Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Propane Tanks in the Garage  (Read 4339 times)

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #30 on: April 08, 2015, 08:38:35 pm »
And never exchange a tank for one that has brass fittings that have turned blue.  8)
Pretty rare these days with cheap import so readily available and ingredients not so much.

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #31 on: April 08, 2015, 08:45:10 pm »
And never exchange a tank for one that has brass fittings that have turned blue.  8)
Pretty rare these days with cheap import so readily available and ingredients not so much.
Still burns my ass when I have to wait for a pharmacy to open, provide a photo ID and letter from my third grade teacher to get 10 pills that relieve allergies.   Oh, your wife has allergies too and you'd like to get a second box?  Tough!  We've got "crime" to fight!
Let's inconvenience everyone to prevent a small percentage of the population from doing something that, in reality, provides its own punishment anyway. 

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #32 on: April 08, 2015, 08:58:54 pm »
I stand right next to him and watch the scale.
The scale is in a little dark shed, I should memorize the tank tare and see where it is set.

Edit - I have a respect for gas and gas over liquid tanks under pressure. I worked in a setting where even though I did not use much of what was in our lab, we had to watch the safety training films. Safety rules are there for a reason. Stuff happens, the results can be bad news. It doesn't happen all the time, but the results can be very bad.

So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?

I will shut up now.
« Last Edit: April 08, 2015, 09:19:16 pm by hopfenundmalz »
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #33 on: April 08, 2015, 09:53:13 pm »
Me. But I've seen the boot camp VD films too, so...

Offline Stevie

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6858
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #34 on: April 09, 2015, 12:02:09 am »
Opd valves are designed to stop flow into the tank. Drastic overfill is rare

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4880
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #35 on: April 09, 2015, 05:39:16 am »
I stand right next to him and watch the scale.
The scale is in a little dark shed, I should memorize the tank tare and see where it is set.

Edit - I have a respect for gas and gas over liquid tanks under pressure. I worked in a setting where even though I did not use much of what was in our lab, we had to watch the safety training films. Safety rules are there for a reason. Stuff happens, the results can be bad news. It doesn't happen all the time, but the results can be very bad.

So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?

I will shut up now.

Son of a firefighter here.  Seen pretty much all of it on safety.  I am willing to bet that more houses burn down from Christmas trees each year than propane leak fires (of course most propane fires are caused by ignition from the operating device, rather than the tank leaking when disconnected).  I agree that we should be safe, just that storage of a propane tank and lawnmower gas, chainsaw gas and weed whacker gas in my gararage away from combustion sources is a reasonably safe practice IMHO.  And as always, reasonable minds may differ and I am okay with that.
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline klickitat jim

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 8604
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #36 on: April 09, 2015, 05:55:02 am »
My favorite new expletive.  Son of a fire fighter! Shut the front door is now second place.

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #37 on: April 09, 2015, 08:19:52 am »
My favorite new expletive.  Son of a fire fighter! Shut the front door is now second place.

I'm still loving; Back the truck up.
Good call though, Jim! :)
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline toby

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1021
  • Galvez, LA
    • Beer Judge Chronicles
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #38 on: April 09, 2015, 08:32:29 am »
So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?
Considering my dad was a fire chief in the local VFD and I used to work for the fire district on summer break, I've probably seen my fair share of safety videos and real world results.  I don't ever recall a fire resulting from a propane tank ignition and we live in the land of crawfish boils, so they're everywhere.  Not saying it's not possible, just that on the relative risk scale, it's not extremely high considering my storage location.  I consider my natural gas water heater a bigger risk and it's inside my house.

Offline Pinski

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1943
  • Portland, Oregon
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #39 on: April 09, 2015, 10:23:48 am »
So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?
Considering my dad was a fire chief in the local VFD and I used to work for the fire district on summer break, I've probably seen my fair share of safety videos and real world results.  I don't ever recall a fire resulting from a propane tank ignition and we live in the land of crawfish boils, so they're everywhere.  Not saying it's not possible, just that on the relative risk scale, it's not extremely high considering my storage location.  I consider my natural gas water heater a bigger risk and it's inside my house.

We have a natural gas furnace & water heater in the garage. Those are the source of my decision to not store tanks in the garage.  I've always assumed that they're a potential ignition point if I had a leaky propane tank in the garage. Have no idea how valid that assumption is but, what the hell, safety third.
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
Clubs: Oregon Brew Crew & Strange Brew
BJCP Certified

Offline ynotbrusum

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4880
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #40 on: April 09, 2015, 12:14:03 pm »
So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?
Considering my dad was a fire chief in the local VFD and I used to work for the fire district on summer break, I've probably seen my fair share of safety videos and real world results.  I don't ever recall a fire resulting from a propane tank ignition and we live in the land of crawfish boils, so they're everywhere.  Not saying it's not possible, just that on the relative risk scale, it's not extremely high considering my storage location.  I consider my natural gas water heater a bigger risk and it's inside my house.

We have a natural gas furnace & water heater in the garage. Those are the source of my decision to not store tanks in the garage.  I've always assumed that they're a potential ignition point if I had a leaky propane tank in the garage. Have no idea how valid that assumption is but, what the hell, safety third.

I agree with you in that instance, as well.  I would not store any fuel source in my garage with an NG furnace or water heater in there, probably including my car, if there are pilot lights on them!
Hodge Garage Brewing: "Brew with a glad heart!"

Offline Slowbrew

  • I spend way too much time on the AHA forum
  • ********
  • Posts: 2857
  • The Slowly Losing IT Brewery in Urbandale, IA
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #41 on: April 09, 2015, 03:07:25 pm »
I stand right next to him and watch the scale.
The scale is in a little dark shed, I should memorize the tank tare and see where it is set.

Edit - I have a respect for gas and gas over liquid tanks under pressure. I worked in a setting where even though I did not use much of what was in our lab, we had to watch the safety training films. Safety rules are there for a reason. Stuff happens, the results can be bad news. It doesn't happen all the time, but the results can be very bad.

So how many of you have been through the safety training and videos and still store your tanks inside?

I will shut up now.

Son of a firefighter here.  Seen pretty much all of it on safety.  I am willing to bet that more houses burn down from Christmas trees each year than propane leak fires (of course most propane fires are caused by ignition from the operating device, rather than the tank leaking when disconnected).  I agree that we should be safe, just that storage of a propane tank and lawnmower gas, chainsaw gas and weed whacker gas in my gararage away from combustion sources is a reasonably safe practice IMHO.  And as always, reasonable minds may differ and I am okay with that.

Especially if yo have a live tree with LP powered twinkling lights.   ;D

In all seriousness, I do worry about our Christmas trees.  We go out each, stalk, corner and then kill our own tree each year (kids took a picture one year while I cutting one down and labeled in online "The year we lost Dad.  Christmas was never the same").  They are beautiful and make the hose smell awesome but they would make good kindling by the end of the season.

I've never spent too much time worried about my tanks leaking enough to cause a fire.  Guess I've lived a charmed life. 

Paul
Where the heck are we going?  And what's with this hand basket?

Offline hopfenundmalz

  • Global Moderator
  • I must live here
  • *****
  • Posts: 10678
  • Milford, MI
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #42 on: April 09, 2015, 06:49:09 pm »
I said I was done...

I always err on the side of caution. More now that I am older and maybe wiser.

If you are older you used electrical tols and appliances before there were GFI circuits. I did and am still a here. Today everything powered in my home brewery is on a GFI circuit. It might not be needed until it suddenly is, then it will save my old butt.



Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Crunchy of the roll

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 1
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #43 on: April 11, 2015, 04:26:12 am »
I used to work at a propane supplier. The rules state; any propane cylinder containing more than 100 gallons of liquid propane must be 10ft away from source of ignition. I never understood why it did not include...... all cylinders. Just saying.
But storage wise; propane cylinders must be stored, transported, and used in a well ventilated space. The relief valve must always be in contact with the open air space.
Now with that said the plant i worked at had a shed in the way back, called the pump out shed. Inside sed pumpout shed their was ventilation fans that were supposed to be on 24/7 365. But they were broken. Also inside the shed was always 50 to 100 full or mostly full 100 gallon tanks (420lb cylinders). Now if untrust worthy electrical wiring isn't enough to make you think, the tank we pumped into was directly next to the shed. The hoses for the pumpouts occasionally would leak. Also the pump for the pump outs would leak from the head gasket (our mouth breather maintenance guy claimed to have fixed it 100 times). The electrics in the pump room had a lot to be desired. Now directly next to the pump shed and directly across from the pumpout shed was the bulk tanks. The bulk tanks held over 30,000 gallons of propane each and there was two of them. I hoped every morning that place would go up over night.
Anyways, the best way to store your protane tanks is to have a dedicated plastic shed outside away from dwellings. They don't readily explode without modification. But the relief valve can pop and cause a glorious fire ball that would make dinner near impossible to enjoy.

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Propane Tanks in the Garage
« Reply #44 on: April 11, 2015, 09:15:23 pm »
This is why you shouldn't store propane inside: in case one of your friends owns a cannon. 
https://youtu.be/DEMC0_XSU6w
« Last Edit: April 11, 2015, 09:23:01 pm by JT »