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propane tank

2K views 18 replies 11 participants last post by  aa3jy 
#1 ·
I filled my tank last weekend and put it back in the aft lazarette. I got a call from the Marina telling me that due to a stong gas odor they went on the boat and found the relief valve on the tank lifted and did not reseat.
Lesson learned. When you fill a propane tank don't put it back in its locker if weather is expected to turn much warmer. It could go boom!
 
#2 ·
..but better to lift and not reset than not lift at all! (as long as it's not 'below', of course)

But it's hard to believe it was hot enough already to cause that kind of pressure (it should be unrelated to the level in the tank - temperature dependant - unless, perhaps, it was overfilled) The relief was probably faulty, I'm thinking...
 
#5 ·
Since the new OPD valves, some stations slap on the fill hose and run until the pop-off hits..never weighing the tank/load. I lost a whole 30# tankful due to that issue. The pop-off valve *almost* reset and it slowly leaked out over a week or less. Stank the garage up sumpin' fierce! ;) Worse yet; it *may* have ruined a brand new tank/valve. Gonna cost me near the cost opf the tank ta get it checked/fixed! :grrr:
 
#10 ·
I recently worked part-time at a gas station that filled propane tanks and had the exchange tanks. One day a regular customer came in and said the tank he received on exchange didn't feel full, I brought it over to the filling station and ended up putting almost a full gallon in. I decided to call the propane company and ask and they said "Oh yeah, instead of raising the price we started putting less gas in the tanks". I guess it would have been nice to have known that from the beginning.

As far as the OP goes, my guess is the person who filled it either didn't open the release valve. There's a lot of pressure in those things if you don't fill them correctly.
 
#13 ·
Most municipalities have a day/place to bring hazmat for disposal.

Is the tank still partially full? I would find a safe place to purge it, before putting it in my car. To do so, you may have to screw a hose that you've removed from your grill. Most have a safety that won't allow you to turn the valve on, unless attached. Ironic, isn't it.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Several have told me that as long as any tank is less than 7 years old they wil give you an exchange tank for it. You can keep them updated that way and get them refilled until you have to swap. The last exchange tank I got looked brand new. You can still get them filled anywhere, just exchange them before they get over 7 years old.
 
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