead as the resin burns away gas slowly passes through the fiberglass fabric and burns off in a controlled manner. They have a 5 year requalification period, and, perhaps the only downside of these tanks, they have a 15 year service life.
The FRP tanks are slightly taller than equivalent metallic tanks, and as such they are not always retrofittable, however, some new boat builders seem to be aware of this and are making lockers (some ABYC compliant, others not so) large enough to accept them.
