Whenever you decide to fire up your gas grill, start by checking the integrity of its propane tank to be certain that your equipment is still safe to use.

While most tanks have a lifespan of 12 years, some may have a shorter lifespan if they’ve gone through a requalification process.

All propane tanks have an expiration date stamped or engraved on their metal collar that tells you when it's time to stop using them and find a new one.

The upper row usually lists the manufacturer of the tank and its service pressure

while the middle row includes the serial number for the unit and the original manufacturing date.

The manufacturing date appears in a month-year format, such as "07 20" for July 2020. You can use it to figure out when the tank will reach the end of its initial 12-year lifespan.

If your tank is past the expiration date, propane companies won't fill it until it goes through recertification — after which your tank will receive a new expiration date.