LP Tank - underground installation

[Ken Amelin]

I inspected a home with an underground LP tank yesterday and I was wondering what everyone puts in their report for their clients.

Is there an inspection process that someone should go through prior to purchase?
How often does a tank have to be replaced?
Do you just wait for a leak and then replace? (DUH!)

What safety devices are required, and what distance should the tank be from the house or other structures?

Can these thing float when they are empty? Do they need tiedowns?

Any protocol or verbiage suggestions?

[James Duffin]

I inspected a home with an underground LP tank yesterday and I was wondering what everyone puts in their report for their clients.

Is there an inspection process that someone should go through prior to purchase?
How often does a tank have to be replaced?
Do you just wait for a leak and then replace? (DUH!)

What safety devices are required, and what distance should the tank be from the house or other structures?

Can these thing float when they are empty? Do they need tiedowns?

Any protocol or verbiage suggestions?

All I say is that there is an underground LP tank, the size of the tank in gallons, what the gauge reads, and that the main fuel shut-off is on the top of the tank. I also recoomnend they get a copy of some gas bills so they won't faint during the first winter in the house. A 1000 gallon tank cost about $2500 to fill up around here (at 80% full).

[John Kogel]

Call a propane supplier in your area. They can pressure test the tank, if that's a worry. The previous supplier Should have records of the age and when or if testing was ever done.
I will include a pic of any decals left by previous supplier, which usually includes a phone #. The tank may be a rental, good to know. I've never seen a buried rental, but who knows?

[Raymond Wand]

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&sqi=2&ved=0CD8QFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diverscosupply.com%2FUndergro undGuide.pdf&rct=j&q=underground%20propane%20tank&ei=GMK5TfmLKcTu0gGewyg&usg=AFQjCNGC_mHARa8LPvj4L9WeVTbqLoDG_g&cad=rja

Underground Pipe and Propane Tank Cathodic Protection (http://www.anodesystems.com/Cathodic_Protection/Underground_Pipe_and_Propane_Tank_Cathodic_Protect ion.html)

[Jerry Peck]

In addition to what Raymond provided for the location:


Can these thing float when they are empty? Do they need tiedowns?

Yes, absolutely.

Wherever there is risk of flooding FEMA wants those tanks tied down.

The most appropriate way is to anchor to a concrete weight below the tank which weighs more than the weight of the water displaced by the tank with the tank empty, one can deduct the weight of the tank itself if they want to cut the concrete weight to a minimum, but that could defeat the whole idea - anchoring the tank down so it cannot float.

The weight of a gallon of water is 8.4 pounds (more accurately it is 8.345 pounds, but I round it off to 8.4 pounds), thus a 500 gallon tank would displace 8.4 x 500 = 4,200 pounds of water, if the tank itself weighs in at 1,000 pounds, which means the concrete would need to weight at least 3,200 pounds, at 150 pound per cubic foot for normal weight concrete 3,200 / 150 = 21.3 cubic feet of concrete, 1 cubic yard of concrete is 27 cubic feet, so 1 cu yd would offset the weight of the empty tank, and because ready mix delivered by a truck typically has a 2-3 cu yd minimum, most people either put the entire minimum under the tank (they are paying for it anyway, might as well use it).

Of course, the other thing which needs to be considered (but is frequently missed) is the embedded anchors, cables, and clamps - ALL should be stainless steel ... does no good to have anything rust out after a few years underground, of sufficient size to hold down the calculated weight, and typically two clamps are required at each cable end.