Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
In the summer of 2021, the NIST Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) partnered with the National Conference on Weights and Measures (NCWM) and States to develop a national survey on 20 lb cylinders of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or propane.
The goal of the national marketplace survey was to:
- collect data from the 2022 marketplace comparing the actual tare weight of a cylinder to the stamped tare weight (Phase 1);
- evaluate the methods of sale and fill procedures used at Direct Sale Refilling locations (Phase 2);
- and determine net content compliance at exchange locations, as well as capture how much product remains in a cylinder after consumers perform a return or exchange (Phase 3; see Figure 1).
Since the survey’s launch, over 20,000 LPG (propane) 20 lb cylinders have been tested to capture data for Phase 1 and 3, and over 1500 direct sale refilling locations visited to document the method of sale and to observe the fill procedures for Phase 2. The data collection phase is now complete.
Nineteen (19) states participated (Figure 2) in the collection of data that occurred in the 3 phases from February 2022 – April 2022. Special thanks to all the Weights and Measures personnel in these States that participated in, contributed data to, and provided invaluable feedback to the survey. Without their diligence to the details and dedication to their professions, this survey would not be possible.
What’s next?
Data analysis for Phase 1 (comparing the actual tare weight of a cylinder to the stamped tare weight), Phase 2 (evaluating the methods of sale and fill procedures used at Direct Sale Refilling locations) and Phase 3 (determining net content compliance at exchange locations, as well as determining how much product remains in a cylinder after consumers performs a return or exchange) are underway.
NIST OWM is drafting a NIST Special Publication together with NCWM and select State weight and measures officials who played a key role in the development, training, and implementation of the survey. The report is targeted for release by the end of September 2022.
If you would like additional information or have any questions, please contact David Sefcik at david.sefcik [at] nist.gov (david[dot]sefcik[at]nist[dot]gov).