Net 49 below zero

[Ironman]

Someone stole my propane. I even identified the thief. It is the weatherman.
As I write the temperature thing says -49.9 C and the propane is not happening. There is only a 1/4" high flame from the cookstove burner. The house temp inside is +14 so I am about 14 degrees above freezing. We have one electric heater and it's running.
I hope the sun shows up and warms the propane tank in time.
Yesterday it was my shop that froze up.
Thank Goodness Steven Guilbeault has an answer for everything. I have 15000 garlic in the ground and it may not survive....Stevie...Steve...any ideas?

 

[DavidR8]

Wrap it in a warm blanket.

 

[YotaBota]

Brrrrr, I've done time in northern BC, MooseJaw and Cold Lake so I know how you feel.

I was going to suggest getting naked and hug the tank but that would be mean.

I was thinking an electric blanket on the propane tank and hope there are no shorts.

 

[JustaDB]

Thank Goodness Steven Guilbeault has an answer for everything.

Hans Gruber? Riiiiiight...

 

[Ironman]

Wrap it in a warm blanket.

The trouble with wrapping the tank is that as propane vaporizes it chills the vapor. Anyone that has used propane to shrink a bushing for installation knows how cold it can be.
You have to supply heat and a warm blanky. My tanks are 135 ft away and I will have to string a bout 6 extension cords together for that, and I need a infrared heater to not heat the outside air. It'll be fun, not sure what I'm gonna do, as tonight is another bitter one.

 

[Former Member]

Most likely your valve (outlet from tank) froze or near froze closed, most commonly after a slight over fill as propane expands it cools and freezes blocking flow (laws of expansion). Looks slightly iced over. Its happened to me even in warmer conditions (relatively speaking).

Check this area and if it is, shut down all gas outlet. No gas flow, heat effected area (heat gun or torch.....carefully, no explosions please). Once warm, light one at a time and monitor.

Good luck and time for a backup woodstove.

 

[PaulL]

Yeah, it's an easy problem. We just had to start listening to climate scientists 30 years ago to avoid breaking the climate this badly.
We humans are just too stupid.

 

[Former Member]

Yeah, it's an easy problem. We just had to start listening to climate scientists 30 years ago to avoid breaking the climate this badly.
We humans are just too stupid.

I think @Ironman is thinking.....Global Warming my ass! The scientists lied!

 

[PaulL]

I think @Ironman is thinking.....Global Warming my ass! The scientists lied!

Yeah, lying bunch of shysters. Just bitter scientists trying to stick it to the oil economy.

 

[DavidR8]

The trouble with wrapping the tank is that as propane vaporizes it chills the vapor. Anyone that has used propane to shrink a bushing for installation knows how cold it can be.
You have to supply heat and a warm blanky. My tanks are 135 ft away and I will have to string a bout 6 extension cords together for that, and I need a infrared heater to not heat the outside air. It'll be fun, not sure what I'm gonna do, as tonight is another bitter one.

Yotabota's suggestion of am electric blanket is a good one.

 

[Doggggboy]

Yotabota's suggestion of am electric blanket is a good one.

At the farm my Dad used to light a wettish straw bale under the tank. It would smolder for days with very little flame.
If nothing else, it'll find the leaks.

 

[Ironman]

Quote

At the farm my Dad used to light a wettish straw bale under the tank. It would smolder for days with very little flame.
If nothing else, it'll find the leaks.

I assume this was a 50 lb bale? now they are 1200 lb

 

[140mower]

Any chance of tenting over it with an insulated tarp and putting an electric heater in there with it? You almost need an automotive type vaporizer this time of the year......

 

[YotaBota]

My tanks are 135 ft away

Is that distance due to building regs? How big are the tanks?

When we built in 2007 I was wanting to put in a 250gal laydown tank, building regs killed that idea. For that size/style of tank it had to be on a concrete pad, more than ten feet from the structure, special underground piping blah blah blah.
There were no rules on 80gal cylinders, I could have lined them down the length of the garage and ganged them together on a swamp base. I have three of those 80gal cylinders outside the garage each on a 2'x2' concrete paver.

 

[Ironman]

Yeah, lying bunch of shysters. Just bitter scientists trying to stick it to the oil economy.

It's not the oil companies they are trying to stick it to. Imagine, if you will, that this oil supply was in Quebec.......
Our province will not kneel to the new gods.
If the propane does not thaw by 11:30, I am going to wrap up and gather extension cords. I have a heat pad that will cover with a bit of Pink and brace it to the side of the tank.

 

[Ironman]

Is that distance due to building regs? How big are the tanks?

When we built in 2007 I was wanting to put in a 250gal laydown tank, building regs killed that idea. For that size/style of tank it had to be on a concrete pad, more than ten feet from the structure, special underground piping blah blah blah.
There were no rules on 80gal cylinders, I could have lined them down the length of the garage and ganged them together on a swamp base. I have three of those 80gal cylinders outside the garage each on a 2'x2' concrete paver.

Tank is 500 gal. on a pad. I have U/G piping to the house. The tank is where it is so that if I don't get the driveway plowed they can still fill me from the county road.

 

[PaulL]

It's not the oil companies they are trying to stick it to. Imagine, if you will, that this oil supply was in Quebec

Alberta's persecution complex is something else. Anyways, probably get deleted for that.
I hope your propane melts.

 

[DavidR8]

Politics gents, politics.

 

[Doggggboy]

Quote

I assume this was a 50 lb bale? now they are 1200 lb

Yup. My uncle next door had a round baler. But back then, they were essentially stooks and weighed about the same as a small square bale.

 

[Doggggboy]

Is that distance due to building regs? How big are the tanks?

I have a 1000 gallon tank for the standby generator.
Has to be minimum 10 feet from the nearest source of ignition, so 10 feet from the shop and 10 feet from the generator.
All piping must be underground.
No you cannot do it yourself, at least here.
When I got the tank from my FIL it was on wheels as it was his grain dryer tank and could be moved, but had to be empty.
I live about 40 miles away so I went in the evening and hooked it up with about 10% in it, threw a tarp over it to hide it and dragged it home.
I think 80 gallons is the biggest you can move while filled.
Once I got it here I was able to have it filled while on the wheels and then the regulations changed again so it could no longer be filled with the axles on it.
Wouldn't do to just take the wheels off, had to cut the axles off and put it on piers in order to be filled.
Pain in the ass but all good now.
I'm not as brave as Pop was so I've wrapped heat tape around the regulator and fired up the portable Honda generator for an hour or two to get things working occasionally.