BajaNomad

Propane Tanks

Gypsy Jan - 2-12-2014 at 09:01 PM

Conversations with my husband,

Him: "Did you know our propane tank has rusted and is leaking?"

Me: "No, I didn't know."

Him: "Do you know how dangerous that is?!"

Me: "Yes, I know exactly. Years ago when I was living in the Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard, in Hollywood-by-the-Sea, a backhoe caused a spark that ignited a leak from the nearby market.

"The resulting explosion blew the guy living in the upstairs apartment out to the ground."

"I heard the BOOM! and saw the fire and ran to help,"

"The guy was on the ground, but the paramedics arrived right after me. He broke both his legs and maybe his hips,"

"I went door-to-door, checking on the neighbors to make sure that they were OK."

Him: ""I don't want to talk about this anymore."

DavidE - 2-13-2014 at 01:07 PM

Jan, ever see a pipa coming at you sideways with the brakes locked up? A pipa is a tanker. Remember propane safety is on everyone's mind down here. After LPG arrived, several moon craters in the middle of cities "encouraged" the removal of LPG plants to a dozen kms outside of cities and towns.

Whenever i trade-in a tank I ask that the replacement tank be laid on its side so I can see the bottom. i don't need to see Jesus, Peter, Paul & Mary, just yet.

Peter, Paul and Mary, "Leaving on a Jet Plane"

Gypsy Jan - 2-13-2014 at 01:24 PM

I would rather fly that way.

Loretana - 2-13-2014 at 01:59 PM

We had a flakey propane dealer in Loreto that blew up about 20 odd years ago....I know someone died.....

Udo - 2-13-2014 at 02:12 PM

Thanks for the tip, David!
In BA the tanks are on a dirt parking area. Great area for the bottoms to rust.
At the house I keep the tanks on a metal tray.
Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE
Whenever i trade-in a tank I ask that the replacement tank be laid on its side so I can see the bottom.

DENNIS - 2-13-2014 at 02:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DavidE

Whenever i trade-in a tank I ask that the replacement tank be laid on its side so I can see the bottom. i don't need to see Jesus, Peter, Paul & Mary, just yet.



That's where the Black Widows commonly like to hang out. Cool and dark.
Always check before grabbing the tank.




.

[Edited on 2-13-2014 by DENNIS]

No Blow in Days of Old

MrBillM - 2-13-2014 at 04:26 PM

The "Refill" yard in San Felipe back in the '80s-'90s was a fenced area at the West End where a REALLY OLD guy would fill the small tanks from an inverted larger one trucked in from Mexicali while a Lit-Cigarette dangled from his mouth.

AND, when the larger tank in use got close to empty, he would wrap his arms around it and start thumping it against the ground to (supposedly) get the most flow from it.

A process we would all stand right there and watch having found that, if we leave the tanks and return, we would find that ours were still unfilled while those who were standing behind us had theirs filled and were gone.

I'm pretty sure that the guy died of Old Age.

Never heard of any Blow there.

Other than the time that "El Nido" restaurant burned to the ground, but that was from a tank (without valve-guard ?) falling over and snapping the valve off.


[Edited on 2-13-2014 by MrBillM]

Pompano - 2-13-2014 at 04:45 PM

I know a LOT of careless hombres in Baja who show burn marks on arms & faces. All from incidents with propane. Just a miracle that none of these guys were killed. Safety is becoming more and more of a factor, however, so the industry conditions will improve.

weebray - 2-13-2014 at 05:27 PM

Someone here has too much time on their hands. Propane tanks do not explode, they do not implode either. In fact even if you shoot them they are hart to explode. In fact propane accidents are extremely rare. Rusty tanks aren't even a problem until they are severely rusted. A little rustolium is required once in awhile. Nevertheless a whole industry has grown up around propane tank safety, basically for nothing. Just another taxpayer funded waste of time and money. I did see a propane tank sitting on the porch of a house, engulfed in fire for more than an hour, finally "blow-off" the gas via a safety valve. It was little more than a beautiful pyrotechnic display.

willardguy - 2-13-2014 at 05:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by weebray
Someone here has too much time on their hands. Propane tanks do not explode, they do not implode either. In fact even if you shoot them they are hart to explode. In fact propane accidents are extremely rare. Rusty tanks aren't even a problem until they are severely rusted. A little rustolium is required once in awhile. Nevertheless a whole industry has grown up around propane tank safety, basically for nothing. Just another taxpayer funded waste of time and money. I did see a propane tank sitting on the porch of a house, engulfed in fire for more than an hour, finally "blow-off" the gas via a safety valve. It was little more than a beautiful pyrotechnic display.
I dont claim to know much about propane tanks but the main storage facility in rosarito is on benito juarez, the main drag in the heart of the city. guess they didnt get eidell's warning about moon size craters yet?:lol:

DENNIS - 2-13-2014 at 06:00 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by willardguy
I dont claim to know much about propane tanks but the main storage facility in rosarito is on benito juarez, the main drag in the heart of the city.


Did Robmearito grow around the gas facility? Which was the chicken and which was the egg?

weebray - 2-13-2014 at 06:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
I know a LOT of careless hombres in Baja who show burn marks on arms & faces. All from incidents with propane.

Sorry, I have to call BS on that statement.

Pompano - 2-13-2014 at 06:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by weebray
Quote:
Originally posted by Pompano
I know a LOT of careless hombres in Baja who show burn marks on arms & faces. All from incidents with propane.

Sorry, I have to call BS on that statement.


If you ask VERY politely, Pepe Yee of Casa Yee (they fill propane tanks) could show you his burns on hands, face, and neck. Danny of the old Maria Isabella RV bakery could show you, too...if he were still alive.

Pepe's burns are one good reason why they don't allow motorhomes to fill their propane tanks in town anymore.



Here's a propane plume coming off an erupting tank at a palapa fire at Coyote Bay. Called a 'bleve'...I believe...and it will burn you severely.

Here's some info on them. A propane tank BLEVE will occur when the container is subject to extreme heat, such as in a fire. While the tank is being heated, the liquid propane inside is being heated causing it to expand. The safety relief valve will open allowing pressure to vent to the outside atmosphere. If the pressure inside the tank grows to a level exceeding that at which the safety relief valve can expel it from the tank, the propane tank may rupture. If flames or a source of ignition is present, the propane will ignite resulting in an explosion...although this is rare due to the strength of modern tanks.


Is it my imagination or is that smoke spelling...B S ? ;)






Gypsy Jan, I am sorry about this highjack.





[Edited on 2-14-2014 by Pompano]

Weebee

captkw - 2-13-2014 at 08:55 PM

Hola,AHHHHH propane gas explosions have been very common in Mexico since 1968 that I know of for many reasons and mex city had a HUGE incident a few 3/4 years back and that's when they decided to move the fill up/holdings tanks out of town...I don't how to tell you plolitley sir,, But your are not correct on this matter and I myself have left taco stands and other eating joints when I see car fuel line with a hose clamp hooked to a propane tank and even worse....to the burner....YIKES !!!

DocRey - 2-13-2014 at 09:11 PM

B- Boiling
L- Liquid
E- Expanding
V- Vapor
E- Explosion
:fire:

weebray - 2-14-2014 at 08:32 AM

"AHHHHH propane gas explosions have been very common in Mexico since 1968" Sorry, you are wrong, exploding propane tanks are EXTREMELY rare - statistically unimportant. Ask any fireman. And to Pampano the reason I called BS is that, by any definition, "a LOT" (in CAPITAL letters) is not one person.

OMG weebee

captkw - 2-14-2014 at 08:50 AM

Hola,,I know propane has flashpoint and volita that makes really a danger !! you can come up with any BS you want!! but I install and maintain systems on vessels and respect it !! in mex they don't add the stinky stuff which makes it even more of a fire hazard !! to argue if the tank Itself goes is not important issue......whats next ?? gasoline dosnt burn !!! don't get what kind of point your trying to make here !! I myself like to live life without getting BURNED !!

windgrrl - 2-14-2014 at 10:07 AM

Filled many propane tanks working at a fuel station in my youth. Propane came out of the main tank hyper cold. We wore gloves to avoid the freezing of skin. The "burns" are more likely frostbite.

windggggrl

captkw - 2-14-2014 at 10:18 AM

Me too!!

Keywords

MrBillM - 2-14-2014 at 11:28 AM

Statistically Insignificant.

To begin with, the frequency of Explosions is small in relation to the usage AND I would venture that the number of such accidents which can be attributed to Old and Rusty tanks failing (in instances where better tanks wouldn't) is likely fairly miniscule or non-existent.

Terry28 - 2-14-2014 at 11:35 AM

Weebry, I am a firefighter and propane tanks do explode...not every day, but if it happens to you it doesn't matter how often it has happened in the past.
I have even seen them "launched" when the pop off valve ( pressure relief valve) was faulty. It pays to be careful.....

Quick! Someone Call Blue Rhino And Tell Them THIS COULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED!

DavidE - 2-14-2014 at 12:18 PM

[img]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1412493.1375192403!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/42-50223747.jpg[/img]


http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1412492.1375192379!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/florida-gas-plant-blast.jpg

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/15-missing-florida-explosions-article-1.1412355

[Edited on 2-14-2014 by DavidE]

weebray - 2-14-2014 at 04:29 PM

My point was that the amount of $ spent and time wasted is way out of proportion to the insignificant threat. Kinda like the billions spent and HUGE amount of time wasted protecting us from domestic terrorist attacks. Such attacks are statistically insignificant too but the insanity of "homeland security" and the patriot act has us all cowering like whipped dogs in our own country. People are going to die, that's a fact, at what cost do we expect "them" to protect us. It IS a b-tch when you or a loved one is chosen but someone has to win the lottery. I stand before you, guilty as charged, for wasting your time and mine trying to make a pretty statistically insignificant point.

DavidE - 2-15-2014 at 11:40 AM

Sorta like comparing Revenue Enhancement to Third Degree Burns?

bent-rim - 2-15-2014 at 04:58 PM

There are some pictures of a propane fire at Guillermo's in Bahia de Los Angeles at Guillermo's.

today BOOM!! propane

captkw - 2-19-2014 at 02:40 PM

reading the news and today in my hometown Boulder creek ca.workers were transfering (filling) the house tank and had a BLEve or an explosion...happens to much for my liking !!

Going Down Memory Lane on Subject

Gypsy Jan - 2-20-2014 at 09:53 AM

I had a friend from college (not romantic), he served in Vietnam, and we met when returned and found that we had an equal love of sailing - he taught me to sail Lido 14's and even had me crew for him in regattas in the Long Beach Marina.

He also liked to have me bring my dog over to his house for play dates with his dog while he was at work.

He had a job as an inspector of commercial tankers in San Pedro. On his day off, a tanker blew up, killing his co-worker and friend.

This tough, war-hardened Marine cried his heart out that day.

DocRey - 2-20-2014 at 11:19 AM

Sansinita, 1975...?

Short Answer to Your Question

Gypsy Jan - 2-20-2014 at 11:34 AM

Yes.

DocRey - 2-20-2014 at 05:09 PM

We have many pictures on our fire/boat house walls of this incident. Incredible damage. We are charged with inspecting ALL tankers/barges before they offload or take on various fuels, solvents or chemicals.
Very well regulated. As it should be.:smug: