Taking A Break From Gardening to Talk About Propane Relief Valves

My wife recently acquired some seed potatoes, which are almost impossible to find this time of year. And I was going to write about my plans to attempt a fall crop. But something unusual happened this week that may be of interest to those of us who live in the country.

Many of us who live in the country rely on propane to heat and fuel our homes. And for those of us with above-ground propane tanks, extremely high temperatures this time of year can cause the relief valve to pop off. If you happen to be nearby, the experience can be quite jarring.

I used to work in the propane industry and I have experienced it several times. I would say don’t be alarmed, but you will be alarmed. It’s loud. It’ll scare you. Your eardrums will ring. And you’ll probably smell gas. But the relief valve is doing what it’s supposed to do. It’s relieving pressure to prevent the tank from bursting.

This happened at a residence in the Flatonia area Tuesday evening. Flatonia Fire and Rescue responded, along with the propane supplier, Tex Propane of Schulenburg.

James Fietsam of Tex Propane explained what happens when a relief valve pops off.

“If your tank doesn’t have any shade during the mid- to late-afternoon, the propane can heat up quite a bit above the outside temperature and cause the relief valve on top of the tank to leak or pop off,” he said. “It is actually doing its job by protecting the tank from bursting.”

Propane is a gas at atmospheric pressure, but it’s stored as a liquid under high pressure inside the propane tank. Fietsam said the relief valves are set to pop open at 250 psi, but they can become weak with age.

“From a safe distance you can give it some relief by spraying it with a water hose to cool the tank down,” Fietsam said. “If it is still leaking after sunset or in the morning, the valve will need replacing.”

Fietsam said some customers plant shrubs or erect latticework to shade their propane tanks, but he said those must be at least three feet away from the tank. For the customer in Flatonia, Fietsam suggested a temporary measure – setting two T-posts in the ground and attaching a 4x8 sheet of plywood in such a way to shade the tank.

“If you hear, see or smell gas, please call your local dealer or 911,” Fietsam said. “Do not smoke, mow or cause a spark closer than 25 ft. from the tank.”

Fietsam said local fire departments have attended training classes to educate them about propane and relief valves.

In addition, he said, small propane cylinders should never be stored indoors. They also have relief valves, which can leak and cause an explosion when gas gets trapped inside a building.

I’ll fill you in on our fall potato experiment next week.