Store Your Propane Tanks Properly This Winter | Hocon Gas (2024)

FAQs

Store Your Propane Tanks Properly This Winter | Hocon Gas? ›

Propane will not vaporize at very cold temperatures. Its boiling point is-42 °C (-44 °F) so it is not much use below -40. If you want to use it below those temperatures you have to keep it warm, so you have to put it in an enclosure and/or wrap the tank with heat tape.

Propane will not vaporize at very cold temperatures. Its boiling point is-42 °C (-44 °F) so it is not much use below -40. If you want to use it below those temperatures you have to keep it warm, so you have to put it in an enclosure and/or wrap the tank with heat tape.

Propane contracts when it's cold. When it's extremely cold outside, the volume of propane inside your aboveground propane tank will shrink, which creates a loss of pressure. The problem is, if the pressure becomes too low, the propane inside your tank will not be able to reach your gas burner.

Keep in mind that propane tanks should not be stored in a shed, garage, basem*nt or attic, or brought indoors for any reason – they should only be stored in a dry, open, well-ventilated area outdoors. It is only safe to store your propane tank inside if it has been completely emptied of propane.

-In areas where heavy snows are expected, cover the regulator, relief valves, and fill valves with a protective cap or "dome." This dome will keep out snow, ice, or rain which might clog the regulator if it freezes.

Use an Insulating Blanket

Wrapping your propane tank with an insulating blanket can help retain heat and prevent freezing. These blankets are available at most hardware stores and are easy to install.

Even as the temperatures drop, your propane tank should remain outdoors. Propane tanks should always be kept in a well-ventilated, shaded area and at least 10 feet from your home. Turn it off. If you'll be bringing your grill inside for the winter, be sure to turn off your propane tank and disconnect it.

Clear snow off your tank so that the sun can help add some warmth. Keeping the tank and surrounding area clear of snow also ensures a quick and safe propane delivery for your driver.

The only time that it is safe to store a propane tank inside is if it is completely empty. If a tank is not empty, it should be stored outside as opposed to in a house, shed or garage.

Regardless of the fuel source, for safety reasons, it's very important to turn off the supply of gas to the grill when it's not in use. If someone or something were to turn on one the control knobs on the grill, it would fill with gas, creating the potential for a very dangerous situation.

Where is the safest place to store a propane tank? ›

Propane tanks should always be stored outdoors in well-ventilated areas. Storing propane tanks in garages or sheds is discouraged because if a valve isn't fully closed, vapors could escape and concentrate indoors. A flat, level, outdoor area that is out of direct sunlight is the ideal location.

In warm weather your propane tank can still be stored outdoors on a flat, solid surface. You'll want to keep the tank in a shaded area so that it's not in direct sunlight for long periods of time—this will keep the tank at a safe temperature, note exceeding 120 °F (49 °C).

You cannot paint the propane tank a different color than its original one, even if you own it rather than rent it. You should not enclose the propane tank with walls of any kind as these restrict ventilation.

The freezing point for propane is -44˚ Fahrenheit. -22 ° is the coldest temperature recorded in Augusta, Maine. That means it is very unlikely that your propane tank will freeze. However, extremely cold weather can cause problems in other ways.

It's safe for you to store your propane tanks outside during the winter because low and freezing temperatures aren't dangerous like high temperatures are. However, you should be aware that the damp areas that are created by rain and snow can cause rusting on the actual tank itself.

Methanol treatment

A November 2007 report by the Propane Education & Research Council contains the best information. The report details how to add methanol to control freeze-ups.

A propane tank's cold temperature limit is -44 degrees Fahrenheit — at that point, propane turns from a gas to a liquid. Propane can only heat your home when it's in a gaseous state, not when it's a liquid. Your storage tank keeps propane in its gaseous form under high pressure.

In most cases, cold weather pressure changes aren't significant enough to affect your system's ability to heat your home. However, in extreme cold, it is possible that heater performance will suffer and that, on rare occasions, failure will occur. Fortunately, there are ways to protect your propane tank in the cold.

Yes. For propane to freeze, the outside temperature would have to be -44°F or below, which happens in very few parts of the world. When grilling outdoors in colder temperatures, consider foods that grill up faster, so you don't have to be outside in the cold any longer than necessary.

Propane and natural gas, the two most commonly used fuels for homes, have very low freezing points that even a cold winter night won't freeze. So, while your lines ice over in the winter, the gas inside still flows just as well as it would any other time of the year!