Frequently Asked Questions
Ready Propane provides bulk propane delivery to residential, commercial, and agricultural customers across mid-Vancouver Island. Find answers below regarding our delivery territory, equipment requirements, recertification services, and local retail filling options.
Propane Delivery & Coverage
We deliver bulk propane throughout the mid-Vancouver Island region. Our delivery route covers south to the Ladysmith border and Cassidy, north to the Oyster River boundary, and west along the Highway 4 corridor to Port Alberni and Sproat Lake.
Please note that our trucks do not ferry to any of the Gulf Islands, nor do we deliver down the Alberni Inlet.
No. Ready Propane is strictly an on-site bulk delivery service. Our Parksville yard is not licensed or equipped as a walk-up retail dispenser. We deliver directly to your property or job site. On-site delivery is available for customers with 100 lb cylinders, commercial accounts, or businesses with 4 or more forklift cylinders.
Our minimum delivery requirement is one empty 100 lb cylinder or 4 empty forklift cylinders. Small-volume deliveries incur a higher fuel rate per litre than standard bulk fuel orders and a higher delivery charge.
Small Bottle Filling, On-board Propane Tanks, and Accessories.
Because Ready Propane provides bulk delivery only, portable BBQ tanks (20 lb and 30 lb) can be filled at local retail station dispensers:
- Parksville: Mid Island Co-op Gas Bar (1401 Alberni Hwy & Church Rd)
- Parksville: Petro-Canada (431 Island Hwy East)
- Parksville: Gas N Go (650 Island Hwy East)
- Parksville: Log Cabin General Store (961 Island Hwy East, near Rathtrevor Beach)
- Qualicum Beach: Qualicum Station Super Save (3377 Island Hwy West)
- Qualicum Beach / Horne Lake: Kwalikum Crossing Petro-Canada (700 Horne Lake Rd)
- Errington: Gas N Go (1544 Grafton Ave)
No. Ready Propane does not fill onboard motorhome or vehicle fuel tanks. Due to the low volume and tank inspection requirements, most propane delivery companies do not fill onboard belly tanks. Local service stations serving propane are there for this purpose.
Vehicle and RV tanks can be filled at the following regional stations:
- Courtenay: Shell (581 Ryan Rd) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Cumberland: Gas N Go (4690 Cumberland Rd) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Fanny Bay: Canco Gas (8256 Island Hwy S) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Fanny Bay: Bay Gas N Go (6856 Island Hwy S) – Cylinder exchange only
- Qualicum Beach: Qualicum Station Super Save (3377 Island Hwy W) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Qualicum Beach / Horne Lake: Kwalikum Crossing Petro-Canada (700 Horne Lake Rd) – Small cylinders only
- Parksville: Mid Island Co-op (1401 Alberni Hwy) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Parksville: Petro-Canada (431 Island Hwy E) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Parksville: Gas N Go (650 Island Hwy E) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Parksville: Log Cabin General Store (961 Island Hwy E) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Nanaimo: Mid Island Co-op Woodgrove (6673 Mary Ellen Dr) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Nanaimo: Mid Island Co-op Bowen (2517 Bowen Rd) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Nanaimo: Mid Island Co-op Harwood (877 Bruce Ave) – Vehicles & small cylinders
- Ladysmith / Nanaimo: Millway Market (1594 McMillan Rd) – Vehicles & small cylinders
No. We do not stock retail BBQ parts, attachments, or gas fittings. For parts and accessories, contact local retailers such as Canadian Tire, Pioneer Fireplace (Parksville: 250-954-0331 | Nanaimo: 250-753-2353), or Traveland RV Canada (250-468-1500). If you know what you need, Amazon.ca also has a wide variety of parts on-line.
Tank Purchases & Equipment Recertification
We do not service or sell portable 20 lb or 30 lb cylinders. These can be purchased at home improvement and hardware stores like Rona, Home Depot, Lowe’s, or Canadian Tire. (We do sell, lease, and deliver larger residential and commercial bulk storage tanks as part of our delivery service).
No. All tanks and cylinders sold by Ready Propane are delivered and initially filled by our team. Delivering equipment ourselves ensures that new, vacuum-purged tanks are filled correctly, and allows our drivers to test the liquid level gauge and valves before placing equipment into service.
Under Transport Canada regulations, propane cylinders are certified for 10 years from their date of manufacture before requiring requalification. Refer to the Canadian Propane Association Cylinder Guide for details on reading cylinder date markings.
Recertification options depend on your tank size and installation type:
- 20 lb & 30 lb Cylinders: Jones Coatings in Errington (250-756-0826) or Viper Fuels in Chemainus (250-246-1838).
- Large ASME Horizontal Tanks (500 / 1000 USWG over 25 years old): We offer free ASME tank inspections prior to involving one of our industry partners. Rusty’s Gas Service (250-709-9288) or McFarland Mobile Recertification Services (250-927-1708).
- RV Onboard Systems: Arbutus RV (250-248-3602) or Galaxy RV (250-947-9314).
Ready Propane is fully certified to repair and requialifiy Forkilt Cylinders. For forklift mechanical repairs, fuel line servicing, and engine components, contact regional specialists: B&D Lift Truck (250-475-0155 | bdlifttruck.ca) or Black Diamond Mechanical (250-248-5426 | blackdiamondmechanical.ca).
No, Ready Propane does not accept tanks of any size for disposal or scrap recycling. You can recycle empty tanks at local facilities:
- Church Road Transfer Station (860 Church Rd, Parksville): Accepts 20 lb and 30 lb cylinders only.
- Mid Island Co-op (Alberni Hwy & Church Rd, Parksville): Accepts tanks up to and including 100 lb capacity.
Installation, Code & Technical Guidance
Required clearances depend on total tank volume and proximity to building openings, property lines, and potential ignition sources. Please consult our official Tank Sizing & Placement Guide for detailed distance diagrams and provincial code requirements.
To comply with provincial gas safety codes, underground gas lines must be buried at a minimum depth of 18 inches.
You may paint tanks that you own personally, provided you use a light, heat-reflective color (white or light grey) so the tank does not absorb solar heat and over-pressurize. Do not paint Ready Propane rental tanks. Custom paint applied to leased equipment creates significant issues during maintenance and re-coating at our facility.
Appliance Performance & Troubleshooting
No, the propane itself is not dirty. All liquid propane contains trace impurities inherent to refining, which naturally settle at the bottom of a storage container. Soot buildup on fireplace glass is caused by an improper fuel-to-air mixture inside the burner assembly.
Propane fireplaces are engineered to burn with a yellow/orange flame for aesthetic warmth, which produces minor unburned carbon (soot) if airflow is restricted. By contrast, a gas cooktop supplied by the exact same tank burns with a bright blue flame because its air-to-fuel mixture is set for total combustion and maximum heat output.
Cold-weather flow issues are typically linked to regulator condition, orientation, or system capacity:
- Regulator Age & Condition: Check your exterior regulator. An old or worn regulator can restrict gas flow when ambient temperatures drop and internal tank pressure decreases.
- Regulator Orientation: Regulators installed horizontally or below the tank shoulder trap condensation that freezes inside lines. Regulators must be mounted vertically on an adjacent wall or post so moisture can vent or drain properly.
- Undersized System: If your regulator or tank is covered in a thick layer of frost or ice, high fuel demand is causing liquid propane to vaporize too rapidly. This indicates that your tank volume or regulator capacity is too small for your total appliance load.
Have a Question We Haven’t Covered?
If you need details about setting up a new bulk delivery account, scheduling a tank installation, or checking service to your specific property, our Parksville team is here to help. Reach out to speak directly with our local staff—no call centers or automated routing.
