I need to Cheat this year!

[SolarAndWood]

It should be interesting to see how much propane it takes to keep the house at 45.

It will seem like a lot when you are hauling those 50 pounders to get refilled. Just remember when you buy them that you have to transport them vertical, it is the law here anyway. I use regular grill tanks because they fit in the trunk of the car.

 

[Rockey]

I bought a 100# tank today. When I saw how tall it was I couldn't think of a way to transport it in the bed of my truck vertically. I asked the place I bought it from if it wold be OK if I transported it laying down and the Guy said sure. After I hooked it up and made sure it worked I covered it up so the neighbors wouldn't mind. My wife called me a few minutes ago and said a fireman/friend of the family said it wasn't a good idea and not to be surprised if we got a call while we were out of town saying our house had burnt down. Now my wife is concerned. I don't see any significant difference between what I have done and someone with an above ground tank?? How is this more of a hazard.

 

[Dune]

It should be interesting to see how much propane it takes to keep the house at 45.

It will seem like a lot when you are hauling those 50 pounders to get refilled. Just remember when you buy them that you have to transport them vertical, it is the law here anyway. I use regular grill tanks because they fit in the trunk of the car.

No you don't!

 

[SolarAndWood]

It should be interesting to see how much propane it takes to keep the house at 45.

It will seem like a lot when you are hauling those 50 pounders to get refilled. Just remember when you buy them that you have to transport them vertical, it is the law here anyway. I use regular grill tanks because they fit in the trunk of the car.

No you don't!

You are correct. NYS law limits it to 100 pounds. My propane suppliers will not sell to anyone that isn't transporting securely and vertically. Compliments of the NY propane association:

HOW SHOULD I TRANSPORT SMALL CYLINDERS?

*

ALWAYS transport and store a cylinder in a secure and upright position so it will not fall, shift, or roll.
*

ALWAYS close the cylinder valve and, if required, seal with a plug, even if the cylinder is empty. Ask your propane retailer if a plug is required.
*

NEVER keep a filled cylinder inside a hot vehicle or transport it inside a closed trunk.
*

ALWAYS place the cylinder in a well-ventilated area of the vehicle.
*

ALWAYS proceed directly to your destination and immediately remove the cylinder from your vehicle.
*

The law places limits on the number of cylinders and the amount of propane that can be transported in closed-bodied vehicles such as passenger cars and vans. Ask your propane retailer for more information on state and local codes that apply to you.

 

[cncpro]

I bought a 100# tank today. When I saw how tall it was I couldn't think of a way to transport it in the bed of my truck vertically. I asked the place I bought it from if it wold be OK if I transported it laying down and the Guy said sure. After I hooked it up and made sure it worked I covered it up so the neighbors wouldn't mind. My wife called me a few minutes ago and said a fireman/friend of the family said it wasn't a good idea and not to be surprised if we got a call while we were out of town saying our house had burnt down. Now my wife is concerned. I don't see any significant difference between what I have done and someone with an above ground tank?? How is this more of a hazard.

I'd be interested to hear the fireman's reasoning for this.

 

[fbelec]

include some pictures of what he thinks is bad

 

[Rockey]

I bought a 100# tank today. When I saw how tall it was I couldn't think of a way to transport it in the bed of my truck vertically. I asked the place I bought it from if it wold be OK if I transported it laying down and the Guy said sure. After I hooked it up and made sure it worked I covered it up so the neighbors wouldn't mind. My wife called me a few minutes ago and said a fireman/friend of the family said it wasn't a good idea and not to be surprised if we got a call while we were out of town saying our house had burnt down. Now my wife is concerned. I don't see any significant difference between what I have done and someone with an above ground tank?? How is this more of a hazard.

I'd be interested to hear the fireman's reasoning for this.

Exactly what I said to my wfe when I heard what he said.ths. I think it got a bit blown out of proportion - pardon the pun.

 

[firefighterjake]

I bought a 100# tank today. When I saw how tall it was I couldn't think of a way to transport it in the bed of my truck vertically. I asked the place I bought it from if it wold be OK if I transported it laying down and the Guy said sure. After I hooked it up and made sure it worked I covered it up so the neighbors wouldn't mind. My wife called me a few minutes ago and said a fireman/friend of the family said it wasn't a good idea and not to be surprised if we got a call while we were out of town saying our house had burnt down. Now my wife is concerned. I don't see any significant difference between what I have done and someone with an above ground tank?? How is this more of a hazard.

I'd be interested to hear the fireman's reasoning for this.

Exactly what I said to my wfe when I heard what he said.ths. I think it got a bit blown out of proportion - pardon the pun.

Kind of curious myself . . . the part about burying the cylinder . . . I can't say as though I've seen anyone bury such a small propane tank . . . I suppose there could be an issue with frost moving it or maybe just the hassle of having to dig it up if you can't get a propane supplier to come in and fill it on site . . . but otherwise I'm stumped . . . I mean many places bury propane tanks . . . curious to find out this guy's reasoning.

 

[Czech]

I'm with Rockey on this, it's almost like Elk is back on the page? What increased hazard is there? So I have a buried tank piped to my house, and exposed tank piped to my house, or a tank in my basement? Can't they all fail the same way, i.e. leak into my house? I agree that the more fittings you have the more chance for error, that said I have not seen a tank itself go bad (valve yes, tank no unless really heated!). And why upright? Heck I followed a very large tank down the highway the other day off-gassing big time, it was upright.

 

[Rockey]

Well, we just got back and the house is still standing. I'm assuming the propane kept the place above 45 because it was 50 in the house when we got here, probably due to the solar gain. Thanks to those that suggested a 100# tank. I'm not sure how much I used but I'm glad I didnt risk it with just a 20# grill tank.

 

[Joe Matthews]

The smaller tanks do not have the liquid surface area needed to allow for the LP to evaporate at a rate that will keep up with the heat system you have most likely. The regulator will have a good chance of icing up. You should get some of the oil filled space heaters mentioned above to provide the temporary heat you need. Your heat may work a while but would most likely not last long. A good possibility is that you will have frozen/busted pipes when the tank is sucked dry or the reg freezes up. Also this situation could be dangerous since the tank is not of a sufficient volume to keep up with the consumption requirements your system needs and LP could end up vaporizing at the burner instead of in the tank. You shoud look for another tank that is adequate to purchase so you are not obligated to any one supplier, and either abandon the other one or get them to remove it from your property.


"In order for a propane appliance to work, vaporization must occur and the amount of vaporization rate must be ample enough to deliver the required amount of propane. A small propane tank such as a cylinder does not have the vaporization capacity to fuel a residential propane furnace. The furnace requires so much more propane than a cylinder can deliver. The propane in the cylinder can't vaporize fast enough to satisfy the demand of the furnace."

http://www.propane101.com/propanevaporization.htm

 

[Rockey]

The smaller tanks do not have the liquid surface area needed to allow for the LP to evaporate at a rate that will keep up with the heat system you have most likely. The regulator will have a good chance of icing up. You should get some of the oil filled space heaters mentioned above to provide the temporary heat you need. Your heat may work a while but would most likely not last long. A good possibility is that you will have frozen/busted pipes when the tank is sucked dry or the reg freezes up. Also this situation could be dangerous since the tank is not of a sufficient volume to keep up with the consumption requirements your system needs and LP could end up vaporizing at the burner instead of in the tank. You shoud look for another tank that is adequate to purchase so you are not obligated to any one supplier, and either abandon the other one or get them to remove it from your property.


"In order for a propane appliance to work, vaporization must occur and the amount of vaporization rate must be ample enough to deliver the required amount of propane. A small propane tank such as a cylinder does not have the vaporization capacity to fuel a residential propane furnace. The furnace requires so much more propane than a cylinder can deliver. The propane in the cylinder can't vaporize fast enough to satisfy the demand of the furnace."

http://www.propane101.com/propanevaporization.htm

Very interesting information. I wonder if the 100# tank that I bought is sufficiently sized. I guess the only way to be sure is to call the furnace manufacturer and ask them.

Come to think about it, when we got home and ran the furnace for a while it did shut off after about 20 minutes by itself. I wasnt sure why but I did turn the furnace off and used the insert to heat the rest of the day.

 

[Jags]

Ummm...I posted this earlier for a reason.

http://www.nbmc.com/heaters/lpchart.html

 

[Rockey]

Ummm...I posted this earlier for a reason.

http://www.nbmc.com/heaters/lpchart.html

I'm sorry, did you say something? I wasn't paying any attention.