Leaking Propane Tank

[vampress]

Reminds me of the time I was working a booth at a trade show in NYC. I pushed our wheeled equipment rack back six inches so I could access the chairs at the back of the table. A whistle rang out and all work in the hall stopped. When a NY union is working the show, you don't even nudge your own equipment.

I’m speechless at this, and what Marshall and Russ posted about unions. I think it’s a good thing I’m in residential construction currently and not commercial. Because I think I would go insane dealing with that!

To the OP’s issue. I agree it sounds like the dealership was trying to pull a fast one. Not a good thing. But, dish soap is a great way to check for leaks with propane. Sometimes, be prepared for small bubbles to show after a little bit, don’t go into it expecting fast, large bubbles necessarily like when a kid is blowing bubbles in summer. We’ve had small leaks just give small, slow bubbles forming.

 

[WDPatterson]

Propane tank valves have a check valve which prevents flow if there's no hose attached. If you open the valve, with no hose on it, and you get flow, the valve is defective and must be replaced. However, if you open it up and there's no flow of propane, it's perfectly good.
It was in the interest of both you and the service center, that they should explain that to you.
In any case, these days, always err toward the side of distrust.

By the way, I just replaced a tank valve that *WAS* leaking, and put a new one (with a "gauge") on it.
The old one was, in fact, spewing, a little.

Best of luck in your future ventures!!

 

[Mr Mojo]

If you travel in New Jersy you'll find EVERY station is full service. As a matter of law, you cannot pump your own fuel. I think they passed that law decades ago in an attempt to save jobs.

except, they don't check your oil or wash your windows anymore.

 

[Mr Mojo]

I don't believe I have a desire to visit the Garden State. I doubt they want me there anyway. :hide:

I've been here 50 years and I want out! But I don't know where to go!
I am able to pump my own gas because the "kids" here are too lazy to do it. Every time I get out to unlock my gas cap, I hear them yell out, " You got it?" meaning go ahead and pump yourself. So I go ahead and do it.

 

[Folkie]

I've been here 50 years and I want out! But I don't know where to go!
I am able to pump my own gas because the "kids" here are too lazy to do it. Every time I get out to unlock my gas cap, I hear them yell out, " You got it?" meaning go ahead and pump yourself. So I go ahead and do it.

My wife drove up to MA one time and stopped at a service station. When it took her more than one swipe for the pump to recognize her credit card the register clerk for the mini-mart came running out. He apologized for not seeing her right away because he knows that folks from NJ don't know how to pump gas. Because she grew up in PA her response was "Don't worry, I got this!"

 

[PolarisCobra]

When I was young, probably 8 or 9, the propane company came to replace one if the empty 100 pound tanks on the side of the house. Was curious, so I watched him. He connected the hose, tightened it with a wrench. Pulled a book of matches out of his pocket, lit one and held it under the fitting to check for leaks. I backed up three steps, he got a good laugh. Said he tests them like that multiple times every day.

 

[sourdough]

When I was young, probably 8 or 9, the propane company came to replace one if the empty 100 pound tanks on the side of the house. Was curious, so I watched him. He connected the hose, tightened it with a wrench. Pulled a book of matches out of his pocket, lit one and held it under the fitting to check for leaks. I backed up three steps, he got a good laugh. Said he tests them like that multiple times every day.

LOL! This reminds me of a learning experience from several decades ago;

Kept smelling gas in the laundry room of our vacation home. There was a water heater and gas dryer in there. Eliminated the water heater as the source so was stuck with the dryer and the gas line that fed it along the wall behind the washer and dryer. It was all a very tight fit so eventually got me enough room to wriggle behind the washer/dryer and was then faced with the issue of trying to get out to find something to tests for a leak. Being lazy I just laid there and had DW bring me one of those butane ignitors you use to light a flame with. In my all knowing way I lit the ignitor and proceeded to run it along that, what I thought, was a metal flexible gas line. Lo and behold there was a little pinhole and it started a little flame. Pleased with myself I smiled and thought "ah ha"! As I contemplated extracting myself I watched as that "little" flame began getting larger and larger....that stupid "metal" hose was melting and the hole was getting larger! Hole bat guano! Flailing around to get out I determined the hole was getting larger faster than I was getting out of that crack. Yelled at DW and told her how to shut off the gas supply at the wall. Turned off the flame went out and I had a nice hole in that supply line....I might have even had to change underwear...I just can't recall these many years later. I DO recall however that the thought of using a flame to detect a gas/LP leak NEVER crossed my mind again...

 

[wiredgeorge]

I've been here 50 years and I want out! But I don't know where to go!
I am able to pump my own gas because the "kids" here are too lazy to do it. Every time I get out to unlock my gas cap, I hear them yell out, " You got it?" meaning go ahead and pump yourself. So I go ahead and do it.

My wife and I (and kids) spent most of our adult lives living overseas. At one point, we decided the kids needed to get acclimated to life in the States so I got a job in Maryland (still working for the govt). After a few years in Maryland, decided we should have stayed overseas and got out of there. I landed a job in Texas where I retired a few years later. My criteria was:

1. NO state income tax
2. NO snow
3. 2A friendly

It has snowed on us a couple times over the years here in South Texas and I can assure you that it is 17 times worse than snow up north as things are paralyzed and electricity goes down for the count. Folks are pretty friendly in our corner of Texas. We have been here almost 40 years.

 

[Rockb]

It has now been 2 weeks and the balloon is still just as small as it was when I put it on there. I conclude that there is no leak as the technician described.

On the 8th I sent an e-mail to the dealership outlining everything I did and what I found. Still no reply. I really did not expect them to do anything but at least expected a reply.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

LOL! This reminds me of a learning experience from several decades ago;

Kept smelling gas in the laundry room of our vacation home. There was a water heater and gas dryer in there. Eliminated the water heater as the source so was stuck with the dryer and the gas line that fed it along the wall behind the washer and dryer. It was all a very tight fit so eventually got me enough room to wriggle behind the washer/dryer and was then faced with the issue of trying to get out to find something to tests for a leak. Being lazy I just laid there and had DW bring me one of those butane ignitors you use to light a flame with. In my all knowing way I lit the ignitor and proceeded to run it along that, what I thought, was a metal flexible gas line. Lo and behold there was a little pinhole and it started a little flame. Pleased with myself I smiled and thought "ah ha"! As I contemplated extracting myself I watched as that "little" flame began getting larger and larger....that stupid "metal" hose was melting and the hole was getting larger! Hole bat guano! Flailing around to get out I determined the hole was getting larger faster than I was getting out of that crack. Yelled at DW and told her how to shut off the gas supply at the wall. Turned off the flame went out and I had a nice hole in that supply line....I might have even had to change underwear...I just can't recall these many years later. I DO recall however that the thought of using a flame to detect a gas/LP leak NEVER crossed my mind again...

I have investigated more than a few fires involving gas lines with pin holes. Most often it is CSST flexible tubing. Unless the line is grounded in a very specific way, it can/will develop pin holes and then it’s only a matter of time before it goes boom (typically when the house is unoccupied for a period of time so that the gas concentration reaches the ideal air/fuel ratio to support an explosion). While it is unlikely that you could have set off an explosion in your situation, experiencing the blow torch effect is enough to make you need to change your underwear afterwards. Glad your wife was there!

To the OP, I am not surprised you couldn’t find a leak in the tank, nor am I surprised at the lack of response from the dealer. Disappointed, yes but not surprised. The only way for those “forever” anything gimmicks to work is if they can make money off something that isn’t covered.

We had a similar service “plan” on our Chevy Tahoe Z71. Brought it in for the free annual state safety inspection and lube, oil and filter. They said the brake pads and rotors were shot and it would be $2,800 even using aftermarket parts. I called BS, said no thanks and never went back. I did get everything fixed at a specialty shop and it was “only” around $900. It was only that expensive because in GM’s wisdom they made it so you have to open the differential and separate the rear axle shafts and slide them out to replace the brake disc dust shields (an $11 part). We went back with split shields so we would never have to do that again.

 

[Gearhead]

As the kids say…OMG.
I can’t imagine checking for leaks with a match. Especially at work. Actually matches were forbidden in the plant.
We had to leak check every mechanical seal on every pump that we overhauled. And if I had a pump at an outside shop, I witnessed the leak check.
Buy one bottle of Snoop leak detector. When you use it all you can make your own mixture of soap and water. Snoop has a bottle with a small diameter straw that goes to the bottom of the bottle. Some folks like to mix soap and water in a spray bottle. I don’t like that. When you spray you create bubbles and I can’t determine what bubbles I sprayed vs a leak.
Carry on.