New U-Haul propane refill policy?

[ShuttlePilot]

I hope I didn't give the impression that I'm badmouthing safety. God forbid that fell on the right ears. Because of carefully thought out procedures and in place functional safety equipment I'm still in one piece as sometimes things didn't go as planned.

An example of how our safety in propane is working. Mrs ShuttlePilot's family is from Thailand. Her mother is terrified of 20lb BBQ tanks because in Thailand the tanks are everywhere for cooking and often fail with deadly consequences. With little to no regulation some tanks can be decades old. The degradation of tanks is worsened by the hot and very humid climate. So here in the states we have the luxury of being comfortable around propane because of how we're required to handle it.

And, yes to all that Pntyrmvr said. As far as fuels go propane is really docile.

-Eric

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Hey this is all great info.

With everything that you guys have just related (with respect to propane safety, the actual relative docile nature of propane compared to gasoline, and the high standards to which tanks and equipment are manufactured to here in North America --- )

What (if anything) would you recommend SHOULD be done to "keep on top of" your propane equipment's safety as it ages? How often should it be assessed for continued integrity or just routinely "gone through" to make sure all the regulators and valves are up to par?

[gcvt]

Got a call back from U-Haul from a 602 number. He said their new policy is no tanks, DOT or ASME, over 10 years old in California.

edit: 602 area code is their Corporate Headquarters. He made a point to say that this is a State issue and that codes vary by State.

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by Glider

One more fun fact: If you purchase a new ASME tank, it comes from the factory filled with inert gas. There is a very specific purging sequence that must be followed at the initial fill (once only, if it is done correctly), in order to remove the inert gas and allow the tank to be filled to full (which is actually 80%) capacity. The average line staff at a place like U-Haul is unlikely to be familiar with the procedure, so if you are getting a new tank filled for the first time, be sure to have the manufacturer's purging instructions in hand to ensure that the fill station does it correctly.

I started a thread on this topic...I found it very difficult to find someone familiar with proper purging of a new tank....

http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/for...cal-16266.html

[Glider]

Some basic, helpful information from Manchester Tank:
http://www.mantank.com/custresources/helpfulhints.pdf

And here is a copy of the National Propane Gas Association's Bulletin 133-89A, which specifies how LP tanks should be purged:

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by Glider

Some basic, helpful information from Manchester Tank:
http://www.mantank.com/custresources/helpfulhints.pdf

And here is a copy of the National Propane Gas Association's Bulletin 133-89A, which specifies how LP tanks should be purged:

Amazing to me how much I dont know (and continue to learn) while sifting through these Threads...
My Van is now 11years old, and (embarrassingly) not once have I considered the integrity of this system & accompanying components.
So Thanks! Everyone's contributions on this topic have convinced me its probably a good idea to have my system checked & serviced through a "credible" operation before my next fill.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Twoxentrix --- I'm right there with ya!

Due to the fact that my 1995 rig is now "old enough to legally drink in all 50 States"....
....I continue to be motivated to find some sort of standardized regular maintenance or inspection/recertification timetable for older ASME equipment.

The knowledgeable voices on this thread have weighed in accurately that the ASME tanks themselves officially do not require any kind of recertification. But what I am finding (and what seems like common sense) is that the integrity of regulators, valves, flexible lines/hoses/fittings etc is something to be prudently looked after/gone through periodically as the rig ages.

The timetable that Glider mentioned, about having it all gone through every five years to be safe, seems (to me) to be both well-considered and well-balanced in its thinking. Also --- just dug up this thread, below. Quality discussion here, IMHO. (At least until the second half of their thread when they discuss an impolite individual.)

"There are 2 types of propane storage vessels, an ASME TANK and the DOT CYLINDER. NFPA pamphlet 58 states that the DOT CYLINDER needs to be recertified after 12 years from the manufacturing date. Depending on the certifying method used, they are recertified every 5,7,12 years thereafter. The recertification involves an inspection and testing of the cylinder to confirm that the cylinder is still safe and legal to remain in service.

ASME TANKS that are found on an RV do not get recertified. They should have the relief valve replaced every 10 years and should follow the same standards established by the Department of Transportation.

Notice the wording here - they go to great lengths to call the BBQ tanks a CYLINDER and the ASME cylinders a TANK.

So... is it time to re-certify that propane tank/cylinder on your RV??? The answer is MAYBE if you have a travel trailer and definitely NO if you have a motorhome. It couldn't hurt, but it is not a requirement on an rv with an ASME TANK, I would have the relief valve replaced after 10 years and the flexible hose connection replaced after 15 years. We've had a few members report that these hoses failed on their coach in the past but these were on 20+ year old coaches."

Source:
Time to recertify that propane tank!!! - Topic

[ShuttlePilot]

MountainBikeRoamer, Just a thought for you. Regardless of finding a maintenance standard or not, if this is worrying you while your trying to enjoy your van you could always replace your tank, regulator, and hoses and start over. I'm sure the tank isn't cheap, the regulator probably is, but in the scale of the amount of money "we" spend on these vans not unreasonable. The reason I mention replacing those things is that with propane everything after the regulator is really low pressure. 11" of water column comes to mind, I'd have to look that up, and would likely be a slow leak that you would smell. Way, way below the necessary air to fuel mixture. In the mind of some folks probably overkill, but I disagree if it fixes the splinter in your mind.


-Eric

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Thanks Shuttlepilot.
Just sent you a PM!

FWIW ---
I am trying to walk the fine line between "being obsessively-beyond-unnecessarily-safety-driven"....and being "irresponsibly lax by not exercising reasonable due care"....

I hugely appreciate the solid perspectives and knowledge from everyone here.
Apologies if I have influenced (or introduced) a thoroughly unnecessary element of concern to this thread.*

(*But it's just that it's....like....compressed explosive gas....in old equipment that nobody's checked out in 20 years, man.... )